The Chess Store is pleased to offer the Jaques of London 1972 Fischer Spassky 3.5" Staunton Chess Set. This is a reproduction of the Jaques chess set used in 1972 World Championship between Fischer and Spassky - dubbed the 'Match of the Century' by commentators. These two great players battled for over a month, with Fischer finally winning the match becoming the World Champion. This reproduction is accurately captured in every detail on evey piece. Chess pieces are made from the finest ebony and boxwood and are individually hand polished to a beautiful luster. Pieces are then heavily weighted and fitted with green billiard cloth pads for ideal handling during play. This chess set includes a beautiful mahogany chess box lined with green baize and with the traditional Staunton Label attached to the inside, as has been the tradition for over a hundred years. This is a limited edition reproduction so take this opportunity to own a piece of chess history and play with same Staunton model Fischer and Spassky battled with.

History of Jaques of London Chess Sets
No other company has influenced chess set design and the popularity of the game the way Jaques of London has. Prior to the mid 19th century there were only of two types of chess sets - very elaborate and costly hand-carved reproductions of the Kings court, or crudely turned and carved pieces that were identified mainly by their height. In the 1840s, a new chess set design would be introduced that would change the game forever. Nathaniel Cooke, proprietor of the Illustrated London News, presented John Jaques a new and elegant design for chessmen. The new design used symbols and features that would make pieces easy to recognize and much easier to reproduce. This new design was a hit with chess players, especially the knight's exquisite design based on sculptures from the famous Elgin Marbles. Howard Staunton, the first British chess World Champion, was so impressed with the new design that he agreed to have his name and signature put on every box of pieces. The Staunton chess set, as it became known, has become the standard for nearly all contemporary chess set design. No other company has contributed to the game of chess the way Jaques of London has with millions of Staunton chess sets played with every day in every country around the world.