Origin And Designs Of Chess Sets

The evolution of chess pieces spans centuries and cultures, tracing back to India, the game's birthplace, where they were named shah (king), wazir (counsellor), rath (bishop), ghora (knight), hathi (rook), and piyada (pawn). These names transitioned through Persian and Arabic cultures, with adaptations in each region, later influencing Western translations.

Europe saw its chess origins with discoveries like the Mozarab chess pieces in Spain, possibly dating back to the 10th century and Italian bone pieces from Venafro around 980 AD. Particularly the Lewis chess pieces found in Scotland in 1831, crafted around 1150 by the Norse from walrus tusks offer a glimpse into early European chess.

Today you may find chess set made from different material such as metal, ivory, plastic and woods. Wooden chess pieces designs emerged most popular among this, including the iconic Staunton set, designed in 1849, which is today standard chess pieces for competitive chess due to easier recognition among players.

These pieces, with their diverse origins and designs, want to dive into the rich history and cultural exchanges come to us and explore our online chess store.



 

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