"Do you play?" "Try me."

March 3, 2009 1:22 PM

Was the chess set in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) a one-of-a-kind or a mass-produced set? What other details might you have on it?
posted by rush to media & arts (7 comments total)

No, the set you see in that scene is a pre-Staunton chess set, circa 19th century. They were very popular before the Staunton sets became the tournament standard. They are still produced today.
posted by cazoo at 1:35 PM on March 3

Antique chess gallery.
posted by cazoo at 1:41 PM on March 3

It looks a bit like this one, especially the knight.
posted by dersins at 1:41 PM on March 3

Didn't see an exact match, but many similar styles can be found on this page.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 2:46 PM on March 3

Cazoo's got it. These sets were one of the standards, pre-Staunton. Looks like a Selenus set.
posted by leotrotsky at 4:13 PM on March 3

Yes, pre-Staunton. House of Staunton sells chess sets, but they also have some photos of antique chess sets.
posted by paulg at 6:16 PM on March 3

Thanks for the help, everyone!
posted by rush at 10:10 AM on March 4