Description
Fouray Four Handed Chess Set.
Offered here is a Fouray Four Handed Chess Set which utilizes Gallant Knight weighted and felted plastic chessmen in four colors: red, white, blue and black. The chessmen have a 2-3/8″ King with a 1-3/16″ diameter base. Included is a double-folding cardboard chessboard with 1.4″ squares and four sets of instructions, one for each player. The chessmen were copyrighted in 1960 by Jack Quinn and show Patent Pending 1986, also by Jack Quinn. The sets were offered through Fouray Plus, 710 Silver Spur Road #322; Rolling Hills Estates, California, 90274. The chessmen, board and box are in excellent condition.
The chessmen were produced by The Gallant Knight Company. These sets first appear in The Chess Review magazines in the early 1940s. The early sets were offered in the Student size with a 2-3/8″ King and a 1-3/16″ diameter base; and the Standard size with a 2-3/4″ King and a 1-5/16″ diameter base. The company moved from their original facilities at 147 Grand Avenue, Lake Villa, IL, to 228 West Kinzie Street, Chicago 10, IL, and added the small, Travel set No. 100(M) with a 2-1/8″ King having a 15/16″ diameter base; and a large Tournament set with a 4-7/8″ King and a 2-0″ diameter base. The sets were produced in a Mottled plastic as well as a Black or Red and ivory colored plastic. the Travel and Student sets were housed in simple cardboard boxes (No. 100, No. 35 and No. 36). The Standard sets were housed in cardboard boxes, hinged leatherette cases and a very attractive wooden chest (No. 75 and No. 76). The large Tournament set was housed in a hinge-top leatherette covered cardboard box. The Fouray game was apparently a cooperation between Gallant Knight and Jack Quinn, who later tried to patent the set. The larger four-handed chessboard shown in the adjacent Gallant Knight advertisement is also available.
