Have you ever fancied playing Wizard’s Chess, just like Harry and Ron in The Philosopher’s Stone?
Well, Potterheads can raise their wands in delight. You can now recreate the famous chess scene at home with the new Wizard’s Edition Chess Set.
(Oh, and these pieces DON’T come alive and smash each other into bits…)
In an iconic scene from the first Harry Potter film, The Philosopher’s Stone, Hermione enters the Great Hall at Hogwarts to find Harry and Ron Weasley settling in for a ‘barbaric’ game of Wizard’s Chess.
Aside from the pieces moving hands-free and clobbering each other with chairs, the fictional game looks a lot like regular chess and aficionados will recognise the chessmen as the medieval, and appropriately mysterious, Isle of Lewis pieces.
If you’d like a reminder of the scene, you can watch it here.
The great news for chess-loving Potterheads is that you can own a chess set that’s virtually identical to the one played by Harry and Ron – albeit completely inanimate!
The Isle of Lewis Chess Set Wizard’s Edition – THE Harry Potter Chess Set
The Isle of Lewis Chess Set (Wizard’s Edition) should look familiar to Harry Potter fans as it’s almost identical to the set seen in The Philosopher’s Stone.
We’ve been asked about the ‘Harry Potter Chess Set’ more times than you can shake a wand at. So, after studying the scene we noticed that the chess pieces are the spitting image of our limited edition, red and cream Isle of Lewis chessmen.
The Isle of Lewis chess pieces might not be as recognisable as the world’s-standard Staunton, but their fascinating history – and mystery – make them the perfect choice for Wizard’s Chess.
The original Lewis chessmen were discovered at Uig Bay, on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, in 1831. Most historians believe the chess pieces, carved from walrus ivory and whale tooth, were made in Trondheim, the medieval capital of Norway, in the 12th century.
Given their fascinating origin and links to the middle ages, the Isle of Lewis chess pieces certainly look at home in the Great Hall at Hogwarts.
The pieces in The Isle of Lewis Chess Set (Wizard’s Edition) have been made in England to the exact specifications of the original artefacts – and their cardinal and ivory colouring make them a perfect match for Harry and Ron’s set.
For the board, we’ve chosen the beautiful, Italian-crafted black and cream leather board. The size, style and colour make this board identical to the one seen in The Philosopher’s Stone with the only difference being the lack of gold edging – oh, and the decades of wear by the hands of generations of Weasleys!
We believe that The Isle of Lewis Chess Set (Wizard’s Edition) is the closest Harry Potter fans can get to a game of Wizard’s Chess – and, with its elegant presentation box, it makes a magical gift to the Potterhead in your life.
What in Merlin’s beard is Wizard’s Chess anyway?
The game Harry and Ron are playing in the Great Hall looks like any other game of ‘muggle’ chess – except for the pieces being animated and violently attacking their opponents.
We can’t expect anything less from a world that introduced us to invisibility cloaks and extendable ears!
The pieces move under the command of the player, e.g., King to C7, and the pieces seem to be somewhat sentient, as can be seen when one of Seamus Finnigan’s chess pieces advises Harry.
Buy your Harry Potter Chess Set with confidence
The Regency Chess Company is delighted to finally be able to offer The Isle of Lewis Chess Set (Wizard’s Edition) to Harry Potter fans.
Beautifully crafted in England (the pieces) and Italy (the board), you can expect the superior quality and exquisite attention to detail that separates our chess sets from others on the market.
Rest assured that your chess set will be packaged well and dispatched quickly so your set will arrive in flawless condition without you having to wait long.
We know you can’t wait to play Wizard’s Chess!
