THE CCI – USA NEWSChess Collectors International Vol. 2012 Issue 2

IN THIS ISSUE

The Holy Grail of Chess Books Antique Chess Sets On Collecting Staunton Chess Sets A Rare Chess Set Offered in a New Edition

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Chess Pieces Everybody’s Game, Chess in Popular Culture, October 18, 2012 – April 21, 2013, The World Chess Hall of Fame in St Louis

Screwed Moves, September 13, 2012 – February 10, 2013, The World Chess Hall of Fame in St Louis Doing Battle, European and American Chess Sets from the 18th to the 20th Century, October 30, 2012 – January 31, 2013, The Philadelphia Museum of Art MET LECTURES FOR LEWIS CHESS SHOW - ONLINE Games of the Ancient World Thursday, February 2, 2012 The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium Part of the Charles K. Wilkinson Lecture Series, which presents three lectures hosted by the Departments of Ancient Near Eastern, Egyptian, and Islamic Art on the topic Games of the Ancient World http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfZb4kG614w

Irving Finkel, Assistant Keeper, Department of the Middle East, The British Museum: Like Spilt Milk: How Ancient Board Games Were Disseminated

Anne-Elizabeth Dunn-Vaturi, Hagop Kevorkian Research Associate, Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art, MMA: Between Play and Rebirth: The Game of Hounds and Jackals

Anna Contadini, Reader in the Art and Archaeology in Islam, Department of the History of Art and Archaeology, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London: Moves in the Abstract: Chess Pieces of the Middle East

The Game of Kings: Medieval Ivory Chessmen from the Isle of Lewis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTyvqnNvUi4 To explore all of the 481 chess themed works of art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Collections go to: http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections?ft=chess&noqs=true

If you weren’t able to visit the Lewis Chessmen at the Metropolitan, you can enjoy the related Lecture series on YouTube. To learn more about the exhibition: http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2011/the-game-of-kings-medieval... A NOTICE FROM LUKE HONEY: Many of you may have already heard the news that Bonhams will be closing the chess & games department, and I regret that there will be no further chess auctions at Bonhams. However, I am delighted to announce that I am currently in the process of setting up my own Fine Art and Antiques business based in London ("Luke Honey Ltd"), which will include a selection of fine antique chess sets, boards and antique games for sale. If you are interested in selling your chess sets, or would like to have your name added to my updated client list, please do feel free to get in touch. I look forward to speaking to you. Luke Honey Ltd (Fine Art & Antiques) Email: lukehoneyfineart@aol.com Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7450 0914 Mobile: +44 (0) 7900 887054

On The Cover:

EARLY WOOD CHESS SET Designer: Man Ray Material: Wood Circa: 1920 Photo Courtesy of: Larry List, CCI Member

Curator and Writer

Do you have a picture you would like to see on the cover of the Newsletter? If so, please send a high resolution, uncropped, clear photograph to duncanpohl@gmail.com. First priority will be given to those pictures that accompany an article submitted for publication - and used - within that particular issue. Every effort will be made to follow the principle of first come, first served, but the final decision will also depend on quality, subject matter, and other publication parameters that may ultimately dictate what can best be used.

BOOK REVIEW

THE HOLY GRAIL OF CHESS BOOKS And Its Modern Re-Creation

By Tom Gallegos The Absentminded Antiquary

Who in the world would write a review of a book they can’t even read? This is the odd position I find myself in. I have so far been unable to locate a full English translation of this medieval manuscript anywhere. Yet, I feel I should tell you something about the book. Though it never had a title page as we might recognize it, it has become universally known as the “Libro de los Juegos de Ajedrez, Dados y Tablas” de Rey Alfonso X, el Sabio” which translates as the “Book of the Games of Chess, Dice and Backgammon” of King Alfonso the Tenth, known as “the Wise” to his subjects. Why can’t I read it? Not only is the text in Old Spanish, a language of which I have only a smattering, but it was written in a medieval scriptorium, in calligraphic script technically known as Gothic bookhand or Blackletter, which people these days find difficult to decipher, unless they are skilled in paleography, the study of old writing. The original, completed in the year 1283, is partly a translation of earlier Arabic texts and partly a compilation of contemporary games known to the Spanish royal court, including a few they seem to have just dreamed up on the spot. The book is a national treasure of Spain, housed in the library of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, which lies about 30 miles or so from Madrid. Though one or two later manuscript copies are

sometimes claimed to exist, these have so far turned out to be unsubstantiated rumors. At CCI’s 2004 convention in Madrid, we were taken on a trip to El Escorial to see this Holy Grail of games books. The monk who assisted us was very tolerant in allowing us to take as many pictures as we wanted, turning over pages at our request. But the crowd was so thick that day, I don’t think he noticed my feverish hand slipping between all those bodies at one point to gently stroke “the precious” as Tolkien’s Gollum might have called it. A transgression I remain deeply conflicted about to this day.

(My hands must have been shaking. My photos all came out blurry, dammit!) Most serious chess collectors are already familiar with the Libro de los Juegos. So why would a medieval manuscript need a book review, as if it were a recent publication? Cut to fall of 2011, and CCI’s joint European meeting in Vevey, Switzerland. Dr. Thomas Thomsen made the unexpected announcement that he had made contact with a firm in Valencia, Spain, calling itself “Scriptorium” which was in the process of re-producing the Libro de los Juegos under the aegis of the Patrimonio Nacional, the department of the Spanish government which safeguards royal property. This would be something special. There

The facsimile, wearing its winter coat and standing next to the accompanying

interpretive volume (in red).

