Jaques of London has been instrumental in the development and success of modern chess. Chess pieces before the mid 19th century were of two kinds - excessively elaborate and costly hand-carved reproductions of the Kings court, or rudely turned and daubed pieces in which rank was dictated by height alone. In the 1840s, this all changed. Nathaniel Cooke, proprietor of the Illustrated London News, brought John Jaques a new and elegant design for chessmen. Between the two of them, this initial design was polished to produce a set using symbols (for the king, a crown, for the bishop, a mitre) which could be easily recognised and reproduced. This radical design received rave reviews in the press, particularly for the exquisite design of the Knight, based on sculptures from the famous Elgin Marbles. Mr Howard Staunton, the first British chess World Champion, was so taken with the design that he agreed to have his name and signature adorn every box of pieces. The Staunton chess set, as it became known, is now the de facto standard for play at all levels. Few companies can say they influenced the development of a game the way Jaques of London has shaped the world's favourite board game, chess. Utilising John Jaques' original design from 1850, this stunning collector's chess set is available to buy online and is limited to just 100 products and is a beautiful heirloom -quality piece. With pieces hand carved by Jaques master craftsmen from boxwood and jet black ebony, this 4 inch Staunton Collectors Chess Set is presented in a lavish English leather casket with fitted trays and a suede trim.
1849 4" Edition Chess Set in Leather Casket Chess Pieces & Leather Casket
Description
Jaques of London has been instrumental in the development and success of modern chess. Chess pieces before the mid 19th century were of two kinds - excessively elaborate and costly hand-carved reproductions of the Kings court, or rudely turned and daubed pieces in which rank was dictated by height alone. In the 1840s, this all changed. Nathaniel Cooke, proprietor of the Illustrated London News, brought John Jaques a new and elegant design for chessmen. Between the two of them, this initial design was polished to produce a set using symbols (for the king, a crown, for the bishop, a mitre) which could be easily recognised and reproduced. This radical design received rave reviews in the press, particularly for the exquisite design of the Knight, based on sculptures from the famous Elgin Marbles. Mr Howard Staunton, the first British chess World Champion, was so taken with the design that he agreed to have his name and signature adorn every box of pieces. The Staunton chess set, as it became known, is now the de facto standard for play at all levels. Few companies can say they influenced the development of a game the way Jaques of London has shaped the world's favourite board game, chess. Utilising John Jaques' original design from 1850, this stunning collector's chess set is available to buy online and is limited to just 100 products and is a beautiful heirloom -quality piece. With pieces hand carved by Jaques master craftsmen from boxwood and jet black ebony, this 4 inch Staunton Collectors Chess Set is presented in a lavish English leather casket with fitted trays and a suede trim.
This timeless chess set is available in the following styles:
Mahogany and Green Box
Oak and Red Box
Beech and Black Box
Staunton Leather Casket
Staunton Mahogany Casket
Casket: 36.5cm x 25.5cm x 16.5cm
King: Base Diameter 47mm
Rook: Base Diameter 41mm
Pawn: Base Diameter 32mm
Delivery Options
See our delivery prices & times below.
UK Mainland: Orders under £40 | ||
Standard Items | £3.95 | 2-4 Day Delivery (Tracked) |
Standard Items | £5.95 | 48-Hour Express Delivery (Tracked)* |
Bulky Items | £7.95 | 2-4 Day Delivery (Tracked) |
UK Mainland: Orders over £40* (Excluding Croquet Sets & Mallets) | ||
Standard Items | FREE | 2-4 Day Delivery (Tracked) |
Bulky Items | FREE | 2-4 Day Delivery (Tracked) |
UK Mainland: Croquet Sets | ||
Express Croquet Sets | £7.95 | 2-4 Day Delivery (Tracked) |
Bespoke Croquet Sets | £7.95 | 7-14 Working Days (Tracked) |
*Orders made after 1pm will be processed the next working day. Please note that for Tracked Delivery certain product exclusions apply. Weekends and Bank Holidays are excluded. During peak periods or times of industrial strike action, delivery can experience delays. We kindly ask that you wait the full 3 working days before contacting Customer Services.
Please be advised that Free Delivery over £40 only pertains to our standard (2-4 day) service. Express 48 hour delivery will still be charged for orders over £40.
Returns Policy
We do not offer free returns but we do offer our customers a returns period of up to 60 days from the date of purchase.
Once you have paid for your return item back to us and you send proof of postage a refund or replacement will be issued.
Please note that any items over the value of £100 must be received by our warehouse and checked in before any refund is issued.
Delivery Details
Our delivery covers Mainland UK, but sadly we cannot offer delivery to Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland or BFPO addresses. International shipping is no longer available. For bespoke delivery costs to Non-Mainland UK, including the Channel Islands, please email our customer services team directly at gameon@jaqueslondon.co.uk.
Scottish Isles Deliveries: This is a flat fee of £23.99 for all items on site (including Croquet).
Our Croquet, Chelsea Skittles & Luxury Badminton sets are made in the UK to order so they take a little bit longer to get that high quality finish you expect from Jaques. They currently have a lead time of up to 2 weeks for delivery.