Blackburne Luxury Ebony Chess Men 4.5 inch

• Handcrafted from Ebony.
• Superb quality.
• Exquisite detailing.
• Imperious 4.5 inch King.
• Two additional queens.
• Perfectly weighted and felted bases.
• Best matched with a 23.6 inch board.

The Blackburne Ebony Chess Men are a welcome new addition to the comprehensive range here at The Regency Chess Company.

Expertly turned and carved by highly experienced craftsmen, the carving on these pieces is quite exquisite. The imperious King stands at a massive 4.5 inches, with each of the pieces being perfectly weighted and finished with billiard cloth bases.

These beautiful chess pieces are named after the famous Joseph Henry Blackburne, born in Manchester December 1841. Despite learning at the late age of 17 or 18, Joseph joined the Chess scene at the age of 20 losing to Manchester’s strongest player, Eduard Pindar in July 1861. Blackburne then went on to defeat Pindar the following month.

Later that year, Blackburne was introduced to blindfold chess and although Louis Paulsen beat him and others, Blackburne continued to not only play chess blindfolded but also with three players simultaneously. At the time, chess timekeeping was measured by hourglasses and it was Blackburne who suggested chess clocks.

He faired better in international tournaments where he was a regular high prize-winner. His best results were gained in Vienna in 1873 against Steinitz and he earned the nickname ‘The Black Death’. He died in September 1924 just before his 83rd birthday.

These stunning chess men deserve nothing less than a stunning battlefield and we would recommend a 23.6 inch board with 2.36 inch squares to accommodate these larger pieces.

This luxury set includes 4 queens