Lardy chess sets, manufactured in the Jura region of France since 1890, became iconic due to their robust, utilitarian design (most recognizable for the “blocky” knight) and their ubiquitous use in FIDE-rated tournaments during the 1960s and 1970s. Their status was cemented by the 1972 World Chess Championship in Reykjavík, where the set was famously featured in the iconic photograph of Bobby Fischer, and reinforced by its selection as the official set for the 1974 Nice Olympiad. This association with the “Match of the Century” and major international competitions transformed an affordable, practical tournament set into a highly collectible and historically significant piece of chess equipment, embodying a golden era of the sport.
Match Fischer – Spassky for the WWC, Reykjavik 1972
Iconic picture of Fischer with a Lardy in 1972
The iconic photograph of Bobby Fischer with a King chess piece in the foreground, partially obscuring his right eye, and a Knight piece in the second plane, was taken by renowned photographer Harry Benson in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1972 during the World Chess Championship.
The specific chess set used in this photo is a Lardy set, which was popular at the time and used in many tournaments. Fischer was also known to have a personal preference for a different style of set (a Dubrovnik set), but the one featured prominently in this specific, famous photo is a Lardy.
The composition of the photo, with the King piece positioned over Fischer’s eye, has become one of the most recognizable images in chess history, offering a striking visual metaphor for his intense focus and singular pursuit of the world championship title.
Lardy Promotional for Nice 1974
Set of my personal collection mimicing the disposition of the promotional
The chess set used at the 1974 Nice Olympiad was indeed a Lardy set, very similar to the one used in the 1972 World Chess Championship (WCC) in Reykjavik.
The set used in Nice was not a completely new design but rather a standard “Club” model from the Lardy manufacturer, with some potentially minor tweaks or branding specific to the event
- Design Similarity to WCC 72: The Nice 74 set was functionally identical in design to the one in the famous Fischer photo. The pieces feature a simple, robust, and functional “French Lardy” style, which is a variation of the standard Staunton pattern, known for its practicality and durability in tournament play.
Chess set from my personal collection, accompanied by the First Day Cover of Nice 1974
- Measurements: The King piece generally stood at approximately 9.5 cm (3.75 inches) tall, with a base diameter around 3.8 cm (1.5 inches). This is a standard tournament size.
- Wood Types: Lardy sets were typically made from boxwood for the white pieces and sheesham (also known as Indian rosewood) or sometimes stained boxwood/beech for the black pieces. The quality of the wood was utilitarian rather than luxury.
Karpov playing at the Chess Olympiad Nice 1974
- Weighting: These sets were typically weighted (lead-weighted bases), which was a standard requirement for FIDE-approved tournament sets to ensure stability during play.
- Special Edition: While the design was standard, the sets produced specifically for the 1974 Nice Olympiad may have had a special stamp or a specific box commemorating the event, but the pieces themselves were a production model.
In summary, the sets were reliable, unpretentious, and fit the FIDE requirements for international competition.