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have been facsimiles of this work before, but never on genuine parchment. Indeed, every aspect of the book was to be re-created in exactly the same manner, by the same methods, and using the same materials as the medieval original. The only modern compromise would be that the actual images and text would be transferred to the parchment by some sort of laser-digitized photographic process, rather than by thousands of hours of hand work by scribes. But the digitizing method would enable Scriptorium to give the modern connoisseur an exact duplicate of the original, which even scribes would be hard-pressed to do. This is obviously a very expensive proposition, as reflected in the full retail price, in the neighborhood of 15,000 euros. On CCI’s behalf, Dr. Thomsen had somehow negotiated a very special price of roughly half, or 7,500 euros, exclusively for CCI members who ordered right there on the spot. With the euro hovering around a buck and a quarter, this was still enough to fuel the average office worker’s Starbucks addiction for a year! Although I did leap at the opportunity, a Spartan

diet of rice and beans was required for some time thereafter, to right the financial ship. I never collect reproductions of any kind, if I can possibly help it. However, I made a rare exception in this case, knowing I would never be able to own anything remotely like the original manuscript in any other way. These re-creations would be limited to 390 copies. My understanding is that, once the edition was fixed at 390, this number cannot be exceeded by Spanish law. A notarized letter in the back of each book attests to this, bearing official Spanish government stamps. My copy is number 328 out of 390, written as 328/390. Suffice it to say, I was in line behind a lot of other people. This letter, and another dedicatory letter in the front, are among the few non-original elements of the manuscript. The front letter is a dedication for each copy to the person who purchased it. The buyer could request this letter to be in any of several languages, including English. Instead, I chose Old Spanish for mine, even though I can’t read it very well. I wanted it to match the language of the book itself. This dedicatory letter is probably the only time in my life I will ever be addressed by

the full, quixotic honorific of “Sr. Don Tomás Valdemar Gallegos,” something of an ego trip for a commoner like me. I love medieval manuscripts for the beauty of their decoration, but the texts themselves are usually monotonously religious. The Libro de los Juegos is a scintillating exception, an unapologetically secular manuscript on a topic I find fascinating – chess and other games. Why was it written? What does the book itself actually say about its purpose? On the very first page (folio 1, recto, or fol. 1r for short) the manuscript opens with the following lines: In all its glory – folios 6v and 7r

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“God wanted men to have all types of happiness, so that they could overcome their sorrows and hardships whenever they happened; thus, men found many ways to achieve this happiness. For this reason, they created many games and pieces that would bring them joy.” Alfonso goes on to make the claim that games “that are played sitting down” such as chess, dice and backgammon, have value: “All these games are very positive when they are played at their convenient time and place. Since these games that are played sitting down are exciting and can be played during the day or at night, so the women that do not ride horses and are at home should use them; likewise old and weak men should experiment their pleasures not to become angry or depressed; and those under arrest – in prison or captivity – as well as those at sea, and in general those that have time because they cannot ride horses, hunt, or go anywhere and must stay at home should find games that would please them, comfort them, and motivate them.” Great! So games are good for old men, cripples, prisoners, women and shut-ins? This can’t be the whole idea, because the king himself is shown at several junctures playing the noblest game of all, chess. (Roughly two-thirds of the manuscript is devoted to chess and its variants.) Actually, the message seems to be that these “sitting down” entertainments are an appropriate compensation and relief from the daily struggles of existence. We know that in many places in Europe, game-playing came to the fore during winter, a time when all classes of people were forced indoors for long stretches, and the mind needed distractions to avoid what we would call cabin fever. Very early in the book, an old legend is recounted of an ancient King of India who was in the habit of summoning his wise men to speculate on the origins of things. One day they were discussing games, and life.

The first wise man claimed that reason (the Spanish word used is seso) ruled over life, because if you plan and strategize carefully, you will win in the end. The second wise man said no, plan though you may, random things happen and bad luck can ruin all. Villains too often get rich, and good men too often suffer calamities. It’s all luck (ventura, or fate). The third and final wise man said the best life could be lived by combining and accepting the lessons of both reason and fate (expressed as cordura, which means common sense.) The King of India challenges the wise men to prove their sayings. They go away and presumably do some research, then return. The first wise man now holds a chessboard, which represents seso, or reason. The second wise man holds dice, to represent ventura, or fate. The third wise man holds a backgammon board, to represent cordura, or common sense. (The game of backgammon was called tablas, or “tables” in those days, because it was played on a hinged board that was literally referred to as a “pair of tables”.) Though we can find humor in this, Alfonso and his translators are making a serious point here. The reason for this manuscript’s existence is the very real metaphysical connection that the medieval

The King of India taking life lessons – and gaming recommendations – from his three wise men.

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mind saw between games and life. Just as they perceived the universe as macrocosm and the life of man as microcosm, with similarities and correspondences that were the basis of medieval science, so too did they consider that the life of man might in turn be considered a macrocosm, which could be reflected in the edifying microcosm of a game board. This is why games were no trivial accomplishment in royal courts. Skill at the chessboard especially, was considered to be just as important for, and appropriate to, the civilized aspects of life (governance, diplomacy, courtship, science and philosophy, to name a few) as horsemanship and swordsmanship were for the savage aspects (hunting and the battlefield). Indeed, as a war game, chess seemed to connect the two spheres, and confirm the popular prejudice that war was as much an undertaking of the noble intellect, as it was of the baser propensity toward brute force. Today chess advocates continue to argue that learning chess can help schoolchildren get better grades. This is nothing less than the modern-day incarnation of this common medieval attitude. And yes, certainly we should all study backgammon as well. But the Libro de los Juegos is primarily a chess book. Out of 97 leaves in the book, the first 64 (one for each square of the board) are devoted to chess, with people from all walks of life shown playing and exhibiting a series of positions which have since been subjected to intensive analysis. The remaining 33 leaves quickly run down dice, backgammon, and a host of other well-known games such as alquerque and merels, along with strange variants, such as four-handed chess played with dice, great chess, astronomical chess, and seven-sided backgammon. All in all, the book is as good a portrait as we could hope to get of the role of chess and other games in medieval Spain. Back to the modern re-creation. A thing of beauty, to be sure. Emerging from its custom blue velvet slipcase, the hand-tooled leather binding (29 x 41 cm) with raised bands on the spine is as close to the original as possible. Those raised bands, which all books once sported, are due to the sewing of the

leaves in gatherings or groups with the cord stitches running in thick ridges across the spine. The original manuscript happens to have a much later, non-original binding on it, but the re-creation is embossed with a lovely design in fine medieval style. Upon opening the book, the thick, aromatic parchment makes it immediately obvious this is no mere paper facsimile. The photographic reproduction of the 150 miniatures and accompanying text is as perfect as modern technology can make it. Even damage and wear has been faithfully copied. If a miniature in the original is smeared, for example, that smear will appear in the facsimile. If a leaf in the original had a tear or cut which the old monks had stitched back together, Scriptorium dutifully cut or tore the corresponding leaf in exactly the same way, then stitched it back together! One other non-original element is the inclusion of loose sheets of white tissue between each leaf, to help keep the colors from running or transferring

The lusciously-tooled, handcrafted leather binding.

