18th-Century British Chessmen, Metropolitan Museum of Art

One side of an 18th-century British set at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, lathe-turned with carved horse-head knights, tiered royal pieces and slim bishops. This is the kind of chess a Georgian player knew, and every maker's version looked a little different. That variety is why the Staunton pattern mattered: registered on March 1, 1849, and first sold by John Jaques of London that September, it was designed to be recognized instantly by players from any background, and its descendants are on tournament tables today.