Grandmaster Colin McNab in Lewis Chessmen challenge

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011

Hi everyone,

Grandmaster Dr Colin McNab, according to the BBC, is challenging players on the Western Isles to take him on in a chess tournament celebrating the Lewis Chessmen!

Thirty of the 12th Century chess pieces found on Lewis in 1831 are on public display on the island. Eventually 90 pieces were found beneath a sand dune near Uig. Dr McNab is a Scottish chess champion and is holding the event at Lanntair Art Gallery this Saturday. Try to be there and have fun.

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From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com

Remembering the Lewis Chessmen

Rooks in the Lewis Chess Set

Hello Everyone,

Some time back we had blogged about the Lewis Chessmen. Remember? You can read it here.

We just found a great article with detailed insight into the history of this amazing chess set.

This illustrated article states that "In 1831, in Edinburgh, Scotland, a collection of chessmen found on the Isle of Lewis was displayed for the first time. These 12th century handcrafted pieces made from walrus tusks and whale teeth have since become iconic examples of our lasting love for wargames. Their origins, however, is one of theory and controversy."

"Most agree that the Lewis chessmen are works of art and that the carvers who made them were master artisans. Foreign scholars have been of the opinion that the courts of royalty and the bishopric were the principal cultural centres where crafts and the arts could flourish enough to generate such refined pieces."

You can read the full article at www.chessbase.com and enjoy some great photos taken from the British Museum plus one photo of the Harry Potter movie scene with the Lewis Chessmen.

The article also has links to superb articles on the Internet written about the Lewis Chessmen. A must read for all chess lovers.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com