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from page to page. This was probably a very good idea, as some ink transfer usually does occur in old parchment manuscripts. Even though it is technically an illuminated manuscript, the actual gold highlights in the original are rather sparse, having been applied in the form of gold paint and in some spots as (much brighter) gold leaf, or true gilding. It now appears rather spotty and well-worn. To re-create this effect, Scriptorium dabbed on a bit of gold paint here and there after the page images were transferred by computer to the parchment. This was probably the only cost-effective way to simulate the effect of gold in the original. It would not be practical to expect them to do any actual gilding, and then wear most of it away. One important difference is that modern parchment is a lot fresher and therefore has a much higher moisture content than centuries-old parchment, which is drier and more brittle by comparison. This means that the modern Alfonso book, when left open for any length of time, say, overnight, experiences a problem: the leaves facing each other begin to curl hideously. The only long-term remedy for this is to carefully uncurl and flatten them, close the book, and put it back in its slipcase. But this is as much as to say that the parchment is very supple, and should last for centuries, just like the old stuff has. There is also an accompanying interpretive volume, nearly as large as the facsimile itself (and at 987 pages, a lot longer), a treasure-trove of detailed technical information about the Alfonso manuscript. Deep, scholarly, even statistical analyses of the work and its historical and cultural context have been compiled by Scriptorium in both Spanish and English. Each chess position from each miniature has been subjected to rigorous scrutiny and explication. Chess itself was in a transitional phase in the 13th century, so the manuscript naturally combines some elements of ancient Arabic shatranj with other elements of a chess that we might recognize as modern. Therefore, these are chess problems that, for the most part, can only be appreciated by serious

students of chess history, not the average over-the-board player. This book includes an accurate, verbatim transcription of the Old Spanish text, folio-by-folio, which removes at least the paleographical obstacle for the would-be reader. Frustratingly however, this transcription seems to be the one item in the interpretive volume the Scriptorium did not bother to have translated into English! Hopefully, someone, somewhere, is working on this. There are some bits and pieces of the original text translated in the English section (which is where the above quotes came from), but nowhere can we follow the text from folio to folio, as the Spanish readers can. But the Alfonso book is a treasure by any standard. I was lucky to get my hands on one - just another benefit of attending as many CCI meetings as possible. Ricardo Coll of Scriptorium informs me that there are still a few of these remaining. Visit them at http://www.scriptorium.net/

A FEW BASIC TERMS For the uninitiated, the following definitions may help you to understand what the Alfonso book is all about, how to appreciate it and how to talk about it as an object. I am continually surprised by how many people, in the USA at least, are unaware of the difference between a manuscript and a printed book, so I hope the rest of you will forgive me if some of this seems a bit elementary: Manuscript: A book written by hand, i.e., not printed. What are referred to as medieval manuscripts date to before the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg in the mid-15th century. After this development, a few manuscripts continued to be produced, but in ever-declining numbers. Illuminated: Technically, this refers to a book with decorations highlighted in gold (and occasionally silver). But there is also a bit of a double-entendre here, in that the use of shiny precious metals was

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supposed to “illuminate” the spiritual meaning of the usually religious texts. Exemplar: An original of a manuscript, from which copies were laboriously written by hand in the days before printing. If an original was lost or destroyed (think of all the wars and disasters in European history), one of its copies might in turn become an exemplar, from which future copies could be made, enabling the text to survive. Countless old texts were not so fortunate. For the texts that did survive, errors and variations crept in due to different people using different copies as exemplars, translating or editing them (or simply botching them) in different ways. Once printing was invented, the printing plates served the function of exemplars, with the copying process automated. Human error could now affect only the creation of the plates, with each printed copy a basically perfect replica of whatever was on those plates. Facsimile: A faithful reproduction, or copy, of a work. A convenient way to refer to the book we’ve been discussing here would be to call it the “Alfonso facsimile.” Miniature: An illustration or scene, usually decorative, in a medieval manuscript. Not necessarily all that small, miniatures can even take up the entire page. Leaf: A single sheet from any book. If you tear a sheet out of a phone book, for example, this is not a page, but rather a leaf. A leaf has two pages on it - one on each side. Individual leaves are also referred to as “folios.” Foliation: Most people are familiar with pagination, or the numbering of pages. Foliation is an earlier practice, where instead, each leaf was numbered, usually on the upper-right corner of the recto. Keep in mind that any book has twice as

many pages as it has leaves. So foliation results in half the number that pagination would give. Recto: As a book lays open, the leaf on the right-hand side is referred to as the recto (think “right”) side of that leaf. The front side. Verso: When you turn a page in a book, the leaf as it now sits on the left-hand side is referred to as the verso (think “reverse”) side of that leaf. The back side. Paleography: The study of old writing. This refers to various scripts or “hands” such as Gothic, which usually require study and practice for modern people to read. Parchment: See vellum. Some authorities may quibble that parchment is thicker and rougher, while vellum is thinner and finer. But for all practical purposes, parchment is typically used as a synonym for vellum. Vellum: A writing surface made from animal skin, usually cow, goat, or sheep. In the case of the Libro de los Juegos, the material is genuine lambskin. The hides are not tanned, like leather, but rather de-haired, stretched, scraped and limed, somewhat akin to the preparation of rawhide. Absolutely, positively not to be confused with paper. REFERENCES

http://www.scriptorium.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libro_de_los_juegos

“Libro de los Juegos de Ajedrez, Dados y Tablas” de Alfonso X el Sabio (The accompanying interpretive volume.)

The facsimile itself.

ANTIQUE CHESS SETS A Brief Introduction to the Chess Armies of the Past

by Jon Crumiller The date is February 27, 1790; the place, central London. It was chilly and overcast, but we had already paid our five-shilling entry fee, so there was nothing better to do than shiver and stamp our feet until we could get inside Parsloe’s House, here on St. James’s street. Fortunately the line moved quickly, and soon enough we were seated in a large smoke-filled parlor.

