Check this, Mate : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

Check this, Mate

IT is a game that has always been associated with royalty.



Subodh Samuel

IT is a game that has always been associated with royalty. Even in the present times, chess has a huge fan following and is further growing at a rapid pace. Its history dates back 15 centuries and is associated with the art of war for its sudden killer moves aimed at the opponent. The popularity of the game has been appropriately encapsulated by American thinker and inventor Benjamin Franklin who wrote, ‘Chess teaches foresight, by having to plan ahead.’

It teaches vigilance as one has to keep a watch on the whole chessboard; caution, as one has to avoid making hasty moves and finally, one can learn from chess, the greatest maxim in life that even when everything seems to be going badly, we should not lose heart, but always hope for the better. Also one should steadfastly continue searching for the solutions to our problems.

Going back in time

This favourite pastime of intellectuals has its origins in India. Its precursor can be traced back to the sixth century. It was during the Gupta period that it first appeared as Chaturanga that was played with four pieces, representing the quartet of the armed forces in the Medieval times — infantry, cavalry, elephantry and chariotry. Folklore has it that this quartet went on to metamorphose into pawns, knights, bishops and rooks, the four pillars of chess apart from the king and queen.

Interestingly, even as the game travelled from India to Persia and then to the Arab nations and finally to the western world, chess boards started getting more and more imaginative. Though all of them had 64 squares with 16 white and 16 black players facing each other and moving geometrically, a number of these started reflecting cultures and historical characters.

A touch of fun and amusement has been added to many boards by artists who consider this game cerebral and daunting. Today chess set-making has come to the point where it’s no longer just about the game, but also about creative endeavours. The designs have come a long way from simple walrus-ivory pieces to wood-carved kings, queens, knights, bishops and pawns.

Battle of wits

Some of these imaginatively designed boards have begun dissipating the belief that chess is only about mental battle and clever mind games. For example, take one of the most-popular boards called Good Versus Evil. Instead of pieces, this has people of historical importance from around the world that includes Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa, who are pitted against history’s dark knights like Adolph Hitler, Mussolini and Jack the Ripper.

Every game is a battle of wits between the whites and the blacks represented by the villains. It is chess sets like these that have greatly contributed to the popularity of the game. Ranging from plain boards and traveller sets made of cardboard or plastic that have 64 squares printed on them with 32 pieces made of ordinary wood to the extravagant ones that are made from precious metals studded with stones, the chess boards have over the years undergone a complete image makeover. The prices too can vary dramatically. From the ordinary chess boards costing under Rs100 to extravagant ones, there is something for everyone. In fact, some boards are so ornamental that these keep popping up at various auctions conducted by the world’s leading auctioneers like Sotheby’s and Christie’s and are hotly pursued by collectors from around the world.

Prized possession

One such set that is guaranteed to checkmate any lover of the game with its price tag has been made by British jewellery company called Boodles. Connoisseurs say that there is an almost sinful pleasure in moving the pawns, rooks, queens and kings on this board.

It is made primarily of gold and platinum and set with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and pearls. The squares on the board are made of white and yellow gold and the pieces are carved out from pure 18-carat gold with the king weighing a royally hefty 165 grams. It is not surprising that at Rs42 crores, it fetches a king’s ransom and is counted among the world’s costliest chess boards. Apart from gold, platinum, silver and precious stones, luxury chess boards and pieces can also be made from best-quality porcelain, crystal and bone china. The wooden chess boards can be made from aged mahogany, lacquered wood, teak, ebony, rosewood, birch, beech and even walnut wood. A recent exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery called the Art of Chess displayed some of the most fascinating boards in the history of the game. It showcased carved chess pieces that were found in ancient India and the Arab world. From the age-old sets from India, Samarkand, Bukhara and Persia to the modern USB-connected and Bluetooth-activated electronic ones, chess boards have traversed an unending historical route and endured well to make it to the age of Xbox, iPad and phablet, with its popularity and appeal growing by the day.

A peep into history

From India the game travelled to Persia (modern Iran) where it acquired the name of Shatranj. Here some of the chess pieces took on names like Al-phil for elephant, Baidaq for pawn, Shah for king, Rokh for rook, Ferz for vazier and Asb for horse. The game was brought to Europe by British, French and Spaniards who travelled to the Arab world. Here it acquired the name of chess where the vizier was replaced by the queen and the elephant by bishop (though in Hindi and Urdu, these are still called vazier and haathi). Chess rapidly developed in the 19th century when it became a competitive game. The first modern chess tournament was held in 1851 in London and 35 years later in 1886, the World Chess Championship was established. Chess underwent a transfornation in the 20th century when the number of annually held master tournaments and matches grew rapidly and the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) was established. It saw the rise of Vishwanathan Anand who won his first match in 1993 but narrowly lost in the quarter-final to Russian Anatoly Karpov.

The stars sparkle

The Star Wars chess set pits good against evil. The set includes 32 pewter figurines with Jedi wearing gold and the Empire done in a silver finish. All the famous characters from the Star Wars film including Darth Vader, R2-D2, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia battle it out on the chess board.

Price: Rs 36,000

Game of gold

The gold and silver plated brass chess set from Italian games company, Italfama, is simply gorgeous. The chess pieces have variegated patterns, created by blending gold and silver with a darker-base metal. Weighing around seven kilos, the chess set comes packaged in a green and gold fancy box.

