This peerless 1963-1966 Piatigorsky Cup chess set in Staunton style is made up of ebony and antiqued boxwood. The King proudly stands at 4.2 inches and its base is a robust 1.8 inches. This is a historic design featuring the one-piece knight with long flowing mane, attractive eyes, nostrils, and mouth. The deep luster and total blackness of the ebony wood are exceptional. Pieces are expertly carved in India and triple weighted for prodigious hand-feel and a very nice thud on the wooden chess board

Weight : 2300 grams (81.13 oz). Please note that the weight in the set is added manually so the final weight of the set can vary by plus or minus (±) 10%.

The opposing pieces are made of antiqued boxwood which is traditionally used for white side. It is one of the fairly easy woods to work with and shows off aesthetic detail. The set comes with free extra queens for effortless pawn promotion. Thick green felt which precisely envelops the base of each chessmen gives you the smooth movement and cushioned feel on the chess board. The knights are well-crafted and exhibit the sky-high level of knight carving skills that our Indian artisans have to offer.

History: This fascinating Staunton-style chess set (referred latterly as Piatigorsky Cup Chess Set) was designed by the U.S. International Master Herman Steinern in the mid-1940s. The very first Staunton chess set was designed by Nathaniel Cook and later was endorsed by English Chess Champion, Howard Staunton in 1849.

Gregor Piatigorsky who organized and financed the Piatigorsky Cup was born in Ekaterinoslav into a Jewish family. As a child, he was taught violin and piano by his father. After seeing and hearing the cello, he determined to become a cellist and was given his first cello when he was just seven. His wife, Jacqueline Piatigorsky, was a strong player who played in several US women's championships and represented the United States in the women's Chess Olympiad.

Piatigorsky chess set was first seen in the Piatigorsky Cup tournament (1963) organized by the Piatigorsky Foundation. The Piatigorsky Cups are one of the strongest chess tournaments ever held in the America. It was a triennial series of double round-robin grandmaster chess tournaments held in the 1960s. Sponsored by the Piatigorsky Foundation, only two events were held. The First Piatigorsky Cup was held in The Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles in July 1963. The second and final tournament in the series was held in July and August 1966. Some of the famous chess players who played from this wonderful chess set: U.S. Champion Bobby Fischer, Bent Larsen (Denmark), Lajos Portisch (Hungary), Wolfgang Unzicker (West Germany), Miguel Najdorf (Argentina), Pal Benko, Oscar Panno, and Jan Hein Donner (Netherlands).

Craftsmanship: The carving and turning the quality of the knight is quite spectacular. Knights have a divergent style of carving on each side making even more captivating pieces from different angle views. The lathe work on the each chess piece is noteworthy, especially the unique collar rings and elegant curves. There are 4 cuts in the turrets of the rook. The pawns have a wide base which adds another interesting dimension to the set. The design of the other pieces is also highly commended, that allow the set to truly stand out. They are meticulously handcrafted from the finest grade ebony wood and polished by hand to give it a rich and long lasting shine. Each chessmen is carefully hand crafted in India with dainty details and the design, quality, and craftsmanship of these chess pieces is comparable to the original chess sets that are sold for $2000+ by other retailers.

Uniformity of pieces: The shapes of turned pieces are guided by metal profiles and so all turned pieces are identical, especially the pawns. You can expect some variation where hand carving or cutting comes i.e. knights.

New Antique Finish Process: The new antique finish is accomplished through an innovative four-step process of color and rotational 3-D polishing for a uniform finish. This new antique finish even prevents pieces from cracks and splits.

Whether you are a collector or you are simply looking for a unique chess set, The Piatigorsky Chess Set truly stands out from the other traditional chess sets. 

All chess pieces have an elegant visual appeal that blends well for permanent display on a cocktail table. Matching chess board for these pieces is available at our web store at an extra cost. Shop Here

Includes: 34 Chessmen(2 extra queens included), Certificate of Authenticity (Digital). NOTE: Chess Board is not included with this package.

Disclaimer: Product color may slightly vary due to photographic lighting sources or your monitor settings.

Caution: These chess pieces are neither waterproof nor UV-resistant.

We're trying to be cleaner and greener. Find out more about our values and best practices at chessbazaar.com/environment