The Chess

Made with the utmost
attention to detail

The figures formed by Włodzimierz Seweryn’s hand and chisel allude to the history of the Ogrodzieniec Castle. In the chess set, the king piece resembles Casimir the Great, the ruler who built the fortress. An attentive observer will notice in the queen’s piece's robes a similarity to the attire of Casimir's wife, the Hessian princess Adelaide, as she is depicted in one historical church painting. The rooks situated in the corners of the chessboard are made in the likeness of the castle’s gate tower. Next to them stand the knights — steeds with fluttered manes. The adjoining bishop pieces are represented by knights in armor. The pawns in the front line wield swords and shields. What is significant, is that none of the figures are „fully” finished; each piece has some undressed stone left on it with the original patina from the castle, which the artist refers to as „the stamp of the ages”.

White

Slavic defense

Black

Sicilian defense

The Chessboard

A Battlefield

The stones on which the chessboard stands are 16 centimeters high, and there are two ammonites in them.
The size of the chessboard is 75 by 75 centimeters, and the squares are 8 by 8 centimeters. The whole set weighs 25 kilograms.