Legal Commentary

Chess Set Design Used by Jefferson and Madison

By Eugene Volokh

From the Montpelier press release:

Montpelier archaeologists recently discovered one long-kept secret that had not seen the light of day in nearly two centuries: portions of two pawns from James Madison?s chess set, most likely the same set Madison and Thomas Jefferson used in their many chess matches at Montpelier. The discovery provided enough detail for researchers to determine exactly what Madison?s chess set looked like, and led curators to purchase an identical, authentic 18th-century ivory chess set. Visitors can now see the ?new? chess set on display in the Drawing Room of Madison?s home in Orange, Va....

Thomas Jefferson?s granddaughter Ellen Wayles Coolidge once remarked that the third and fourth presidents often engaged in epic chess matches. According to Coolidge, ?...[Jefferson] was, in his youth, a very good chess-player. There were not ... many who could get the better of him. I have heard him speak of ?four hour games? with Mr. Madison.?

Cool.

Full post as published by The Volokh Conspiracy on February 03, 2011 (boomark / email).