Chess has been a favorite game of strategy and tactics since ancient times. Many notable characters in history have played the game of chess. For centuries chess pieces were of two extremes, either rudely turned or excessively elaborate. But in the early 1840's that all changed. Jaques of London, who had always been instrumental in the development and success of chess, were approached by Nathaniel Cooke, proprietor of the Illustrated London News, with a new and elegant design for chessmen. With the fine craftsmanship of John Jaques, the initial design by Mr. Cooke, was polished, to produce a chess set that used symbols. The king had a crown. The bishop, a mitre. This made the pieces easily recognizable and much easier to reproduce. The press said the new design was a work of art, combining elegance and solidity. Of particular interest was the Knight, which was based on sculptures from the famous Elgin Marbles. British Chess World Champion, Mr Howard Staunton, was so struck by the clarification of the design that he allowed his name and signature to adorn every box of pieces made to this design.

The oldest Backgammon game discovered was in an old ancient Iranian city, 5000 year old, Shahr-e Sukhteh. Now that is old! This version of Backgammon is somewhat different from the current game, as the board is engraved with a snake coiled around 20 times, making it a 20 slot game rather than the 24 slots of current Backgammon play. It was played with 60 pieces instead of the current 30.

This 15 inch set is both Chess & Backgammon and is a stunning example of the craftsmanship and quality that Jaques of London are renowned for. It features a 15” x 15” mahogany framed cabinet with decorative maple and walnut inlaid squares on the chess board side, while the reverse side of the board features inlaid backgammon points. 3 inch Boxwood Staunton chessmen, heavyweight backgammon pieces, dice, shaker cups and complete game rules are all ready for your purchase and included in this delightful games set.