3 Review(s)

Chess theory moved at a snail's pace until the mid 18th century. In 1749, the French Master Francois-Andre Philidor stepped onto the scene with his book titled Analyse du jeu des Échecs. This book covered some new opening ideas (including the defense which still bears his name), and also contained Philidor's famous defense in rook and pawn endgames - an endgame technique that is still used today. Philidor's famous statement that "The pawns are the soul of chess" was first introduced to the world in this book. Chess continued to gain popularity throughout the world, and in the mid 19th century the standardization of chess sets occurred. Before the 1850s, chess sets weren't uniform at all. In 1849, Jaques of London (a manufacturer of games and toys) introduced a new style of pieces created by Nathaniel Cooke. These same pieces were endorsed by Howard Staunton, the strongest player of his time. This new style of pieces, known as the Staunton pattern, became instantly popular and were used in tournaments and clubs all over the world. The Staunton pieces, and minor variations of it, are still considered to be the standard for tournament chess sets.