Lot #190. AIW 350 Chess Pieces

AIW 350 Chess Pieces.

This is a set of AIW 350 Chess Pieces, Boxwood and Ebony. The King stands 3-3/4″ tall with a 1-1/2″ diameter base. The chessmen are heavily weighted and cushioned with green felt base pads. The chessmen are housed in a hinge-top Sheesham wooden box. The chessmen are in excellent condition. The chessboard shown is not included in this sale, but may be purchased elsewhere on this site.

This chess set is the Indian knock-off of the 1970s vintage Jaques Fischer-Spassky design, although it is much bulkier and not as well crafted, particularly the Knights. Around the 1980’s or so, Jaques contracted out the Fischer-Spassky design to firms in India. The resulting sets were a far cry from the fine English craftsmanship that was once the hallmark of Jaques chessmen. Soon, it seemed that almost anyone in India with a lathe and penknife was pumping out counterfeit copies of the Jaques Fischer-Spassky chess pieces. It wasn’t until the mid-1990’s that The House of Staunton, founded by Frank Camaratta, revived the Old-World craftsmanship with the introduction of their superbly crafted Collector Chessmen. Since then, The House of Staunton and Frank Camaratta Signature Series chessmen have replaced Jaques as the Gold Standard. To see their World Class selection of tournament and premium chessmen, go to www.houseofstaunton.com.