info
Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Chess in a Can
22 views
Skip to first unread message
Quadibloc
Jul 21, 2022, 11:46:52 PM7/21/22
to
I was at a "discount superstore" recently. Browsing the aisles, I saw they were sold out of some all-plastic playing cards that I liked for their durability...
but they had, for five dollars, a chess set in a container styled to look like a soft drink can. The modern kind, that was inspired by the fuel tanks of the Atlas missile.
It contains a small cloth chess board with, of course, printed squares.
But what surprised me pleasantly enough to buy it... was that the chess pieces included were not plastic ones, but wooden ones.
They were very simple in shape. Not only was the knight not sculpted, but also omitted were the crenellations of the Rook, and the diagonal cut to imply the Bishop's mitre. So everything but the Knight is strictly lathe-turned, and the Knight is as simple as can be.
But at that price, one can't complain.
John Savard
but they had, for five dollars, a chess set in a container styled to look like a soft drink can. The modern kind, that was inspired by the fuel tanks of the Atlas missile.
It contains a small cloth chess board with, of course, printed squares.
But what surprised me pleasantly enough to buy it... was that the chess pieces included were not plastic ones, but wooden ones.
They were very simple in shape. Not only was the knight not sculpted, but also omitted were the crenellations of the Rook, and the diagonal cut to imply the Bishop's mitre. So everything but the Knight is strictly lathe-turned, and the Knight is as simple as can be.
But at that price, one can't complain.
John Savard
Phil Innes
Dec 14, 2022, 3:01:27 PM12/14/22
to
I read somewhere that the cost of machine-sculpting the knight was equal to the cost of sculpting all the the other pieces. Doubtless a small exaggeration, though maybe close to the truth for wood.
It is difficult to obtain non-turned pieces in wood, and entire sets can cost some 400+ bucks or so.
Cordially, Jekyll
It is difficult to obtain non-turned pieces in wood, and entire sets can cost some 400+ bucks or so.
Cordially, Jekyll
William Hyde
Dec 14, 2022, 3:39:06 PM12/14/22
to
On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 3:01:27 PM UTC-5, Phil Innes wrote:
> I read somewhere that the cost of machine-sculpting the knight was equal to the cost of sculpting all the the other pieces. Doubtless a small exaggeration, though maybe close to the truth for wood.
>
> It is difficult to obtain non-turned pieces in wood, and entire sets can cost some 400+ bucks or so.
Good to see you're still about, Phil, even in the wasteland rgcm has become.
> I read somewhere that the cost of machine-sculpting the knight was equal to the cost of sculpting all the the other pieces. Doubtless a small exaggeration, though maybe close to the truth for wood.
>
> It is difficult to obtain non-turned pieces in wood, and entire sets can cost some 400+ bucks or so.
I learned chess using a St. George set. Not sure that's even legal in tournaments nowadays.
William Hyde
Eli Kesef
Dec 14, 2022, 4:14:29 PM12/14/22
to
Eli Kesef
Dec 14, 2022, 4:18:58 PM12/14/22
to
On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 10:01:27 PM UTC+2, Phil Innes wrote:
> I read somewhere that the cost of machine-sculpting the knight was equal to the cost of sculpting all the the other pieces. Doubtless a small exaggeration, though maybe close to the truth for wood.
>
> It is difficult to obtain non-turned pieces in wood, and entire sets can cost some 400+ bucks or so.
Bs"d
> I read somewhere that the cost of machine-sculpting the knight was equal to the cost of sculpting all the the other pieces. Doubtless a small exaggeration, though maybe close to the truth for wood.
>
> It is difficult to obtain non-turned pieces in wood, and entire sets can cost some 400+ bucks or so.
Luckily the turned pieces look better. And are a lot cheaper.
Of course the horse is unturnable, but for that we have CNC machines.
https://tinyurl.com/mighty-pin
Eli Kesef
Dec 14, 2022, 4:25:30 PM12/14/22
to
On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 10:39:06 PM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 3:01:27 PM UTC-5, Phil Innes wrote:
> > I read somewhere that the cost of machine-sculpting the knight was equal to the cost of sculpting all the the other pieces. Doubtless a small exaggeration, though maybe close to the truth for wood.
> >
> > It is difficult to obtain non-turned pieces in wood, and entire sets can cost some 400+ bucks or so.
> Good to see you're still about, Phil, even in the wasteland rgcm has become.
Bs"d
> On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 3:01:27 PM UTC-5, Phil Innes wrote:
> > I read somewhere that the cost of machine-sculpting the knight was equal to the cost of sculpting all the the other pieces. Doubtless a small exaggeration, though maybe close to the truth for wood.
> >
> > It is difficult to obtain non-turned pieces in wood, and entire sets can cost some 400+ bucks or so.
> Good to see you're still about, Phil, even in the wasteland rgcm has become.
But at least we know now what to do with diabetic feet, and that is also important.
> I learned chess using a St. George set.
https://tinyurl.com/Short-kill
Quadibloc
Dec 16, 2022, 9:21:07 AM12/16/22
to
On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 1:39:06 PM UTC-7, William Hyde wrote:
> I learned chess using a St. George set. Not sure that's even legal in tournaments nowadays.
I'm fairly sure it isn't, as it's sufficiently far from Staunton as to impose difficulties
> I learned chess using a St. George set. Not sure that's even legal in tournaments nowadays.
in piece recognition.
The St. George pattern, though, was light-years ahead of the Regence pattern,
in which the Pawn, the Bishop, and the Queen were basically only distinguished
by their height.
In both the Regence and St. George patterns, though, the Knight had a
horse's head, and thus could not just be turned on a lathe.
At least, in the St. George pattern, the Bishop was now distinctive, as it
had a mitre. It, too, could not be turned on a lathe, although it was easier
to make than a Knight.
In my opinion, while the Edinburgh Upright pattern resembles the
Staunton pattern in the plainness of its stems, as far as what distinguishes
the pieces from each other, it's clearly just a trivial variant of the St. George
pattern - just like Barleycorn pieces, if in the opposite direction.
If one wants to find a pattern that anticipated the Staunton pattern by making
the Queen distinctive in the manner we are familiar with today, it is the pattern
used in the Grand Cigar Divan of Simpson's on the Strand (dating from 1828,
hence pre-dating Staunton by 21 years) that should be the one recognized.
John Savard
0 new messages