These sets stands out not just for their design but for their historical context and the collaborative efforts of numerous enthusiasts who’ve pieced together its story. I owe much of my understanding to the insights of Mick Deasey, Jack Cutler, Bram Ueffing, Walter Biensur, Alan Buschmann, Chuck Grau, and others who have shared their knowledge about this remarkable artifact. If I have forgotten any names, or left out any details, please excuse my ignorance and shallow memory. I hope someone will correct me if any of this is wrong or slightly incorrect. I tried my best to gather as much evidence and feedback from these great chess stewards!

These Jaques chess set from circa 1890–1940’s, known as the “Superior Pattern / Cheaper Line” Staunton Chessmen, is a fascinating piece of chess history. Marketed by Jaques of London between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries (approximately 1890–1940), and most likely crafted by ‘Ernest Vincent‘ of the Pichon-Vincent Company (Vincent was commissioned personally through Jaques between 1890-1914 for these chess sets which made these sets represent a unique chapter in the company’s offerings).

Interestingly, prior to 1890, Jaques’ catalogues did not include foreign-made sets, making these French-manufactured pieces a notable exception.

Identified as sets #5031-5036 (loaded) & #5061-5066 (not loaded) in Jaques’ 1937 catalogue, these chessmen were crafted from stained and polished boxwood, with a distinctive French half-dovetail manufacturing technique. While they mirror the iconic Staunton design in their general shape and style, the craftsmanship and materials are notably of lower quality compared to traditional Jaques Staunton sets. This is consistent with their purpose: they were created for durability and affordability, targeting environments like restaurants or boys’ clubs where functionality and adherence to the Staunton aesthetic were prioritized over high-end quality.

Also, in 1904 the Cambridge Springs Chess Tournament in the USA (Cambridge PA.), demanded that the Knight heads of the American Chess Company (ACC) chess sets be replaced by these cheaper Jaques knight heads (Superior Pattern “loaded w/pads” #5036’s “No.6” /Cheaper Line “not loaded w/o pads” #5066’s “No.6”).

These sets are still a mystery and need more facts to surface in order to understand their origins better.