Price: Rs 1.20 lakh

Value of the label

The stunning chess set by Italian sports car-manufacturer Ferrari is made from carbon-fibre covered wood, personalised with enamelled metal with a Ferrari shield on the front. The playing board has squares in carbon-fibre and fibreglass. The chess pieces are made from black and red varnished wood.

Price: Rs 1.77 lakh

Let there be light

The LED glow-in-the-dark chess board on offer on www.amazon.com adds a twist of fun to the classic game. Each piece is lit from the inside while it is on the board but once captured and removed from the board, the glow fades out. While at rest, the board and pieces can be charged with a power adapter connected to the board.

Price: Rs 6,000

High on technology

Give your game a touch of sophistication with this modern chess board that makes the moves come to life. Designed by American gaming artist Adin Mumm, this beautiful concave board makes the rounded pieces to wobble and quiver, providing an interesting element to a timeless favourite.

Price: Rs 15,000

Precious little things

The Art of War chess board is well tailored and inlaid with solid gold and rhodium. Every piece is studded with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and other precious stones. Offered exclusively on www.artofwarchess.com, this one-of-a-kind collectible has its value revised each time the gold prices go up.

Price: Rs 6 crore

Animated wonders

Lewis Carroll, the creator of Alice In Wonderland, loved the game of chess and that is reflected in many of his stories. This chess set by London’s Ann Carlton Studio has pieces based on the characters of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass with Alice as the queen of the chess board.

Price: Rs 27,000

Robot to the rescue

The robotic chess companion challenges you to play against a robot, which moves its own pieces with a robotic arm. It is programmed with 128 levels of play, ranging from those meant for the novices to checkmate in six moves. It analyses your skill levels after every match and gives hints about how to play better the next time.

Price: Rs 9,000 

Magical moves

This amazingly detailed chess set is a replica of the Final Challenge as seen in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Made by British company Noble Collection, it has a timeless aesthetic appeal. And whether you love the game of chess or Harry Potter, this set guarantees to cast a spell on you.

Price: Rs 28,500 

Designs from Italy

Lions, giraffes, zebras, monkeys and other animals are given shape to in this chess set offered by Amazon. The set features lion as the king and zebra as the four knights. All the pieces are made of teak and hand-painted by Italian artists. The chess set has an element of fun to it.

Price: Rs 45,000

In the fantasy world

This chess set depicts the legend of King Arthur. It features the knights of Camelot and their swords made of stones.

Each chess piece is hand-painted, meticulously crafted from stone and gives a porcelain feel to the entire set.

Price: Rs 78,000

War of the knights

The Medieval Venice set by online luxury gifts store Pianki is made from bronze, which is plated with 24-carat gold and silver. The ensemble visualises a Medieval battle between patricians and knights. There are soldiers wielding shields, lances and swords. Each piece is three-dimensional in shape.

Price: Rs 18.30 lakh

Glittering affair

This extremely precious, solid 18-carat gold and diamond royal chess set from the California-based House of Solid Gold is a beautiful piece of art. It is lavishly studded with fancy black and yellow diamonds. Entirely handmade, this game of kings is a proof of meticulous craftsmanship, harmonic synthesis of aesthetics and beauty.

Price: Rs 2.22 crore

Shine of the metal

This is one-of-a-kind chess set being offered on www.etsty.com. All 32 pieces are made from bullet shell casings, decorated with cuts, slashes, curls and bends. The board is constructed from hot-rolled steel. Each board square is individually cut, prepped and welded in the steel frame and hand painted in black.

Price: Rs 30,600

One among the best

This is among the 10 most-expensive chess sets in the world. The royal-diamond chess set by American jewellery designer Bernard Maquin is made by using 1168.75 grams of 14-carat white gold and approximately 9,900 black and white diamonds. It took over 4,500 hours to create this stunning masterpiece.

Price: Rs 3.6 crore

Three times the fun

The Three-Player chess set by online company www.3manchess.com is a round board that enables three people to play the game simultaneously. Played just like the conventional chess, addition of a third person adds a dimension of intrigue to the game with multiple twists and turns.

Price: Rs 3,000

Top News

Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in UP's Banda orders judicial inquiry into death of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari

UP court orders judicial probe into gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s death, seeks report in a month

Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari on Tuesday alleged that his brother...

‘Heart attack or poisoning’: The life and times of Mukhtar Ansari—crime and politics

‘Heart attack or poisoning’: The life and times of Mukhtar Ansari—crime and politics

Eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh are among the poorest regions...

Alka Rai, widow BJP MLA killed by Mukhtar Ansari, says 'justice has been served', visits Ram Mandir

Alka Rai, widow BJP MLA killed by Mukhtar Ansari, says 'justice has been served', visits Ram Mandir

Alka Rai is the wife of MLA Krishanand Rai, who was shot dea...

Cash-strapped Congress gets fresh IT notice of Rs 1,700 crore, say party insiders

Cash-strapped Congress gets fresh I-T notice of Rs 1,800 crore

Ajay Maken addresses a press conference

CBI files chargesheet against 20 institutes, 105 individuals in Himachal Pradesh multi-crore scholarship scam

CBI files chargesheet against 20 institutes, 105 individuals in Himachal Pradesh multi-crore scholarship scam

22 educational institutions were on CBI radar in the scholar...


Cities

View All