Editing Chess or the King's Game

{{Short description|Book by August van Brunswijk-Wolfenbüttel}}
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[[File:Anselmus-van-Hulle-Hommes-illustres MG 0445.tif|thumb|Duke Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1717 engraving after [[Anselm van Hulle]]]]
'''''Chess or the King's Game''''' ({{langx|de|Das Schach- oder Königsspiel}}) is a book on [[chess]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chess.com/chessopedia/view/selenus-gustavus |title=Selenus, Gustavus - Chess.com |access-date=2016-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126003518/https://www.chess.com/chessopedia/view/selenus-gustavus |archive-date=2016-11-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kongernessamling.dk/en/dronningens-haandbibliotek/object/hertug-august-af-braunschweig-luneburgs-skakbog-16161617/|title = The Chess Book of Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1616/1617 &#124; the Royal Danish Collection}}</ref> It was published in [[Leipzig]] in 1616 under the name of ''Gustavus Selenus'' ("Gustavus" being an anagram of "Augustus" and "Selenus" referring to the Greek moon goddess [[Selene]], linked to the Latin origin of the name "Lüneburg"), the [[pen name]] of Duke [[Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg]] (1579–1666).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gettyimages.com/photos/augustus-the-younger?excludenudity=true&sort=mostpopular&mediatype=photography&phrase=augustus%20the%20younger|title=Augustus the Younger Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images}}</ref> As a young prince, Augustus probably had learned of the game during his voyages to [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Italy]] and purchased numerous chess books from the Augsburg merchant and art collector [[Philipp Hainhofer]]. The first textbook on chess in the German language, the work is mainly based on the ''[[Libro de la invencion liberal y arte del juego del axedrez]]'' written in 1561 by the [[Habsburg Spain|Spanish]] priest [[Ruy López de Segura]], but also contains extensive philosophical and historical considerations (e.g. on the "chess village" of [[Ströbeck]]).

In addition to chess instruction, the book contained interesting illustrations of contemporary German chess pieces by [[Jacob van der Heyden]] et al. The usage for chessmen at the time tended to favor slender designs with nested floral crowns. The book was so successful that pieces of this pattern became known as the "[[Selenus chess set]]s”.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eldrbarry.net/hatr/chess/convent.htm|title = The Conventional Chess Sets from 1700 to the introduction of Staunton's (1849)}}</ref> Over time, pieces became taller, thinner, and more elaborate. Their apparent floral nature lead some to name them "Garden chess sets" or "Tulip chess sets". Selenus pattern sets were commonly made in Germany and Central Europe until about 1914 when they were completely eclipsed by the more playable and stable [[Staunton chess set]] pattern, which was introduced in 1849<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jaqueslondon.co.uk/indoor-games/chess-sets.html|title = Chess Set Range}}</ref> by manufacturer [[Jaques of London]].

==See also==
*[[Courier Chess]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Chess books]]
[[Category:1616 books]]
[[Category:17th century in chess]]
[[Category:Chess in Germany]]