Chess Museum

Many chess websites focus on the principles of the game and the tactics and strategies to help you win. Nicholas R. Lanier’s Chess Museum devotes itself to the pieces—from traditional Staunton style in ebony or boxwood to stone, porcelain, or plastic pieces. The scope of the museum is international—there are chess sets from the Philippines, Austria, Mexico, Germany, and Africa, with pages for special sets designed for travel or those made during World War II, when materials were scarce. Don’t miss the Russian and Soviet sets for their handsome designs, as well as the page on loading (weighting) chess pieces for its simple ingenuity.