Chess has been called "the Olympics of the mind" and keeping a chess table handy is a great way to ensure that you take up every opportunity to sharpen up your logical reasoning skills. Chess is the oldest game of skill played in the world, but it is much more than that. Chess is also a fascinating history lesson in miniature and it tells us much about how people lived in earlier times. No-one know for sure where chess originated, it is so old, but it is well documented to have been played for centuries in the same basic form played today with variations in naming and design but little else, in the most ancient of times in China, India, and Persia.
The game therefore was already popular and well established when it came to Europe via Spain with the Moors in the tenth or eleventh century (The movie 'El Cid' was set in Spain at this time, 'cid' being a moorish word meaning 'chief' or 'lord') and once the Spanish got the chess playing bug the rest of Europe and the West wasn't far behind. The chess set we see today refelects European 'modernisations' on the basic imported theme and the knights and bishops, kings and queens and castles have a medieval flavor which is a European refinement to that original Middle Eastern import. The Europeans found the piece names hard to pronounce and they represented a social order and culture which was of course entirely different to that to be found in Europe.
Chess tells us a great deal about the social order of the people who originated it. Pawns represent the lowest members of society, serfs and laborers. The castle represents the fortified home. The knight represents the professional soldier of olden times who was important but also frequently sacrificed by his masters when the need arose!
The great authorities in medieval times were the church and the monarchy and these are represented by the central, most critical pieces in chess, the Bishops , kings and queens.
Friends and family will have great fun and you’ll appreciate the fine finishes and highly-crafted structuring. The timeless intelligence of chess has had wisemen wondering for years what the outcome will be. Each appealing design will find a spot in your home, whether it's a basic squared-leg, pedestal, or artful interpretation. Chess is probably the greatest game of skill known to man, certainly the oldest board game widely played today and to this day unrivalled as a test of logic even by the most innovative games. You can display themed chess sets in style and always be ready to corral an opponent for checkers and backgammon.
Products on this page:
3 Piece Library Game Table w Two Castered Chairs & Game Pieces
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Masterpiece Game Table w Antique Black Finish
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Cherry Finish Game Table w Hydraulic Lift Top & Four Seats
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Antique Chess Table w Fold-in Corners
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Square Rattan Gaming Table w Leather & Cork Corner Top
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Solid Wood End Table w Pull-Out Game Board & Drawers
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Game Table w Fossil Stone Top
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Antique Pedestal Game Table w Marble Top
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Game Table w Chess Board
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Woodland Oak Finish Game Table With Brass Finish Border
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Traditional Masterpiece Round Game Table - Game Pieces Included
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Game Table w Reversible Game Board
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Hill Country Small Chess Table
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Ripple Carved Game Table w Swan Neck Legs
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Masterpiece Nested Game Tables w Game Pieces
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Hill Country Medium Chess Table
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Mahogany Game Table w Pieces & Storage
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Cocktail Table w Fold Out Gaming Set
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Game Table w Pieces- La Questa
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Four in One Game Table, Chess, Checkers, Backgammon
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Black Finish Game Table w Pieces for Checkers, Backgammon & Chess
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Square Game Table w Removable Top & Corner Ash Trays
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The Artistic Table Game Table, Chess/Checkers
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Carved Detail Game Table, Pieces Included - Beacon Hill