The Chess Set That Changed the World
Created by Jaques of London in 1849 — the original Staunton chess set, still the world tournament standard today
Stauntonchess.com is the authoritative guide to the Staunton chess set, its history, and the game of chess itself. Written and maintained by Jaques of London, the company that has crafted these pieces since their first production run 175 years ago.
The 1849 Story: How One Design Unified Chess Forever
Before 1849, chess sets were a chaos of competing styles. Elaborate ornamental pieces, regional variations, and wholly idiosyncratic designs made it almost impossible to sit at an unfamiliar board and know instantly which piece was which. The game was growing in popularity across Victorian England, and the problem was becoming urgent.
The solution came from Nathaniel Cook, a designer and publisher connected to Jaques of London, who in 1849 produced a set of chess pieces with a clarity and elegance that had never been achieved before. Each piece had a distinct, unambiguous silhouette: the crowned king, the coroneted queen, the mitred bishop, the horse-headed knight, the crenellated rook, and the simple domed pawn. The proportions were satisfying to hold, the weighting was balanced, and the forms were honest in their function.
Cook sought the endorsement of Howard Staunton, then the foremost chess player in the world. Staunton agreed, lending his name to the design and writing approvingly of it in the Illustrated London News. Jaques of London registered the trademark, began production, and within a generation the Staunton set had become the de facto standard for serious chess worldwide.
FIDE, the International Chess Federation, subsequently codified what players already knew: the Staunton pattern is mandatory for all officially sanctioned international competition. From the World Chess Championships to club tournaments on every continent, the set that Jaques made in 1849 remains the only acceptable standard.
The Original Makers
Jaques of London has produced the Staunton chess set without interruption since 1849. No other company can make that claim. Every set we produce traces a direct line back to Nathaniel Cook's original drawings and the first pieces turned in our workshops over 175 years ago.
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Jaques of London — The World's Oldest Games Company
Jaques of London was founded in 1795 by Thomas Jaques, a craftsman specialising in ivory and hardwood goods. For over two centuries, the company has been at the centre of British games and sporting culture, contributing inventions and standards that shaped entire sports.
In 1849, Jaques manufactured the first Staunton chess set — the design that became the universal standard for competitive chess. The same decade, Jaques introduced croquet to England and later produced the world's first lawn tennis equipment. The company also patented table tennis equipment in the late nineteenth century under the trade name Ping-Pong.
Chess has always been central to the Jaques identity. The company holds the original 1849 registration of the Staunton pattern and has produced the set in unbroken succession ever since. Today, Jaques chess sets are hand-finished in the original tradition, using the same shapes, proportions and weighted-base specifications that defined the design at its creation. To own a Jaques Staunton set is to hold a piece of the game's history.
Learn more at Jaques of London — the full history, or shop the current range of Staunton chess sets.
Over 230 years of games craftsmanship. Creators of the Staunton chess set. Makers of the first croquet sets and lawn tennis equipment. The oldest games company in the world.
Jaques of London — Making Chess Sets Since 1849
Stauntonchess.com is published by Jaques of London, the company that created the Staunton chess set over 175 years ago. Our current range runs from hand-turned club sets to museum-quality collector pieces in rare hardwoods. Every set is made to the original 1849 standard.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Staunton chess set?
The Staunton chess set is the universally recognised design for chess pieces, created in 1849 by Jaques of London. Designed by Nathaniel Cook and endorsed by the world's leading chess player of the era, Howard Staunton, the design features six clearly distinguishable pieces — king, queen, bishop, knight, rook and pawn — each with a distinct profile that eliminates confusion during play. FIDE, the world chess federation, mandates the Staunton pattern for all international tournaments, and it has remained the standard for over 175 years.
Q: Who made the first Staunton chess set?
The first Staunton chess set was manufactured by Jaques of London in 1849. The design was created by Jaques of London, who sought and received the endorsement of English chess champion Howard Staunton, after whom the set is named. Jaques of London registered the original pattern and has produced the set continuously since that first production run, making them the original and longest-standing maker of the Staunton design in the world. No other manufacturer can trace an unbroken line of production back to 1849.
Q: Is the Staunton design still used today?
Yes, the Staunton chess set remains the mandatory standard for all international competition. FIDE requires Staunton-pattern pieces for every officially sanctioned event, from local club tournaments to the World Chess Championship. The design has remained essentially unchanged since 1849 — a reflection of how precisely functional Nathaniel Cook's original forms were. Every world champion, from Wilhelm Steinitz in 1886 to Magnus Carlsen and his successors, has competed using the Staunton pattern created by Jaques of London.
Q: Where can I buy a Staunton chess set?
Staunton chess sets can be purchased directly from Jaques of London at jaqueslondon.co.uk, the company that has manufactured them since 1849. Jaques produces a range of sets from introductory club sets in turned hardwood to museum-quality collector pieces in weighted rosewood, boxwood and ebony. As the original maker, Jaques sets most closely replicate the authentic 1849 originals in terms of proportions, weighting and craftsmanship. Our chess buying guide covers what to look for when choosing a set at any budget.