The Staunton chess set: the story of the pieces that became the standard
Contents · 8 sections
A Staunton chess set is the design of chess pieces that everyone recognises: a king with a cross, a crowned queen, a bishop with a split mitre, a horse-head knight. Its design was registered in London on 1 March 1849, made by the firm of Jaques and named after the English champion Howard Staunton. More than 175 years later, it's the style recommended by FIDE for competition pieces.
This guide tells how the design took over, and how to recognise a good Staunton set today. All our models are brought together in our Staunton chess pieces.
- The design was registered on 1 March 1849 in the name of Nathaniel Cooke, then made and sold by John Jaques of London.
- Howard Staunton, the best player in the world at the time, lent it his name and his signature.
- Before it, each country had its own pieces, often hard to tell apart.
- The FIDE standards in force recommend the Staunton style for pieces.
The six pieces of a Staunton set
The genius of the Staunton comes down to one idea: each piece has a unique silhouette, readable at a glance and from any angle. The heights below are the ones FIDE uses for a competition set.
| Piece | What sets it apart | FIDE height |
|---|---|---|
| King | the tallest, a crown topped with a cross | 95 mm |
| Queen | a pointed crown topped with a small ball | 85 mm |
| Bishop | a bishop's mitre with a slanted cut | 70 mm |
| Knight | carved horse's head and neck | 60 mm |
| Rook | a crenellated tower, like a castle keep | 55 mm |
| Pawn | the smallest, a simple ball on a collar | 50 mm |
Swipe the table to see all columns.
All the pieces share a wide, weighted, felted base, and a collar that separates the body from the head. To match these pieces to a board, our guide to chess board sizes gives the rule for squares.
Before 1849: pieces that changed from one country to another
At the beginning of the 19th century, there was no standard set. The French played with Régence-style pieces, named after the Café de la Régence in Paris. The English used highly decorated designs such as the "Barleycorn" or the "St George". Other styles came from Central Europe.
The problem was a practical one: on some designs, the bishop and the pawn looked alike, as did the queen and the king, and tall, thin pieces fell over easily. Two players from different countries sometimes had to learn each other's pieces before they could play.
1849: the birth of the Staunton
On 1 March 1849, a design for a chess set was registered in London in the name of Nathaniel Cooke, under an 1842 act on ornamental designs. His exact role in its creation is still debated: the design probably borrows from existing models, which it simplifies and harmonises.
The manufacturer John Jaques, a turner and games dealer in London, obtained the right to produce it and began selling it in the autumn of 1849. The pieces were turned in boxwood and ebony, the traditional woods of fine sets.
It still had to be made known. Howard Staunton was then regarded as the best player in the world, and he wrote a chess column in the Illustrated London News, a paper of which Cooke was one of the publishers. Staunton recommended the set, which took his name. The first boxes were signed and numbered by his own hand, then bore a facsimile of his signature.
Shapes inspired by Antiquity
London at the time loved neoclassical architecture, inspired by Greece and Rome. That spirit shows in the simplicity of the pieces. According to an often-quoted theory, the knight's head was inspired by the carved horses of the Parthenon Marbles, on display at the British Museum.
How the Staunton became the standard
Readable, stable and simpler to turn than decorated designs, the Staunton spread through British clubs and then around the world. Today the name refers to a style, not a brand: any manufacturer can make Staunton pieces.
FIDE's equipment standards, in force since 1 March 2026, recommend that pieces be Staunton style, made of wood, plastic or a material that imitates them. It's a recommendation, not an obligation, but it's the design you'll find on every tournament table.
How to recognise a good Staunton set today
- Clean silhouettes. You should be able to tell the bishop from the pawn and the queen from the king without hesitating, even from a distance.
- The right proportions. The king is about twice the height of the pawn, and the base of each piece is 40 to 50% of its height.
- A weighted, felted base. A heavy piece sits better on its square and can be put down quietly.
- A well-made knight. It's the hardest piece to carve: on a cheap set, it's the one that gives away the quality.
- Two extra queens. Good sets provide one of each colour for pawn promotions.
On old Jaques sets, a small crown is stamped on the king's rook and king's knight. It's a sign of a period set, useful if you're hunting for an antique Staunton.
Variants of the Staunton
The style has given rise to many variants, which keep the overall silhouette but change the details: a bulkier "German" knight, more slender pieces, a bishop with a deeper cut. They're all still Staunton style and can be played at a club without any problem.
Our Staunton pick
A classic set of 32 Staunton pieces, wood-look weighted pieces in tournament size, and a complete wooden set ready to play.
Sources: Wikipedia, Staunton chess set; Chess Antiques, Jaques Staunton chess pieces; FIDE Handbook, 2026 equipment standards.
