The Piece

A wonderfully graphic mid-century chess set, complete with its original russet-orange case, molded two-tone pieces, and period instruction ephemera. The case is embossed “Tournament Chessmen” and fitted with a brass-tone knight medallion at center, giving the whole piece a handsome, tailored presence that feels equal parts library game table and gentleman’s travel kit.

What makes this set especially appealing is the full presentation. You are not simply buying loose chessmen. You are buying the object as it was meant to be encountered: the fitted case, the black and ivory pieces, the printed Tournament Chess Men insert, and the companion Gallant Knight advertising card still tucked inside. It has that rare, complete look collectors and decorators are always chasing.

Visually, it lands somewhere between utility and style. The pieces follow a classic Staunton-inspired form, but the warm case and glossy high-contrast pieces give it far more personality than a standard later plastic set. It reads beautifully on a cocktail table, in a study, on open shelving, or layered into a masculine interior with books, leather, and brass.

History & Provenance

The paper insert shown in your photos is dated 1945 and identifies the set as “Tournament Chess Men” by E. S. Lowe Co., Inc. The interior card in your photos also references Gallant Knight Co. of Lodi, New Jersey, suggesting this example was sold or distributed under the Gallant Knight name while using E. S. Lowe-branded tournament materials, which fits the kind of mid-century game manufacturing and private-label distribution common in the period. The surviving game-trade references also place Gallant Knight Co. in the chess market by the late 1940s.

E. S. Lowe is best remembered as an American game company associated with accessible, mass-market tabletop games in the mid-20th century, and period secondary-market references still show surviving chess sets from this 1945 line.

Based on the dated insert, original case construction, typography, and surviving materials present here, this set is best cataloged as circa 1945, American.

Design & Construction

The set includes molded chessmen in contrasting black and cream, housed in a fitted red-orange leatherette or composition case with a wood-grain interior tray. The lid is embossed with geometric paneling and mounted with a central knight emblem, which gives the case a much more decorative look than later purely utilitarian storage boxes.

That exterior is part of the charm. It is not shy. It has presence. Closed, it displays as a sculptural object. Opened, it becomes a full vignette.

Product Details

Why It Belongs in Your Home

Because it does more than sit there looking “vintage.” This one actually tells a story.

It brings instant atmosphere to a room without trying too hard. On a shelf, it adds structure and color. On a table, it invites interaction. In a study or den, it gives that collected, literate, quietly competitive mood people are forever trying to fake with new décor from big-box stores pretending to have a past.

This one actually has one.