Chess Before the 20th Century

Chess is as old as the hills. Take a journey through time with these ancient chess sets and innovations.

Shatranj (1100/1199) by Photo by Viktor BoykoInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

11th Century: Shatranj

In 1976, the famous grandmaster and rarity enthusiast David Bronstein returned home with a unique trophy: an unusual chess set in a box inlaid with mother of pearl.

The pieces are so abstract that none can be identified without hints. All were made using the technique of medieval Persian chess — shatranj, as they called the game in the Arab East. The heyday of shatranj in the East began in the 10th–11th centuries, when the first recognized masters, like Al-Suli, made history.

Shatranj pieces (1100/1199) by Photo by Viktor BoykoInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

The king is depicted as the royal throne, while the queen (“vizier” or “prime minister” in the East) is also a throne but a less lavish one.

The celebrated poet Omar Khayyam (1048–1131) described life through chess:
'Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days
Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays:
Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays,
And one by one back in the Closet lays.

Lewis Chess Set (1100/1199) by Photo by Viktor BoykoInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

12th Century: Lewis Chess

Perhaps the most famous European chess pieces from the Middle Ages were found by pure chance under still unexplained circumstances. It is only known that they were discovered off the coast of the Isle of Lewis, west of Scotland, in 1831.

Having changed hands multiple times, most of these pieces are now in the British Museum. Nearly three complete chess sets (along with individual pieces) have survived to this day, giving us insight into the 12th-century chess culture, when mastering the game was essential for every knight, and showcasing the advanced techniques used in chess-making.

Lewis Chess Set (1100/1199) by Photo by Viktor BoykoInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

These are not abstract chessmen; the entire set, from the king to the rook, is meticulously crafted, except for the pawns, which traditionally lack anthropomorphic traits.

Art historians believe that the walrus tusk chess set arrived in Scotland from Norway, which explains its alternative name, the “Viking chess set.” However, skeptics raise many questions, such as why the set includes the bishop, a piece not known in chess until the 14th century.

German chess book "Chess or the King's Game" (1616) by Duke Augustus of Brunswick-LüneburgInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

17th Century: German book about chess

Duke Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg in his youth wrote the first German-language book on chess, "Das Schach oder König-Spiel" ("Chess or the King's Game").

Duke Augustus was one of the most well-read and educated European rulers of his time. The famous Bibliotheca Augusta in Wolffenbüttel is named after him. As a young prince, Augustus was introduced to the game during his travels to Italy and purchased numerous chess books from the Augsburg merchant and art collector Philipp Hainhofer before writing his own.

German chess book "Chess or the King's Game" (1616) by Duke Augustus of Brunswick-LüneburgInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

The book is a great rarity today

"Das Schach oder König-Spiel" was published under the pseudonym Gustavus Selenus, the first part of which is a rearrangement of the letters in Augustus, while the second derives from Selene = Luna and forms an allusion to Lüneburg. 

"Analyses of the game of chess" by Philidor (1749) by François-André Danican PhilidorInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

18th Century: "Analyses of the game of chess" by Philidor

François-André Danican Philidor (1726-1795) is widely regarded as the strongest chess player ever in history prior to the modern era. 

Philidor's book "Analyse du jeu des Échecs" was first published in 1749 and was considered a standard chess manual for at least a century. In it, Philidor analyzed nine different types of game openings. Most of the openings of Philidor are designed to strengthen and establish a strong defensive center using pawns. He is the first one to realize the new role of the pawn in the chess game, and his most famous advice was the saying "The pawns are the soul of chess."

Russian edition of "Analyses of the game of chess" by Philidor (1824) by François-André Danican PhilidorInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

Russian edition, 1824

The book was such an advance in chess knowledge that, by 1871, it had gone through about 70 editions and had been translated into English, Spanish, German, Russian and Italian.

Barleycorn chess set (1800/1830) by Photo by Viktor BoykoInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

Early 19th Century: Barleycorn chess set

Barleycorn chess sets were very popular in England during the first half of the 19th century. They were carved not only from ivory but also from ordinary cattle bones.

While cattle bones are not as suitable for fine crafting as elephant ivory, they still allowed for the creation of good pieces with key characteristics. The name “Barleycorn” comes from the pieces’ design, which includes elements resembling barley grains. The king and queen are decorated with barley heads or leaves.

Barleycorn chess set (1800/1830) by Photo by Viktor BookInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

The third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, owned a similar set.

Fattorini chess clock (1890/1904) by FIDE archiveInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

Late 19th Century: Fattorini chess clock

The Fattorini & Sons chess clock is a pendular mechanical clock made by the watchmaking company Fattorini & Sons of Bradford, England, between 1887 and 1904. 

The clock is built on a heavy wrought iron rectangular base that provides stability. Above the base, a wrought iron rocker supports two twin clocks made of chromed metal. The pendulums below the clocks act as the driving mechanism; the clock that appears horizontally is the one in operation. When a player makes a move, they tilt their clock to stop it, simultaneously setting their opponent's clock to horizontal, starting its pendulum.

Fattorini chess clock (1890/1904) by FIDE archiveInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

The Fattorini & Sons chess clock went on sale in 1887, as seen in an advertisement published in the 1897 volume of the British Chess Magazine, which states: "These clocks are used in all the Masters’ International and National Tournaments."

Fattorini & Sons was a jewelry business established by Italian immigrant Antonio Fattorini, who arrived in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, in 1827. Antonio set up outlets specializing in jewelry, watches, and other luxury items. The Fattorini & Sons chess clock was extensively used in tournaments and chess championships in the United Kingdom, especially in the 1890s.

Travel chess set with metal chessboard box (1885/1899) by Photo by Viktor BoykoInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

Late 19th Century: Travel chess set

A landmark of the 19th-century industrial revolution, today, this metal box can hardly be called a travel set: it is bulky, very heavy for its size, and impossible to put in a travel bag, not to mention a pocket.

Pieces from the metal travel chess set (1885/1899) by Photo by Viktor BoykoInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)

It did boast the first-ever magnetic pieces, which did not slip off the board in jolting trains or on rocking transatlantic steamers. And, for safety purposes, the box has lockable sliding drawers for chess pieces, finished with red cloth on the inside.

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