Imperfect - 4.0" Philidor - Genuine Ebony / Antiqued Boxwood - Wood Chess Pieces

For your purchasing consideration....

The House of Staunton is proud to introduce the masterful Philidor Series Chess Set. Part of our Timeless Collection, the Philidor Series Chess set is exact reproduction of one of the least known Chess sets every produced, the Philidor Chessmen Circa 1850 Pattern Chessmen. These Chessmen feature a 4.0" King with a 1.325" Diameter base and are weighted. These Chessmen are an exact match to the original detail, down to the smallest details!

In 1850, an advertisement appeared in the June issue of The Chess Player’s Chronicle, Edited by Howard Staunton, Esq., announcing the availability of a new registered design for the practical play of the game of Chess. They were called The Philidor Chessmen in honor of the great 18th Century chess player Andre Duncan Philidor. The Chessmen were fully illustrated, with pricing, in the December 1850 issue of The Chess Player’s Chronicle with the following promotional text.“The Philidor Chess-Men, designed by some of the LEADING METROPOLITAN PLAYERS with a view to FITNESS FOR ACTUAL PLAY AND NON-LIABILITY TO BREAKAGE. – The Handsome folding BOARDS, to accompany them, have squares of the colors most suitable to the eye, and are embellished in an entirely novel manner. Both Men and Boards are registered.”

Unfortunately, Staunton was merciless in his criticism of the new chessmen, going so far as to proclaim that using these pieces would weaken your play and that no self-respecting chess player would ever be caught using them. This was particularly interesting since the manufacturer of the Philidor chessmen apparently paid to have his new design advertisements appear in a periodical edited by Staunton himself.

Whatever the case, the new chessmen were advertised for around a year and then disappeared. They never caught on and apparently, were not produced in any significant quantities. For that reason, examples today are nearly impossible to find and only a few Philidor sets are known to exist today.