Lot #586. Antique Nimzowitsch Style Staunton Chessmen
Antique Nimzowitsch Style Staunton Chessmen.
A set of Small Tournament Size Antique Nimzowitsch Style Staunton Chessmen. These vintage chessmen are Boxwood and Ebony, and heavily weighted. All the chessmen still have their original green baize base pads. The King stands 3.3″ tall with a 1.5″ diameter base. The chessmen are very well turned and finished. Knights bear a very close resemblance to the Jaques Nimzowitsch Knight. These chessmen were likely produced around 1920.
The chessmen are housed in a lined Mahogany hinge-top box, which is probably not the original. The pieces are in excellent condition and have developed a very pleasing honey patina. There are no repairs or replacements. The chessmen play and display best on a chessboard with 2-0″ squares. The antique folding Backgammon and chessboard shown is not included as part of this sale. The ideal chessboard for these chessmen can be found here. For a complete selection of our finest new and antique chessboards, please check here.
About Aron Nimzowitsch
Aron Niemzowitsch was born 7 November 1886, He was a leading chess g\Grandmaster and influential chess writer and the foremost figure among the hypermoderns school. Aron Nimzowitsch is considered one of the most important players and writers in chess. His works influenced numerous other players, including Savielly Tartakower, Milan Vidmar, Richard Réti, Akiba Rubinstein, Bent Larsen and Tigran Petrosian, and his influence is still felt today.
He won his first international tournament at Munich 1906. Then, he tied for first with Alexander Alekhine at Saint Petersburg 1913/14 (the eighth All-Russian Masters’ Tournament).
During the 1917 Russian Revolution, Nimzowitsch was in the Baltic war zone. He escaped being drafted into one of the armies by feigning madness, insisting that a fly was on his head. He then escaped to Berlin, and gave his first name as Arnold, possibly to avoid anti-Semitic persecution. Nimzowitsch eventually moved to Copenhagen in 1922, which coincided with his rise to the world chess elite. He spent the remainder of his life in one small rented room. In 1924 and 1934, he won the Nordic Chess Championship. He obtained Danish citizenship and lived in Denmark until his death in 1935.