Three chessboards were already set up, side-by-side on a rectangular table, accompanied by three well-dressed men, who fidgeted in the seats next to their respective boards. At last a side-door opened, and Francois Andre Danican Philidor entered the room. The crowd applauded. He walked over to the chessboards, picked up a long piece of cloth, and with a flourish, secured the blindfold over his eyes. His opponents made their initial moves, calling out the pieces and squares, in order for him to hear what he couldn’t see. Philidor responded immediately with his own moves. Game on!

One of the greatest attributes of chess, often overlooked, is that so much of its history is recorded for posterity. The moves of the three games I’ve described above, over 220 years ago, are still available today for study and enjoyment. (In reality, there were two blindfold games and one over-the-board game in Philidor’s exhibition. He won all three.) Similarly, chess events such as this one can be envisioned from contemporary news accounts and artwork. Here is the newspaper advertisement (top right) for that same Philidor event, from The Times of 1790-Feb-25:

The chess moves and historical accounts of chess games from long ago are certainly noteworthy. But what about the actual pieces that were moved, captured, and fretted over, in the heat of battle?

What type of chess set did Philidor’s opponents use in these games? Or to broaden the question, what were the chess sets and boards like, at different times throughout the ages, in different places?

As a collector and researcher of antique chess sets, I relish the experience of acquiring each “new” set for my collection. The chess pieces carry within themselves the gravitas of hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of ancient battles. Here are several such sets, which were popular in late 18th century London. Philidor’s games were probably played upon one of these three types of sets.

This type of set (bottom) is often associated with

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Philidor, because its popularity peaked during his heyday, the latter half of the 1700’s. The next type of set shown (right) is nowadays called an Old English style of set. Usually made of bone or ivory, it was a popular pattern at that time. A third type of set at the time came from the other side of the Channel. Philidor was French, but spent extended periods of time in London; one style commonly used in the Café de la Régence in Paris was the Directoire pattern (bottom right): The sets shown are sometimes called “playing sets” because they were used in actual play. Other sets were manufactured as “ornamental sets,” to be used for display, but not for game-playing. Ornamental sets are beautiful, but can be fragile or dimensionally incorrect, e.g. too tall or too bulky for practical play. How are we sure about the dating of these sets? A collector can often identify the origin and dating of an antique chess set by its characteristics, while taking into account that patterns could have been copied later on, even into modern times. In fact, many sets sold today as “antique” are actually modern copies; occasionally it takes an expert’s trained eye to separate the “wheat from the chaff”. What about other chess-playing locations throughout the centuries? In this article, I’d like to show a few examples of antique chess sets from different cultures and different time periods. These sets give a small glimpse into the vast spectrum of

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chess sets that were made and used, across the span of time and space. This next set (right, top and center) was made for the high-society British market, by the East India Company (usually called by its informal name “John Company”), circa 1805. The native craftsmen in India were highly skilled artisans, and created incredibly intricate chess pieces using very primitive tools. John Company sets were manufactured in the late 1700’s through the mid 1800’s. The pieces are so lifelike that one can imagine a clash of the swords shortly after this photo was taken! Here are links to several other John Company sets in my collection:

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/JohnCompanySet1830.htm

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/JohnCompanyIvoryCompositeSet.htm

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/JohnCompanyBabyElephantSet.htm

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/JohnCompanyTigerHuntSet.htm Artists sometimes captured important themes of the times, such as war between two countries or cultures, political events, or in this case, an 18th century Italian ivory set representing the eternal theme of Good versus Evil (bottom right): Additional photos of this set can be seen here: http://www.crumiller.co.m/chess/chess_pages/other/GoodVersusEvilSetDetail.htm

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Along a similar theme, Virtue versus Vice, comes this latter 19th century ivory set from France, with Venus and her consorts opposed to Bacchus and his party-going friends (right). Additional photos here:

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/french/FrenchPolychromeandGilt-HeightenedCarvedIvoryFiguralSet.htm Next is a Turkish-style set (center right), early 20th century, photographed on a Leuchars board. It’s important to select an antique board that brings out the best characteristics of the pieces. Additional photos:

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/other/TurkishStyleCarvedIvorySet.htm The Russian village of Kholmogory manufactured a distinctive style of chess sets in the 1700’s and 1800’s (bottom right). Note the classic characteristics of this type of set: Kings are seated on thrones; the “Queens” are actually male Viziers; and Rooks are ships. These sets were manufactured in walrus ivory or mammoth ivory. I have three Kholmogory sets of this type. Additional photos:

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/other/AntiqueRussianKholmogorySet.htm

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/other/kholomogory.htm

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/other/KholmogorySet.htm Now let’s move over to China. Many sets were manufactured in China in the

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1800’s. Oftentimes these sets represented European royalty (white pieces) versus Asian royalty (red pieces), as the following set shows (top right). The White pieces represent King George III and Queen Charlotte. Additional photos of Cantonese “King George” sets:

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/asian/CantoneseKingGeorgeSet.htm

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/asian/CantoneseKingGeorgeIvorySet.htm Here is another type of Chinese set that also shows European vs Asian royalty (center right); the piece heads are atop columns. This type of set is referred to as the Macao pattern, although these sets were apparently manufactured in Macao and Canton. Additional photos of Macao sets:

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/asian/MacaoSet.htm

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/asian/MacaoRedAndWhiteSet.htm

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/asian/MacaoIvorySet.htm Some 19th century Chinese sets are adorned with “puzzleballs” (bottom right) – a marvelous technique of carving ball-inside-ball-inside-ball, sometimes with up to 8 or 10 nested balls. How did the craftsmen possibly carve these puzzleballs? Answer: from the inside out! Some sets are specific to a particular country; other sets are specific to a particular culture. This next type of set is referred to as an “Islamic” or

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“Muslim” set. Note that these sets have no figural representations of humans or animals, which most modern-day sources attribute to an interpretation of the Koran that disallowed such representations. (right, top and center). Additional photos of Islamic style sets from the 1700’s and 1800’s:

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/islamic/IslamicBrassSetBox.htm

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/islamic/IndianIvoryMuslimPatternSet.htm

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/islamic/IslamicIvoryChessSet.htm

http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/MughalDecoratedIvorySet.htm Next let's travel back over to India, for some indigenous chess sets. This next set, with its original board, is from the former kingdom of Dholpur, in southeast Rajasthan. The Kings are inscribed, with the translation as follows: “Maharaja Bhagvat Singh SV 1877”. Inscriptions such as this are found on sets in the royal families; this Maharaja belonged to the Jat clan. The year SV 1877 (Samvat) is our year 1821. Incidentally, the textile board is original to the set. Many Indian sets used textile boards, which were easy to store and transport from place to place.

