November 28, 2018
Through the Featured Chess Set project, the World Chess Hall of Fame showcases a variety of chess sets throughout the year. These include highlights from our own collection as well as chess sets owned by friends and chess lovers who have special stories to accompany their sets. For more information about how to participate in the Featured Chess Set project, please inquire at the front desk.
December’s Featured Chess Set is from the collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame. Since its creation in 1986, the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) has endeavored to highlight the history and cultural significance of the game of chess. The WCHOF’s collection is diverse and includes sets once owned by legendary players, mass-produced sets with lively pop culture themes, antique ivory sets, travel sets, as well as chess computers. Through these artifacts, the WCHOF illustrates how chess has evolved through its over 1500-year history.
Maker unknown
Handmade Holiday Chess Set
Date unknown
King size: 3 1⁄2 in.
Wood, felt, plastic, and cloth
Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
Santa, Mrs. Claus, and an array of toy soldiers face off against an army of snowmen in this handmade holiday chess set made from holiday ornaments and craft supplies as pieces. The set’s creator also reused religious pocket tokens, stacked on top of one another and painted, to build up the bases for each of the pieces, differentiating them by height. The box, lined with a black and white checkerboard pattern, is made from a repurposed silverware box from the H & S Pogue Company, a department store based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The cheery holiday set demonstrates that it is possible to create a fun one-of-a-kind chess set from common household materials.
