Chess is a unique game that crosses all languages and boundaries, and invites thought-provoking challenge wherever it is played. The symbolic chequerboard, with its often ornate king, queen, rooks, knights, bishops and pawns, is as attractive to the eye as it is to sit down at, and play. However, the traditional ‘king’ and ‘queen’ pieces that we have grown to expect of a chessboard are a far cry from the abstract shapes that were used in the early game. It is understood that chess originated in India during ancient BC times but failed to emerge in Europe until the early Middle Ages. When it did, the chess pieces were similar to those from Islamic and Indian worlds. ‘The early pieces were like little squares and triangles, simple shaped forms, nonfi gural and nothing to do with kings or queens,’ says Luke Honey, chess consultant with Bonhams auctioneers.

‘The earliest example we can see today is the Lewis chess set which was discovered on a beach in Lewis. The set represents the end of the Middle Ages and the start of the Dark Ages and is very Scandinavian in infl uence.’ Discovered on Uig Beach in 1831, the 93 pieces date from the 12th century and were carved in ivory from walrus and whale teeth. All of the main pieces are sculpted human fi gures, with the exception of the pawns, which are smaller, geometric shapes.

Similar to the Lewis set, early chess sets were carved from bone, ivory or wood, with 20th century makers experimenting with metal and silver as well. ‘There was a huge explosion for the game of chess in the 19th century – the bourgeois middle classes had money and leisure time so took up the game,’ says Luke, who adds that there are few chess sets surviving from the 17th and 18th centuries, presumably because only a limited number of sets were made for aristocracy at this time. ‘In the 17th and 18th centuries they did not have makers in quite the same way – they did not put labels or stamps on them,’ he says. ‘They would be made by craftsmen in their workshops. It was in the 19th century that we started to see labels.’ In particular, Jaques of London – the oldest sports and games manufacturer in the world, which was established in 1795 and still exists today – continues to be a label to look out for when buying at auction. ‘Some collectors will go for nothing but Jaques sets,’ says Luke. ‘Jaques have gone up in terms of value and have been a good investment over the past 20 years. An ivory 19th century set would cost upwards of £2,000 and a wooden 19th century set upwards of £400. Calvert, Fisher and Lund, all of London, were other popular makers.’

He adds: ‘There is a 19th century Scottish pattern called the Edinburgh-Upright that always does terribly well at auction. That pattern would have been sold by shops in Edinburgh in the 19th century.’ Bonhams, who hold two dedicated chess, board games and playing card sales a year, have been encouraged by recent sales in which a Chinese Export ‘Napoleon’ ivory set, circa 1810, sold for £9,360, while a Swiss carved boxwood fi gural part-set went for £6,600. An English alabaster set, circa 1860, achieved £4,320, while a late 18th/early 19th century Islamic painted ivory set from Northern India went for £4,800. ‘The chess sets that the sassy collectors are gunning for are antique sets that have a genuine rarity and scarcity,’ says Luke. ‘However, chess sets are just nice things to have, even if you don’t play. They are nice to have set out. Increasingly I am getting people with country houses coming to me who want to buy a nice Victorian chess set to sit in the library. They will often want a nice Jaques set which will usually sit next to a game of mahjong or backgammon.’

Whether you indulge in the game of chess or not, few people could fail to be charmed by the exquisite detailing carved into each piece. With the painstaking thought, careful planning and time invested in every set, it is little wonder that chess is a game that has conquered the world for generations.

FACT FILE * Bonhams will hold its next Chess Sale in its Knightsbridge, London, saleroom on 29 April. For further details call 0207 393 3900.