Spanish vs. Indian Chess Sets

History

• The style that would become synonymous with Spanish Chess sets was first seen around 1700 in Europe, but did not originate in Spain. Its true origin is unknown. It wasn't until later that Mexican Chess set designers liked the style and coined the term Spanish Chess sets because they believed incorrectly that the style came from Spain. Indian Chess sets date back to 465 A.D.

Appearance

• The Indian set has more traditional Indian elements and art work, including a rook who rides an elephant. Spanish sets are more traditional and resemble many sets from France and other European countries, but with subtle native American undertones. The main aspects of a Spanish set are the wide stem of the king and the thin stem of the queen.

Names

• The Spanish Chess sets have the common names of the pieces such as king, queen, knight and rook, but Indian names are based on Indian equivalents. For example, king is raja, which is a direct translation. The queen is mantri, which translates to minister, and the rook is ratha, meaning chariot.