{"id":890,"date":"2025-01-14T08:36:53","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T07:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/osebergvikingarv.no\/eng\/?p=890"},"modified":"2025-07-07T16:16:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T14:16:44","slug":"the-king-of-games-and-the-game-of-kings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osebergvikingarv.no\/eng\/2025\/01\/14\/the-king-of-games-and-the-game-of-kings\/","title":{"rendered":"The king of games and the game of kings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Not only is the world\u2019s best chess player from Norway, but the country is also home to some of Europe\u2019s oldest and most exquisite chess pieces. Chess has been played in Norway for over 1,000 years.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Eivind Luthen<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Norwegian
Norwegian Magnus Carlsen is a strong contender for the title of “the greatest chess player of all time.” (Photo: The New Yorker)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While the Vikings clashed on real-life battlefields, kings and queens, warriors, and pawns also faced off on chessboards. Chess originated in China and was adopted by the Arabs in the 7th century. From there, the game quickly spread to the courts of European rulers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chess pieces were often carved from walrus ivory, which was also used for jewelry, crucifixes, reliquaries, and decorative figurines. The first known mention of Norwegian exports of walrus ivory dates to 890, during the merchant Othere’s visit to Alfred the Great in the English kingdom of Wessex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The famous Lewis Chessmen were likely crafted in Trondheim in the 12th century and consisted of nearly four complete sets. The pieces were probably lost in a shipwreck or raid around 1150. At the time, the Hebrides were under Norwegian rule. The chessmen were discovered in a hollow on a sandbank and included kings, queens, bishops, fierce warriors, and knights\u2014all intricately carved with detailed clothing and jewelry. Today, they are on display at the British Museum and are considered among the finest artifacts from the Nordic Middle Ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"The
The Tj\u00f8me King is a “relative” of the Lewis Chessmen and now stands at our Viking Shipyard in T\u00f8nsberg. At the same location, we sell beautiful replicas of the famous pieces found in the Hebrides. (Photo: Willy Fredriksen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\"The
The Tj\u00f8me King is a “relative” of the Lewis Chessmen and now stands at our Viking Shipyard in T\u00f8nsberg. At the same location, we sell beautiful replicas of the famous pieces found in the Hebrides. (Photo: Willy Fredriksen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Norway, chess pieces from the Viking Age and the Middle Ages have also been discovered. A wooden \u201crelative\u201d of the Lewis Chessmen was found on the island of Tj\u00f8me near T\u00f8nsberg and, based on the circumstances of the find, was likely used by boatbuilders. A one-meter-tall replica now stands at our Viking Shipyard and is called the Tj\u00f8me King. Another sculpture inspired by a chess piece stands on the island of Hitra, not far from Trondheim. Naturally, it is called the Hitra King.Chess is one of the world\u2019s most popular games, with an estimated 650 million players worldwide. The classical game of chess holds a unique appeal that few other activities can match\u2014it\u2019s a blend of science and combat, aesthetics and art. For a long time, chess was considered a minor activity in Norway. That changed with Magnus Carlsen. Today, Norway is a chess powerhouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\"en_GB\"\/<\/a>\n\n\n

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