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Here are photos of original Indian chess sets from the 18th and 19th centuries (right), some with inscriptions describing the owning royal family and the representative occasion: http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/BundiJadeSilverSet.htm http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/RajasthanRoyalSet.htm http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/JamesTodSet.htm http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/IndianBoneSilverInscribedSet.htm http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/SirohiAlwarBoneSilverSet.htm

Victorian England was a prime source for chess sets, mostly playing sets, but also ornamental sets, such as this next one – a figural set showing two royal courts:

Additional photos of this set: http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/english/RoyalFiguralIvorySet.htm

Ornamental sets are highly decorative, but even playing sets could be very elaborate. This next set is referred to as a “Hastilow” design, after Charles Hastilow, a London-based manufacturer in the mid 1800’s. However, there is no direct evidence to tie this pattern to Charles Hastilow.

Additional photos of some elaborate playing sets: http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/english/HastilowSetDetail.htm http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/BerhamporeIvorySet.htm http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/lund/LundMerrifieldSet.htm http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/english/EnglishOrnamentalIvorySet.htm http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/english/VictorianOrnamentalIvorySet.htm

Antique chess sets are not the only item worthy of a chess collector’s attention. Chess boards, timers, and memorabilia are often part of a collection as well. Additionally, some collectors focus on antiquarian chess books and other published materials. But these important historical chess materials will need to be the topic of another article.

Photos of my collection of approximately 600 antique chess sets are available online, for the benefit of other collectors and researchers. My website is www.chessantique.com. One quick note is that I do not sell anything, but I am always happy to provide information about antique chess sets to other collectors.

Similarly I have taken close-up “photo essays” of many of my sets. You can find those photos on Picasa at https://picasaweb.google.com/102666767878557490222.

New or aspiring collectors might be interested to know that there is a worldwide organization dedicated to chess collecting: Chess Collectors International. Information can be found at http://www.worldchesshof.org/about/chess-collectors-international/. For published chess materials, the Ken Whyld Association is the preeminent worldwide organization. Its website is http://www.kwabc.org/

ON COLLECTING STAUNTON CHESSMEN A Beginner’s Guide to Assembling a Collection of the Finest Chess Sets

by Frank Camaratta My chess set collecting obsession had its start a few months after I first learned the moves of the game. That was the summer before my 16th birthday. A few friends in my new neighborhood took the pains to explain the moves to me and I was addicted. All I could do was eat, drink and sleep chess. I was entering my junior year in high school. I turned 16 in the fall of that year and, for my birthday, my mother gave me a nice set of wooden Staunton chessmen. These were nothing spectacular, just a good, solid, German-made weighted set of lacquered chessmen in a wood slide-top box. The pieces were tournament size and I made good use of them in the years that followed. The lessons I’ve learned in the intervening years I would like to now share with you. I hope to help you avoid some of the pitfalls and costly mistakes that can befall a new collector. Make no mistake about it, this can be a costly education. An education in collecting can cost more than tuition

to a four-year college. First, having been a serious tournament chess player, my interest was in practical playing sets – the Staunton design in particular. What I discovered very early in my collecting career was that there was woefully little information on the Staunton chessmen and what did exist was mostly incorrect. So, I decided to pull together as much information on the Staunton pattern as I could. The Staunton chessmen were designed and first manufactured in the United Kingdom by the firm of John Jaques. I obtained a copy of the design registration for the Staunton chessmen from the patent office in London. The Staunton chessmen design was registered as number 58607 on March 1, 1849. The title of the registration was “Ornamental Design for a set of Chess-Men.” It was registered by Nathaniel Cook, 198, Strand, London, under the “Ornamental Designs Act of 1842.” Interestingly, the registration was limited to Class II, articles fabricated mostly from wood. There have been allusions to a set of similar

The original Jaques Staunton design from 1849

17 Collecting Staunton Chessmen

chessmen having been designed around 1835. That ‘fact’ seems to have been repeated several times in the literature. However, there is no evidence to support the contention. Well, who was Nathaniel Cook and what was his connection with John Jaques, the original manufacturer? Moreover, how did Howard Staunton get into the mix? What is known is that the first Staunton chessmen were manufactured by the firm of John Jaques, whose business premises were in Hatton Garden, and later on the Strand in London. What is also known is that Cook managed to obtain the endorsement of the then self-proclaimed World Champion, Howard Staunton, who, after defeating the leading French Champion, Pierre de Saint-Amant, in their landmark 1842 match, became the World’s “Unofficial” World Champion. What is not known is the relationship between Jaques and Cook or between Cook and Staunton. We do know that Staunton wrote a daily chess article for the Illustrated London News (ILN). It has been reported, but not verified, that Cook was affiliated with the ILN, possibly as a partner. It has also been reported, again without verification, that Cook was John Jaques’ son-in-law.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE EARLY SETS Make no mistake about it. If you are looking for a set of antique Staunton chessmen to enhance your collection, there are chessmen produced by Jaques of London and then there are the rest. Jaques chessmen, Staunton or otherwise, are by far the most collectible and, as a consequence, the most expensive. This is not to say that there are not other Staunton chessmen that are worth collecting. For example, British Chess Company Xylonite chessmen quickly come to mind. However, if you are looking for one set of vintage Staunton chessmen, you must have a Jaques. What follows is a distillation of the important details that will serve as a roadmap for anyone who is seriously contemplating this investment.

THE CHESSMEN The original Stuanton chessmen produced by Jaques were, and still are, quite unique in appearance. Although generally described as a radically new design for their time, the form was based on the earlier Northern Upright chessmen designed in the 1840s by Lord John Hay. The Staunton chessmen featured very broad bases, gracefully contoured stems and attractively turned and carved headpieces. From the graceful Formeé cross atop the King to the six crenelled Rook, these chessmen make an impression. The Knights, however, are their hallmark. They were derived from the visages that adorn the Elgin marbles, which formed a part of the east Pediment of the Greek Acropolis. The “Marbles” were “expropriated” in 1816 by Sir Thomas Bruce and brought to London. They can be viewed today at The British Museum in London. Some important details to look for in the chessmen when contemplating your purchase follow: 1. The original Stuanton chessmen were available

in a Standard size (8.9 cm King) and Full Club size (11 cm King) only.

