Advertisement:Paramount Pictures Presents the Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Collector's Chess Set

Chess is one of the oldest board games known. Standard chess sets feature 16 pieces per side, with varying names, shapes, and methods of moving on the board. Antique sets were often handmade in different kinds of shapes and designs. In the post-industrial era the continued popularity of chess gave rise to the development and subsequent marketing of similarly special chess sets, made in shapes designed to appeal to collectors and players alike. Savvy marketers feature advertisements for these deluxe sets in upscale magazines.