Prison camp chess sets
by Thomas Thomsen
(lecture at the German CCI meeting Nov. 3 - 6 of 2016 in Altenburg Germany)
At various times and in the most diverse circumstances, chess has served imprisoned men as a consolation, as a means to while away the time, to engage in mental gynmnastics, to help from going around the bend. When You are in jail, with uncertain prospects, You have time - time to play, but for playing - You need chess pieces. Under severe controls, with limited materials and tools, jailbirds have often shown great resourcefulness in order to come up with chess sets. Most of these chess sets are very simple and rough, as they served for playing - they had to be small so they could be hidden easily. In other cases, where the regime was more open, POW's have produced little works of art, in some cases even making chess sets for their prison warders. In one US POW camp, some SS men made a bit on the side by carving chess sets for the guards - but the condition was that each set - had to be marked with SS runes!
French prisoners of war during the Napoleonic wars
The earliest chess sets from behind the bars were produced by french sailors - with the british controlling the seas and capturing relentlessly one french ship after the other, a lot of french were taken prisoner which the british proceeded to stow onto prison ships - so-called hulks, ships which were too old or too damaged to repair, but which still could float at anchor. On these hulks, life for the french salts must have been very uncomfortable through all those years, food was definitely not up to french standards, although the bread maggots and the ship rats must have enlivened the menu.... . Many of these sailors were very adept with a knife, and produced highly elaborate scrimshaw miracles - some of these were chess sets as well, but the most procured pieces were card games and various boxes, combs etc. - and detailed ship models, minutely cut and carved in whale or cattle bone.
The earliest chess sets from behind the bars were produced by french sailors - with the british controlling the seas and capturing relentlessly one french ship after the other, a lot of french were taken prisoner which the british proceeded to stow onto prison ships - so-called hulks, ships which were too old or too damaged to repair, but which still could float at anchor. On these hulks, life for the french salts must have been very uncomfortable through all those years, food was definitely not up to french standards, although the bread maggots and the ship rats must have enlivened the menu.... . Many of these sailors were very adept with a knife, and produced highly elaborate scrimshaw miracles - some of these were chess sets as well, but the most procured pieces were card games and various boxes, combs etc. - and detailed ship models, minutely cut and carved in whale or cattle bone.
World War I
The soldiers in the static trench war at the western front in WW I also were prisoners - of circumstances, the narrow trenches and the tunnels and dugouts. During some of the pauses, chess was a popular sport - some soldiers had chess sets along, others made them out of the materials at hand - wood, cartridge shells and bullets etc. And at the end of the war, many german soldiers were marched off into camps, for example to Siberia, some of them spent several years there. Chess was one of their concerns, and making chess sets something between a hobby and a much procured service for others, including the guards! In general, the "trench" sets are more elaborate, because the craftsmen had better and more varied material at hand, and possibly more leisure during the combat pauses...
The soldiers in the static trench war at the western front in WW I also were prisoners - of circumstances, the narrow trenches and the tunnels and dugouts. During some of the pauses, chess was a popular sport - some soldiers had chess sets along, others made them out of the materials at hand - wood, cartridge shells and bullets etc. And at the end of the war, many german soldiers were marched off into camps, for example to Siberia, some of them spent several years there. Chess was one of their concerns, and making chess sets something between a hobby and a much procured service for others, including the guards! In general, the "trench" sets are more elaborate, because the craftsmen had better and more varied material at hand, and possibly more leisure during the combat pauses...
Standard Form
The majority of chess sets in POW camps or prisons conform to a standard pattern - they are fashioned from quadrangular slats of wood, which were readily "organized" from roofs, parts of chairs, furniture, fences or carpentry leftovers. Most are abstract, with a horse head denoting the knight, but figurative sets occur, mainly in bust form which are easier to play. Sections of rectangular stakes are often only minimally carved in order to produce recognizeable pieces, - the knights usually with a horse head, the rooks with crenellations, or brickwork, king, queen and bishops in the "Selenus" pattern, with one, two or three or more parapets or collars to distinguish the piece. Even simpler sets maintain the rectangular form, but only mount a cross, a crown or a simple crenellation on top of the figures. Pieces are usually small, boards were improvised from wood boards, cloth or paper....this stereotype form also applies to the later sets from WW II - very little changes...but some of the sets have been touched up after the war when they were brought home as memento of the camps! This means that it sometimes is a bit of a guessing game to determine whether a set dates from the First or the Second World War!
The majority of chess sets in POW camps or prisons conform to a standard pattern - they are fashioned from quadrangular slats of wood, which were readily "organized" from roofs, parts of chairs, furniture, fences or carpentry leftovers. Most are abstract, with a horse head denoting the knight, but figurative sets occur, mainly in bust form which are easier to play. Sections of rectangular stakes are often only minimally carved in order to produce recognizeable pieces, - the knights usually with a horse head, the rooks with crenellations, or brickwork, king, queen and bishops in the "Selenus" pattern, with one, two or three or more parapets or collars to distinguish the piece. Even simpler sets maintain the rectangular form, but only mount a cross, a crown or a simple crenellation on top of the figures. Pieces are usually small, boards were improvised from wood boards, cloth or paper....this stereotype form also applies to the later sets from WW II - very little changes...but some of the sets have been touched up after the war when they were brought home as memento of the camps! This means that it sometimes is a bit of a guessing game to determine whether a set dates from the First or the Second World War!
