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The increased interest in the game of Chess, particularly in international play during the late 18th century and early 19th century, brought about a renewed demand for a more universal model for chess pieces. The variety and styles of the conventional form begun in the 15th century had expanded tremendously by the beginning of the nineteenth century. Some of the more common conventional types popular during the period included the English Barleycorn chess set, the St. George chess set, the French Regence chess set, and the central European Selenus chess set. Most pieces were tall, unweighted, easily tipped and cumbersome during play. But their major disadvantage was the uniformity of the pieces within a set. A player's unfamiliarity with an opponent's set could tragically alter the outcome of a game.
By the early decades of the 19th century, there was a great need for a chess set whose pieces were easy to use and universally recognized by chess players of all backgrounds. The solution emerged in 1849 with the introduction of a new pattern Chess set that was registered by Nathaniel Cook and manufactured by the firm John Jaques of London. The Chess Set, which had the endorsement of the British Chess Champion Howard Staunton, became known as the Staunton Chessmen and were soon the standard on which most tournament playing sets have been made. That traditional is proudly continued on to this day by the The House of Staunton. |
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