2. The original chessmen were available in boxwood and ebony, ivory and Wedgwood Carrara(!). This latter is largely unknown to both the Wedgwood and the chess collecting communities.

3. The large Club size Ivory set was introduced to the line in very limited quantities in April of 1850.

4. Jaques originated the praxis of weighting their chessmen for enhanced stability.

5. Only the 11 cm boxwood and ebony chessmen were weighted initially. Ivory chessmen were NEVER weighted.

6. The 8.9 cm chessmen could be felted or unfelted. Ivory chessmen were NEVER felted.

7. The heads of the black Knights for the boxwood and ebony chessmen were actually stained boxwood. Apparently, carving the rock-hard ebony was difficult and more time-consuming than boxwood, so, for the first three years or so of production, the knight heads for the ebony side were stained boxwood. If you

THE CCI-USA NEWS 18

find a set of Jaques chessmen with stained boxwood black knight heads, the set is pre-1852.

8. In a true Jaques set, the Kings’ crosses are removable. Also, the Knights are in two pieces – the head and the base – which are screwed together.

9. Jaques was the first chess set manufacturer to affix the symbol of a King’s crown to the summits of the kingside Rooks and Knights. This praxis was largely copied and is not unique to sets produced by Jaques. These chessmen are often offered on eBay as authentic Jaques chessmen. Don’t be fooled. Look for the ‘Jaques London’ mark imprinted on the base.

10. The Library size (7.3 cm King) was added around 1852, while the Small Club size (10 cm King) debuted around 1856.

11. Library sized and Ivory sets were NEVER weighted. The standard sets were available in both weighted and unweighted configurations. The Small Club and Full Club size wooden sets were always weighted.

12. Every Jaques chess set will have ‘Jaques London’ imprinted on the upper part of the rim of the base of the white King if the set is boxwood and ebony, and on the underside of the base of the Ivory King. Both Kings are so marked for sets produced after around 1890.

13. The Kings from the earliest Jaques chessmen, which I refer to as the Cook style in my Codex of Jaques Chessmen, will have the imprint ‘J. Jaques London’ on their bases. This is true for both the boxwood and ebony as well as ivory chessmen. The ‘J.’ can sometimes be difficult to discern. All legitimate Cook style Jaques chessmen will have both the ‘J. Jaques London’ imprinted on the base of the King as well as a white hand-signed and numbered label. Find one of these and you have found a very valuable and collectible set of Jaques chessmen.

14. The ‘Jaques London’ mark on the underside of the Ivory chessmen varies in configuration and can be confidently used to date the set. The earliest marks were printed on two parallel arcs. Later Ivory sets were marked in two parallel straight lines and, later, in a single straight line.

REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES 1. Each chessman in a Jaques set, sold during the

first three years of production, had a small green paper disk affixed to the underside of their bases.

2. This disk bore a registration mark consisting of a small diamond that identified the day, month and year the design was registered, the class and a parcel number. This protected the design from piracy during those three years.

3. Although the pamphlet from the Patent Office in the UK lists one registration disk design for 1849, the year the Staunton chessmen were registered, I have discovered that there were actually three designs printed and distributed. The first two had printing errors and omissions. These were used from 1849 to 1852, after which the Patent printed the registration disks correctly.

An early registration disc and the Jaques imprint on the base of an ivory set

19 Collecting Staunton Chessmen

BOXES AND CARTON-PIERRE CASKETS Perhaps the most intriguing aspects of collecting Jaques Staunton are the richly adorned Gothic style Carton-Pierre caskets in which they were housed. The caskets were designed by Joseph L. Williams. Matching Carton-Pierre treatment adorned leather chessboards were designed and sold by William Leuchars and first offered to the public in December, 1849.

1. Chessmen were initially housed in hinge-top mahogany boxes with a semi-mortise lock and key, Carton-Pierre caskets in three configurations for ‘unweighted’ wooden and ivory chessmen, and the large Spanish mahogany coffer with removable compartmented trays for the Club size ivory chessmen.

2. The mahogany boxes that housed the earliest boxwood and ebony chessmen were distinctive. They had unique handmade dovetail joints, soft, slightly rounded corners, and bore their manufacturer’s label on their undersides. Some of the earliest boxes also bore a small green label on the underside of the lid. Printed on that small label were the words “The Staunton Chessmen Jaques, London”. This label is quite rare and a good indication the box is one of the earliest made to house the Staunton chessmen. Later mahogany boxes would carry their labels on the underside of the lid. This did help preserve the labels since they were not placed directly on a wear surface.

3. The mahogany boxes were lined in a green billiard cloth and lacked the center partition found in later boxes.

4. The mahogany boxes that housed the Club size chessmen had a large scalloped brass escutcheon inset into the lid and around the keyhole. Mahogany boxes that housed later sets would use circular rather than the scalloped brass on the top of the lid and a thin brass strip set inside the keyhole.

5. Carton-Pierre caskets were made in three configurations. All three configurations utilized the same four side and lid moldings. For the Library size Ivory sets, which were introduced around 1853, the casket had a false,

raised bottom. The 8.9 cm and later the 10 cm sets were both housed in caskets with the bottom located in its normal position. Carton-Pierre caskets, which housed the Club size Ivory sets, utilized a ‘height extender’ that increased the casket height by around 1 inch.

6. The underside of the lid of each Carton-Pierre casket had a decorative gold leaf fleur-de-lis. The specific design of that decoration can be used to date the earliest caskets. The decorative pattern was standardized around 1853.

7. The earliest Carton-Pierre caskets had ivory-colored satin interiors.

8. All Carton-Pierre caskets had a leather-hinged lid and side-mounted ribbons that held the lid in a near vertical position. There was also a small leather or cloth tab on the front of the lid to facilitate opening.

9. The large weighted chessmen were generally not offered in Carton-Pierre caskets. These caskets are very fragile and the heavy pieces would simply break through the sides.