Boards
Chess boards are the most likely place to find inscriptions - mainly recalling the date and place where the game was made. In general we have wooden boards, but rollup cloths and even metal sheets were "drafted" - the inmates used what they literally could lay their hands on - often at considerable risk of being caught by the guards...
Chess boards are the most likely place to find inscriptions - mainly recalling the date and place where the game was made. In general we have wooden boards, but rollup cloths and even metal sheets were "drafted" - the inmates used what they literally could lay their hands on - often at considerable risk of being caught by the guards...
Concentration camps & the Gulag
Chess was fairly important in the concentration camps - both as an activity, as well as craft. Much the same goes for the many Nazi prisons - in some cases prisoners even fashioned minute chess sets from the daily bred ration - in small size, so they could be swallowed quickly in case of a cell search.
As for the Gulag, chess obviously was widely practiced in the camps, and many chess set were whittled, often to sell to the guards or manage some kudos. Petra Korchnoi, widow of the chess grandmaster who died last year, was kidnapped by the Russians as a 19-year old student in Vienna, Austria, summarily condemned and sent off to Workuta camp, where she spent ten years workng. Chess was an important part of the camp routine, and Petra learnt to play a solid game there.
Chess was fairly important in the concentration camps - both as an activity, as well as craft. Much the same goes for the many Nazi prisons - in some cases prisoners even fashioned minute chess sets from the daily bred ration - in small size, so they could be swallowed quickly in case of a cell search.
As for the Gulag, chess obviously was widely practiced in the camps, and many chess set were whittled, often to sell to the guards or manage some kudos. Petra Korchnoi, widow of the chess grandmaster who died last year, was kidnapped by the Russians as a 19-year old student in Vienna, Austria, summarily condemned and sent off to Workuta camp, where she spent ten years workng. Chess was an important part of the camp routine, and Petra learnt to play a solid game there.
Bone sets & figurative sets
Some sets in the camps where laboriously made from bone - the cattle or horse bones which rolled around at the bottom of the soup cauldron! This material is very difficult to work without appropriate tools.. but where there is a will there is a way. Figurative sets where mainly fashioned to earn money, extra food rations, tobacco or other privileges. Some of them show a fairly solid background in styling , especially some sets by german POW's who hailed probably from the Erzgebirge hills, judging by the looks of the pieces.
Some sets in the camps where laboriously made from bone - the cattle or horse bones which rolled around at the bottom of the soup cauldron! This material is very difficult to work without appropriate tools.. but where there is a will there is a way. Figurative sets where mainly fashioned to earn money, extra food rations, tobacco or other privileges. Some of them show a fairly solid background in styling , especially some sets by german POW's who hailed probably from the Erzgebirge hills, judging by the looks of the pieces.
Odds & Ends
Let me finish with a few unassuming sets, which either demonstrate the talent of chess carvers in camps and prisons to improvise and vary, in accord with what ws possible by material and circumstances.
Let me finish with a few unassuming sets, which either demonstrate the talent of chess carvers in camps and prisons to improvise and vary, in accord with what ws possible by material and circumstances.
Prison and camp sets in perspective
Our random selection shows how resourceful makers of chess pieces acted in a constricted situation. These sets are , objectively speaking, not especially attractive or artful - how could they be? But just as obviously they are of great value because of the historical situation(s) in which they were created , and testify for the great consolation chess proved to jailed men, with uncertain or even threatening prsopects hanging over their heads. Chess was - and always will be - the magic carpet that took people away from their dire situation, permitted their minds to concentrate on a game, and ease their everyday routines. The fact there are still such a lot of these sets around proves also that they were highly prized by the owners, who brought the game home after their release from prison or the camps. These sets also teach us a lesson in terms of do it Yourself - and of what we are capable of when we are faced with a quandary.
(c)Thomas Thomsen 2016
Our random selection shows how resourceful makers of chess pieces acted in a constricted situation. These sets are , objectively speaking, not especially attractive or artful - how could they be? But just as obviously they are of great value because of the historical situation(s) in which they were created , and testify for the great consolation chess proved to jailed men, with uncertain or even threatening prsopects hanging over their heads. Chess was - and always will be - the magic carpet that took people away from their dire situation, permitted their minds to concentrate on a game, and ease their everyday routines. The fact there are still such a lot of these sets around proves also that they were highly prized by the owners, who brought the game home after their release from prison or the camps. These sets also teach us a lesson in terms of do it Yourself - and of what we are capable of when we are faced with a quandary.
(c)Thomas Thomsen 2016
