Theme chess pieces have a distinction all their own. Besides the decorative stone and marble chess sets which have distinguishing features, there are a variety of high quality theme chess pieces that have a distinction all their own. Themes can represent sports, animals, pets, culture, history, battles, and much more. There is a large variety of styles of chess pieces to choose from. Teaching material is abundant in the theme selections. It is very important to teach students the magic of thinking strategies and logical thinking.
Sports are a hot item because of the great emphasis put on sports, especially with the emphasis our society has on physical fitness. School age children are very interested in activity and learning chess with sports theme chess pieces like football, baseball, wrestling and even golf would be just as exciting as getting a trophy in the sport they really like.
Farm animals such as chickens and roosters and hunting animals such as bears and wildlife are good teaching tools and they encourage a fun game of chess. The farming lifestyle is still enjoyed by many cultures. The reasons for farming are very diverse and lead to independent thinking, which is logical thinking at its best and a great reason to play chess.
All combinations of pets influence the theme chess pieces, including dogs and cats. Not only can students learn about how to care for animals and pets, but they can develop a love for the animal world. Hands on teaching can occur naturally with theme chess sets.
Try the Dinosaur theme for effect. Teach history and fiction with these awesome creatures. Imaginations can go wild if guided in the right directions.
Cultural influence is portrayed in Oriental, Japanese, Chinese and Asian themed chess pieces. The closeness and working relationship with other cultures is more prevalent now than at any other time in history. Playing chess with several cultures is a great way to teach awareness, respect and cultural difference in a healthy manner.
Ancient history is represented in Roman, Greek, Egyptian, African, English and French chess pieces. Discussing the different beginnings of other cultures as well as their different battle plans, living styles and customs are only the beginning of the teaching possibilities.
Historical battles in the United States and Europe are fascinating chess themes. Think of all the relevant historical themes in history that many students consider boring or irrelevant to life today. When students understand history, their own lives take on new meanings. They will understand why our nations are the way they are and be able to make logical decisions regarding their own future. They will understand the significance of the United States history, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and all the wars that lead up to today. In playing chess, students can relive the logical thinking that lead to decisions in the wars and that lead to the developments of the lifestyles at that time.
Chess Piece Styles are as varied as the individual carvers and the countries they came from. The English style of Staunton is the most traditional and there are variations from different countries of that style. Many a war was influenced by chess games. Some of the most famous ones in different time periods include: the French Regency Chess set, Washington Chess Set, Germany Selenus Style Chess Set, Calvert English, St George Chess Set and English Barley Corn Chess Sets. Many theme chess pieces were made in chess clubs or they were made for the aristocracy. When chess pieces became affordable, there became chess players all over the world. Chess pieces were carved to play out any battle the carver would choose. The chess sets were used to tell the story of the battles and the styles of the chess playing pieces showed the character and sentiment toward the battle.
