Description
Reproduction Lasker Style Staunton Chessmen, Small Club Size.
Original 1885 Lasker Style ChessmenOffered here is a set of Reproduction Lasker Style Staunton Chessmen, created by noted Staunton authority, Frank Camaratta. It is an exact rendition of the Lasker Style Staunton Chessmen as they appeared in 1885 as shown in the comparative image on the left. This is a weighted, Small Club-Size set featuring a 4-0″ King with a 1-7/8″ diameter base. Each of the chess pieces rests atop green English baize base pads. These Reproduction Lasker Style Staunton Chessmen are accurate – right down to the impression of a red king’s crown on the summits of one Knight and Rook from each army to designate the Kingside piece. The set being offered is crafted from antiqued Boxwood and pure Gabon Ebony. The Reproduction Lasker Style Staunton Chessmen are new. Each set consists of 34 Chess pieces, including four Queens to facilitate Pawn Promotion, now a standard that was introduced by Mr. Camaratta over 20 years ago. Note the masterful workmanship of the Knights, which are derived from the noble steeds whose visages are captured in the Parthenon frieze (expropriated between 1801 and 1812 by Thomas Bruce, 7th Lord of Elgin and since referred to as the Elgin Marbles). This distinctive, finely detailed Knight head is the hallmark of a true Staunton design.
The reproduction Lasker Style Staunton Chessmen are turned and hand-carved by our master artisans and crafted out of the highest grade woods. The design of the 1885 Lasker Chessmen exemplify a perfect combination of distinct beauty and functionality. They have been designed to withstand the rigors of practical play while maintaining an elegance which has become the hallmark of all Frank Camaratta creations. The chessmen are accompanied by a correct Facsimile of the original green manufacturer’s label. A premium storage box and suitable chessboard are also available. For a selection of our extensive selection on new and antique chessboards, click here.
The design, accuracy, quality and craftsmanship of this set is UNMATCHED by any set of Chessmen at any price. Nothing even comes close! Here’s your chance to own a set of tournament-sized Reproduction Lasker Style Staunton chessmen exactly as they looked when they first appeared in retail outlets in 1885. These magnificent Chessmen are made available on a very limited basis. Only 50 sets will be produced. The Reproduction Lasker Style chessmen play and display best one a chessboard with 2-3/8″ squares. An image comparing the Reproduction with an original is provided for your comparison.
Some History
Emanuel Lasker was a German Chessplayer, mathematician, and philosopher. He held the World Chess Championship for 27 years (from 1894 to 1921). In his prime, Lasker was one of the most dominant champions, and is still generally regarded as one of the World’s strongest players. Lasker was considered to have a “psychological” method of play in which he considered the subjective qualities of his opponent, in addition to the objective requirements of the position. Lasker was well ahead of his time and used a more flexible approach to the position than his contemporaries.
Emanuel Lasker was a German Chessplayer, mathematician, and philosopher. He held the World Chess Championship for 27 years (from 1894 to 1921). In his prime, Lasker was one of the most dominant champions, and is still generally regarded as one of the World’s strongest players. Lasker was considered to have a “psychological” method of play in which he considered the subjective qualities of his opponent, in addition to the objective requirements of the position. Lasker was well ahead of his time and used a more flexible approach to the position than his contemporaries.Emanuel Lasker was born in Berlinchen, Germany on 24th December 1868. As a child Lasker displayed a talent for both chess and mathematics. At age 11, Lasker attended a school in Berlin to develop his mathematical skills and he later went on to study mathematics at Erlangen University.
Lasker’s record in match play was impressive. He won all his matches from 1889 to 1893. By the mid-1890s, Emanuel Lasker was clearly the World’s strongest player. In 1894, Lasker challenged Steinitz for the world championship. Lasker went on to win the match ten wins to five with four draws and, at age 25, Lasker became world champion Lasker was to retain the world champion title for a record 27 years.
Between his 1896–97 World Championship re-match with Steinitz and 1914, Lasker has three successful defenses of his title. In his 1910 match with Carl Schlechter, Lasker was lucky to escape with a 5-5 draw due to a match provision requiring the Challenger to win by a two-point margin. Going into the final game, Lasker was down 4-5. Needing to win by a two-point margin, Schlecter, forced to play the last game for a win, over-pressed in a better position and lost. Lasker was in his early 50s when he finally lost the world championship to Capablanca and effectively retired from serious chess.
During the war Lasker was forced to flee Germany. He was now penniless. In 1934, at the age of 65, finances forced Lasker to return to chess. In August 1937, Martha and Emanuel Lasker decided to leave the Soviet Union. They moved to the United States in October 1937. While, in the United States Lasker tried to support himself by giving chess and bridge lectures and exhibitions. Lasker died of a kidney infection in New York on January 11, 1941, at the age of 72. By this time, he was a charity patient at the Mount Sinai Hospital. He was buried at Beth Olom Cemetery, Queens, New York.
The Frank Camaratta and House of Staunton names are now recognized World-Wide as synonymous for quality and exquisite design – the chessmen for those with exquisite taste. The perfect gift for the man or woman who has everything. They are so well respected that they even made the comics!
