The most exquisite part of any chess set is the chessmen and the chess pieces. They can vary from plastic vinyl ones to high quality wooden pieces and sometimes from semi-precious stones. There are themed pieces depicting historical figures or those from popular culture. The themed pieces can be very modern and can also be a variation of the more traditional chessmen styles, the more popular designs are Medieval, Roman or French pieces. Plastic pieces can be made in various styles from modern to the classic Staunton style. They are considered more affordable among other chessmen.

When looking for more decorative pieces there are always the luxury chessmen that are made from fine wood with excellent craftsmanship. Some of the luxury pieces can be antique, hand carved made from quality material. Luxury pieces come in various designs mostly in the popular and classic Staunton or Dubrovnik styles. Staunton design is one of the most standard styles that has become the main style for tournaments. Every culture has adapted their own “Staunton ” style and made variations based on this particular design, such as the French, German and American designs.

Another more modern style is the e-pieces, these are digital chessmen that are great when used on digital boards, they allow the player to play against a computer or with someone playing online or remotely from a different location. Every piece contains sensors which allows the board to recognize where exactly each piece is located. E-pieces can be made from wood in Staunton style or they can be plastic and more modern. Those pieces remain an integral part of any chess set and chess players have the opportunity to choose from a variety. It is important to mention that in ancient times it was difficult to distinguish the characters from one another and in 1849 Nathaniel Cook solved that problem and created the Stanton style that is widely popular today. This design is named after the English chess master Howard Staunton.

Modern rules

Now let’s talk a little more about the game itself and the modern rules. Each player in a game of chess must start with a total of 16 pieces – eight pawns, two bishops, two knights, two rooks, a queen and a king. So let’s take a minute and go through the individual pieces and the moves they are allowed to make on the board.