Staunton Pattern

The name honours Howard Staunton (1810-1874), the leading English player of the 1840s, who endorsed and promoted the design rather than creating it. The design is credited on the registration to the English journalist Nathaniel Cooke of 198 Strand, London, and was registered on 1 March 1849 under the Ornamental Designs Act of 1842 under the title Ornamental Design for a set of Chess-Men. The sets were manufactured and first made available by John Jaques of London, of Hatton Garden, with a promotional notice appearing in the Illustrated London News of 8 September 1849 and public availability from 29 September 1849. The first five hundred sets were numbered and hand-signed by Staunton himself, which cemented the association of his name with the pattern. FIDE recommends the Staunton style for competition play.

First documented: 1849 — Design registration of 1 March 1849 under the Ornamental Designs Act 1842, Ornamental Design for a set of Chess-Men; promotional notice in the Illustrated London News, 8 September 1849