EARLY LABELS (1849 – 1851) 1. Each box bore a manufacturer’s label affixed

to the underside of the box or on the bottom inside of the large Spanish mahogany caskets. This praxis was later changed to affix the label to the underside of the lid of the mahogany boxes.

2. The earliest labels were white with a decorative black fleur-de-lis. A slightly different label was designed for sets numbered 600 or so to 999.

3. Along with the box contents and registration number (58,607 5&6 Vict. Cap. 100), each label bore an original (not a facsimile) signature of Howard Staunton and the production number of the set, also in Staunton’s hand. Based on certain observations, I believe Staunton hand-signed and numbered 999 labels (or signed as many as he could until hampered by writer’s cramp).

4. These early labels were numbered sequentially, so set #120 could be an 8.9 cm wooden set in a small mahogany box, while set

THE CCI-USA NEWS 20

#121 might be a large Ivory set in a large Carton-Pierre casket.

5. Little known is the fact that the earliest labels also have the ‘Jaques London’ imprint invisibly embossed into the label. The same tool used to mark the bases of the Kings was used to make this imprint. This little known fact alone should be worth the time you have taken to read this article.

6. These labels were used for sets sold during the first two years of production.

NUMBERED LABELS After three years, the design registration expired and was not renewable. On August 11, 1852, Nathaniel Cook entered into an arrangement with Howard Staunton for the exclusive use of his name and facsimile signature on the labels. The next group of labels was produced under this new arrangement. Labels within each of the three color groups were numbered sequentially without regard for the size of the chessmen. 1. Following the Staunton hand-signed labels,

there were a series of labels that showed the box contents, the registration or Entered number (58,607 5&6 Vict Cap. 100), a facsimile signature of Howard Staunton and a mechanically printed production number.

2. These early manufacturer’s labels were printed in green yellow and red. The green labels bore Entered numbers from 1000 to 1999. These were used exclusively on the mahogany boxes that housed the wooden chessmen. Yellow labels bore numbers from 2000 to 2999 and were used exclusively on Carton-Pierre caskets that housed Library sized and 8.9 cm boxwood and ebony chessmen. Finally, red labels were numbered from 3000 to3999 and were used on BOTH the large fitted Spanish mahogany

caskets and Carton-Pierre caskets that housed Ivory sets of all sizes. 3. After the supply of numbered manufacturer’s labels was exhausted, new labels were produced that displayed the box contents and registration number (58,607 5&6 Vict. Cap. 100), but no longer bore a production number. These labels were printed in green, yellow and red. Yellow and green were used exclusively on boxes that housed boxwood and ebony sets while, as before, the red labels were used exclusively for the

Ivory chessmen. These labels were used from around 1856 through 1862.

4. In 1862, a new label was introduced that commemorated an award Jaques had received. The label now bore the words “Two Prize Medals Awarded 1862”. The box contents and facsimile Staunton signature still appeared but the Entered number was dropped. Eventually, the box contents were dropped from the face of the label.

THE LEUCHARS FACTOR The earliest advertisements for the new Staunton chessmen have the following statement: “The Nobility and Gentry are respectfully informed that these new and elegant CHESS-MEN are now obtainable of W. Leuchars, 28. PICADILLY…”

One of the hand-signed and numbered labels that were affixed to the box of each of the early Staunton sets

21 Collecting Staunton Chessmen

The earliest Jaques chessmen were sold through Leuchars and are quite valuable and have the following unique features: 1. The ‘Jaques London’ mark on the bases of

both the wooden and the Ivory sets were over-stamped “Leuchars”. In the case of the Ivory sets, the ‘Jaques London’ mark is actually scratched out and over-stamped. In addition, a Leuchars green sticker was affixed to the underside of the white King’s base.

2. Leuchars Ivory sets were sold only in Carton-Pierre caskets and only in the 8.9 cm King. The label on the bottom of the casket originally bore a green Leuchars sticker.

3. Leuchars Ivory sets also featured a very unique Knight design not associated with the Elgin Marbles in any way. These are quite rare.

4. Leuchars only offered boxwood and ebony sets in the 8.9 cm. Also, boxwood and ebony sets offered by Leuchars were weighted. Although somewhat difficult to see, the ‘Jaques London’ mark on the upper bevel of the King’s base is over-stamped “Leuchars”.

THE DESIGN EVOLVES The Jaques Staunton chessmen have evolved over the 150 or so years since their introduction. Many of the changes were made to improve the robustness of the chessmen. Among the other changes made were the relative proportions of the chessmen. Queens and Pawns were made taller. The weight of the chessmen was increased. Boxes and labels also underwent significant changes. Boxes housing sets produced after 1895 or so were fitted with a partition that separated the white pieces from the black. Labels changed every five years or so. It is beyond the scope of this short treatise to delineate those changes.

HOW TO CHOOSE When you decide to invest in a set of vintage Jaques chessmen, you have another decision to make. Are you looking for a set that is the most collectible, or one that is the most playable? If you intend to use the chess set occasionally for play,

then you probably do not want an Ivory set. Also, you probably want a set with a 4” or larger King. If you are looking for collectability and investment growth potential, then you want a very early Club size wooden set or an Ivory set. Ivory sets prices increase exponentially with size. A good rule-of-thumb to follow when collecting for value rather than utility is larger is better than smaller, older is better than newer, and Ivory is king. Original boxes and labels are important considerations when contemplating your purchase. So is condition. A well restored set of chessmen will always command a considerably higher price than a set in original condition that is damaged, has a poor finish or both.

CONCLUSION Beware of counterfeits. With the rising prices realized for a good set of Jaques chessmen, coupled with their increasing scarcity, sets made up from pieces assembled from unrelated sets, as well as freshly turned counterfeits, are becoming alarmingly more common. Labels from old Jaques boxes are often affixed to boxes that are not original to the chessmen. Off-brand chess sets are frequently passed off as authentic Jaques chessmen. The safest course is to purchase your antique Jaques chess set from a reputable dealer. Ask for a letter certifying the authenticity of the chessmen. Obtain a letter of provenance, if available. In the end, the extra cost will prove to be money well spent. Finally, antique chess sets are not for everyone. Boxes are worn and often split. Labels are tattered. The chessmen themselves will be dinged and the baize base pads ratty. There will most certainly be hairline cracks in the ebony chessmen. If, in the end, you decide you really don’t want to own an antique set, do yourself a favor. Purchase a fine set of House of Staunton chessmen. There’s none finer – at any price!

