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3/27/2016 – TheCandidates tournament thisyear is taking place inMoscow. Nakamura,Anand, Caruana, Aronian,Svidler, Karjakin, Topalov

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Historic chess sets auctioned at Sotheby'sby Albert Silver

3/25/2016 – When discussing expensive chess sets, the reason for their premium value usually falls into two

categories: unusual materials and workmanship, or precious metals and gems. Next month, the famous auctionhouse Sotheby’s will be offering rare and old chess sets and pieces expecting to fetch top prices, such as ivory

pieces carved during the Samanid Empire more than 1,000 years ago!

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All images by Sotheby's

This remarkable private collection of early chess pieces is to go under the hammer next month is part of Sotheby’s

Arts of the Islamic World auction in London. The Islamic World auction is not purely about chess, but will contain

many extremely rare pieces, all of which come from the private collection of the late GM Lothar Schmid.

This important collection of early chess pieces reveals how the the origins of the game are

rooted in India and the Middle East. Each of these remarkable pieces carries huge significance

in its evolution, including an extremely rare, early and almost complete 10th-century set.

Born in 1928, Lothar Schmid was a German grandmaster whose chess career peaked in the late 60s and early 70s

with notable results such as second place in Bamberg in 1968 tied with Tigran Petrosian, the reigning world

champion, just behind Paul Keres the winner. In 1970 he won the international tournament in Mar del Plata.

Nevertheless, for most chess players familiar with his name, he is best known for his role as the chief arbiter of the

famous 1972 world championship match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in Reykjavik.

Perhaps less well-known to many is his fame and reputation among aficionados as an avid chess collector. He was

always picking up items throughout his travels as both a player and arbiter. “He visited book shops and antique

shops wherever he could,” said Wolfgang Schmid, one of his three children, to the Financial Times. “He was like a

little boy when he got home to show us.”

His interests extended to chess books and paraphernalia, and it was reputed that he owned the largest known

private chess library in the world, as well as a spectacular collection of chess art, chess boards and chess pieces

from around the globe.

The auction of early chess pieces is just a small part of the chess sets, books and memorabilia that Schmid

collected until he passed away in 2013. Among other things, he amassed a 50,000-volume library of chess books,

including some of the rarest chess texts dating back to 1497.

Wolfgang said that next month’s Sotheby’s event would probably be the first of several sales, including of his

father’s renowned library. “He was a collector,” Wolfgang said. “We are not.”

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Winning with the Double

Fianchetto: Nicholas Pert

provides deep insights

into this popular opening.

Geller-Karpov (1976): Let

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With famous classicalexamples from the works

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Books, boards, sets: Chess

Niggemann

The Arts of the Islamic World auction contains a large number of fascinating

items that extend far beyond chess, such as this large brass astrolabe , signed

by Diya' al-Dîn Muhammad al-Lahurî, India, dated 1658-59 AD. It is estimated

at least $250 thousand.

Among the rare pieces from the Schmid Collection is this Fatimid rock

crystal chess piece, Egypt, from the 11th century

Six chess and other gaming pieces from Egypt and Persia, 9th-12th century

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Three 'King' chess pieces from 9th-12th century Persia and Near East. A similar ivory king chess

piece, of tall form with a small stylised ‘tower’ section, attributed to Nishapur, 9th-12th century,

is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. At the time that the museum acquired these

pieces in 1940, they formed part of an excavation that had been found in Nishapur, and which

included alabaster pieces.

Two chess pieces, a 'Bishop' and a 'Rook', probably Nishapur, Persia, circa 12th century

Two chess pieces, a 'Bishop' and a 'Knight', probably Nishapur, Persia, circa 12th century. These

present good examples of the bishop and knight forms existing on chess sets in twelfth century

Persia. Chess pieces with a stylised, abstract design are characteristic of Muslim chess pieces,

these forms being copied later on in Europe, or attributed to Muslim craftsmen working on Europeancommissions. The two small protuberances on the Bishop would have originally been intended as

an elephant's tusks, whereas the Knight, with its stylised animal form, now resembling a mouse,

would most probably have represented a horse.


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A large Fatimid rock crystal chess piece from 11th century Egypt

Two large 'King' chess pieces, Persia and Near East, 9th-12th century

These two stone gaming pieces, from 9th-12th century Central or South Asia, are reminiscent of

the ‘stupa’, the emblematic Buddhist architectural form marking the skyline of South Asia. Whereas

early texts refer to stupa shrines being erected over the scattered remains of the Buddha, their

characteristic form has been re-interpreted and adapted on multiple architectural monuments. No

other known examples of this form are known in chess pieces, their attribution being a stylistic one.


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0 Twittear

Of all the chess items on sale, this is undoubtedly the 'pièce de résistance': A rare Samanid

part chess-set , Nishapur, 10th/11th century or earlier. Whereas individual chess pieces of

this form and from such an early period are known, complete chess sets are not. As highlighted

by Dr. Thomas Thomsen, President for the last twenty years of Chess Collectors International:

"In my forty years' experience, I am not aware of any other chess set from this period".

Initial estimates are at $40 thousand but it could easily fetch three or four times that much.

The Arts of Islamic World auction will take place at Sotheby's on April 20. More information can be foundhere.

Albert Silver

Born in the US, he grew up in Paris, France, where he completed his Baccalaureat, and after college

moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was champion of Rio de Janeiro with a peak rating of 2240, and was

a key designer of Chess Assistant 6. In 2010 he joined the ChessBase family as an editor and writer at

ChessBase News.

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Topics

Sotheby's, chess sets, chess pieces

See also

Chess sets for the rich and famous2/25/2015 – Chess is easily one of the games that seems to most inspire exotic and

artistic variations. It can range from the barest minimum, such as pieces of bread in

Stefan Zweig's classic novella, to opulence beyond your wildest dreams. Here are a few

of the most luxurious sets available, from the $2000 Ferrari set to the one-of-a-kind

Art of War set that costs a cool $1 million. [Discuss]

Handicraft: Piece by Peace Chess5/2/2014 – It's a two-man company: master artisan Mary Sutphen sculpts chess

pieces in wax, her son Robert uses rubber molds to cast them in different materials. In

addition Rob hand carves chess sets from alabaster and soapstone. Each piece is the

result of many hours of work, and full sets may take months to complete. Still the

prices are extremly reasonable. Take a look. [Discuss]

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I'd like to know what the oldest complete chess set is.

.

In any particular recent World Match Chess Championship competitions, such Anand - Gelfand,

how many different chess sets were used? I fear only one was used and reused for all games

(approx 12 games). Boo.Instead, let each game be played with a brand new set. Then auction off all 12 sets, complete with their

provenance (including tagging each rook as being either a- or h-column, each knight as b- or g-column etc.

Thereby make history, make money, and please more chess fans.

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