Description
Large Vintage Gallant Knight Plastic Chessmen.
Offered here is a set of Large Vintage Black and Ivory colored Gallant Knight Plastic Chessmen. This is an Authentic Staunton design. The chess pieces are weighted and felted. The set has a large 4-7/8″ King with a 2″ diameter base. The Gallant Knight Plastic Chessmen are housed in a black leatherette covered hinge-top cardboard box. The chessmen are in excellent condition. The box is somewhat worn, but in serviceable condition. These large Club-size sets were produced around 1950. These King-size chess pieces require a chessboard with 2-1/2″ or 2-5/8″ squares. To view our extensive selection of new and antique chessboards, look here.
Background.
The chessmen are produced by The Gallant Knight Company, formerly located at 147 Grand Avenue, Lake Villa, IL. The 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. They later moved 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; the small Tournament-size set with a 3-1/4″ King having a 1-7/16″ diameter base , and a large Tournament-size 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, Student sets were housed in simple cardboard boxes (No. 100, No. 35, No. 36 and C100). The Standard and small Tournament 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.