A RARE CHESS SET OFFERED IN A NEW EDITION

Larry List © 2012

Larry List is a CCI member, curator and writer whose chess related projects have included The Imagery of Chess Revisited exhibition and book for the Noguchi Museum, NY, and Menil Collection, Houston, in 2005 – 2006; Chess

as Art essay for the Tate Modern’s Duchamp-Man Ray-Picabia show catalogue, 2008; New Forms for a New Era catalogue essay for 32 Pieces: The Art of Chess , co-curated for the Reykjavik Art Museum, 2009 and the DOX

Center for Contemporary Art, Prague, 2010; Chess Masterpieces: Highlights from the Dr. George & Vivian Dean Collection for the World Chess Hall of Fame & Museum. Saint Louis, 2011; and A Ruler’s Riddle: Buzurjmihr

Masters the Game of Chess. essay for The Game of Kings: Medieval Chessmen from the Isle of Lewis blog, Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2012.

As a collector one constantly asks oneself “what qualities make a great chess set?” We may each have some different answers, or place these concerns in a different order but, certainly among the qualities of great sets are: 1. primacy, being the first design of its kind; 2. the first design done by a particular

designer; 3. the reputation of the designer; 4. the quality and distinctiveness of the design; 5. the place in history the design occupies; 6. rarity – how many examples are extant and

potentially available; 7. provenance – who owned the set or owns

one like it

8. materials – whether the materials may be precious or special

9. beauty – its visual and tactile appeal 10. condition – completeness of set and details

of pieces In his exhaustive research on American chess sets, designers and manufacturers Duncan Pohl omitted a favorite designer of mine, the Philadelphia-born, Brooklyn-raised Dada-Surrealist artist Man Ray. Pohl may have done so for good reason – of the many designs in wood, aluminum, ivory and precious metals that Man Ray created between 1920 and his death in 1976 few are still available for purchase. Those that come to market command prices at auction of tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars because of their rarity and the artist’s

23 A RARE CHESS SET

reputation as one of the 20th century’s most innovative artists. Man Ray was the son of a Russian immigrant tailor. His artwork was far ahead of its time so he lived very modestly most his life. He designed lavish chess sets when commissioned to do so, but, along with his artist friend and chess player, Marcel Duchamp, he sought to design a simple, straightforward, but modern affordable chess set. He dreamed that it would supplant the Staunton set as the standard for play and would hence produce design royalties that would support him for life. This unrealized mission led him to design many different sets. Those from the 1940s produced in wood or anodized aluminum editions of 10 to 50 sets were priced at only $ 40.00 a set, or about $400.00 in today’s money. Being an admirer of Man Ray’s designs, but lacking the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars necessary to obtain a vintage set, I was pleased to learn that the Man Ray Trust is issuing a posthumous edition of the artist’s rarest design, his 1920 Early Wood Chess Set. This set has many of the qualities of a great chess set. Though he had made drawings of chess sets as early as 1918, this was the first realized design by this artist, who later became a major figure in the art world. It pre-dates the Josef Hartwig Bauhaus Chess Set by 3 years to claim the place in history of being the first modern set to be comprised of all abstract geometric forms, hence, it is a very distinctive design. Assembled from geometric shapes he found in his studio, Man Ray made only one set with this design, hence it is rare. In terms of provenance, it was bought by famed chess benefactor, book and set collector, Gustavus A.

Pfeiffer, and donated to the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This set is made of lathe-turned and milled wood forms that have a sense of refined simplicity and elegance. Painstakingly copied from the originals, but made anew by precision craftsmen in Germany and Italy, this new edition will be in fresh, perfect condition. Though the forms were abstract, Man Ray still made iconic associations for them. The pyramid was the Egyptian symbol of kingship, the cone was a medieval queen's headgear and the flagon represented the bishops' tradition of creating exotic liqueurs and spirits.1 Perhaps the most distinctive detail in this first set, and in many later variations, was that his pawns were as tall as his Rooks and almost as volumetrically robust as many of the other pieces of higher rank. He credited this gesture to the increased importance of pawns in modern chess play.2 However, it may also have been evidence of his sense of American values, which focused on equality and freedom. Presented in the same natural and satin black finish as the original set, the tallest pieces stand 3 ¼ inches high and will be presented in a box with an original Man Ray image. A matching board will be offered separately. And, because of the efficiency of the modern production, the new edition of the 1920 Early Wood Chess Set will cost around the same as the $40.00 that Man Ray priced his 1940’s sets, which, adjusted for inflation is only about $400.00, making it affordable for many more of us avid collectors. The Trust has not made it clear how many sets they will ultimately produce, so it

1 Man Ray, Chessmen by Man Ray, 1945, as cited in MAN RAY AND CHESS, Man Ray: Paintings, Objects, Photographs, Sotheby's, New York, 1995, p. 142. 2 Ibid.

might be wise to acquire a set as soon as they become available. Word from the Man Ray Trust is that this set will be offered for sale through a network of American and European museums, design shops, and chess sources. As of this date, it will be

available at Artware Editions and Chess Forum, both in New York City; Turpan in East Hampton, Long Island; The Philadelphia Museum of Art; OK Fine Furniture in Los Angeles; Canoe in Portland, Oregon; Kuhl Linscomb in Houston, Texas, by early December of this year.

NOTE/CORRECTIONOn page 16 of the publication CHESS SETS OF AMERICAN COMPANIES, READY FOR SOME CHESS TENITE, while discussing the Drueke Company, a list is presented of the different models of the American Design that were available. The

publication says No 22 was weighted and felted. That is in error. Both No 20 and No 22 were unweighted and unfelted. Only models No 23 and 24 were weighted and felted chess sets.

CCICCI -- USA NEWSUSA NEWS

Editor Co-Editor Publisher Duncan Pohl Frank Camaratta Floyd Sarisohn 1391 Parkview Dr PO Box 166 Woodland CA 95776 Commack NY 11725 Voice: 530.383.5750 Voice: 631.543.1330

duncanpohl@gmail.com fcamaratta@mindspring.com Fax: 631.543.7901 lichess@aol.com

Edi toria l Comments and Pol icyEditoria l Comments and Pol icy

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