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Library Collection

Empire Chess Set

$4,600 AUD
Play Solitaire

The art of the game, now online.
Estimated Shipping Date: December 4, 2026
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The Empire Chess Set brings a contemporary perspective to one of history's greatest games. Crafted from rich walnut with an inlaid pebbled leather playing surface and framed by an elegant, brushed brass border, it features sculptural, heavyweight aluminum pieces finished with refined brass detail...
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  • Materials: Pebbled Leather, Brushed Matte Brass, Walnut, Aluminum, Polysuede
  • Dimensions: 16.0 x 16.0 x 2.4 in – 406 x 406 x 62 mm
  • Weight: 16.83 lbs – 7.65 kg
  • UPC: 882664022129
  • For your leather, brass, resin and wood items, regularly gently wipe with a soft, dry, clean cloth to sweep away dust and dirt, preserving their natural beauty. Do not use abrasive cleaning products.
  • Avoid Direct Sunlight: Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight may cause fading or discoloration, melting, or warping of the components, compromising the look and functionality of your object or game.
  • Use for decoration or gentle play only. Do not use as a storage surface. Do not attempt to modify or repair product.
  • Keep away from children and pets.
  • Designed for indoor use only.
  • Do not ingest any component.
  • Handle and transport with great care.
  • These handcrafted materials may naturally develop unique marks and color shifts over time, enhancing their character and individuality.
  • To ensure longevity, store items in a cool, dry place, ideally in their original packaging, away from direct sunlight, dust, and moisture.

The idea that the finest things in life are the moments we share is the foundation of the Game Room, the second chapter in Assouline's Library Collection. The Game Room brings together a selection of timeless games, from backgammon and chess to playing cards and dominoes, reimagined through rich woods, pebbled leathers, and brushed brass. As with every object in the Library Collection, each piece reflects the highest level of craftsmanship. Envisioned as a dialogue between play and design, the Game Room is for those who gather and connect. It embodies Assouline's spirit of conviviality, bringing warmth, sophistication, and a playful sense of beauty to any interior.

The items in the Library Collection are housed in elegant boxes, each designed with interiors that perfectly mold to the shape of the object it holds. As beautiful as the treasures themselves, the premium packaging is crafted from durable materials, including foam and a textured paper exterior. This ensures both a safe and luxurious delivery experience.

If your order arrives damaged or incorrect, please contact Customer Service as soon as possible. For damaged items, kindly email us your order number, a description of the issue, and photos of the damage.

If you wish to return your order for any other reason, we allow exchanges for merchandise credit within 14 days of delivery. We do not allow refunds and the customer is responsible for the cost of return shipping. Merchandise credit may only be redeemed in the region where the original order was placed.

Please note that items must be returned unused and unopened, in the same condition in which they were received, with all the original packaging. Books, candles, and diffusers must remain sealed in their original cellophane; games and objects must be returned in their original packaging. Exchanges and credit are applicable only at the original point of purchase.

The Ultimate Tower, The Allure Bookstand, XXL editions, headphones, and vintage or third-party objects are final sale and not eligible for return or exchange.

Please email us at customerservice@assouline.com with your order number to begin the return process for an online order. View our full return policy.

Library Collection

Empire Chess Set

$4,600

In the Details

Craftsmanship

As with every book published, each object reflects the highest level of craftsmanship: individually handmade by a skilled artisan, where every detail is shaped with intention, care, and enduring precision.

Inspiration

The Game Room brings together a selection of timeless games reimagined through the Assouline family's own love of gathering and play.

EMPIRE CHESS SET: HOW TO PLAY

Two players, Stone and Brown, meet across sixty-four squares, each seeking to checkmate the other's king; Stone moves first, and the two sides alternate from there. 

Setting up the board 
Position the board so a light square falls in each player's bottom-right corner, pawns filling the second row on either side. Behind them, from the outside in: rook, knight, bishop, then king and queen at the center, mirrored by bishop, knight, and rook on the far side; the queen's starting square follows her side's name where it can: a Stone square for Stone, a Red square for Brown. 

How each piece moves

  • Rook: Travels any number of squares, horizontally or vertically.
  • Bishop: Glides any number of squares along the diagonal, remaining always on a single color.
  • Queen: Moves any number of squares in any direction, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
  • Knight: Leaps in an L shape, two squares in one direction and then one square across; the only piece able to jump over others.
  • King: Steps one square in any direction, but never into check.


The special moves 

  • Castling lets a player move the king two squares toward a rook, the rook then landing on the square the king crossed, provided neither piece has moved, no piece stands between them, and the king is neither in check, does not pass through an attacked square, nor lands on one. 
  • En passant allows a pawn to capture an opposing pawn that has just advanced two squares from its start, landing beside it as though it had advanced only one; the capture must come on the very next move, or the option disappears. 
  • Pawn promotion arrives the moment a pawn reaches the far end of the board: it is exchanged, in that same move, for a queen, rook, bishop, or knight of its own color, the queen most often chosen. 
  • A common question, answered simply: yes, a pawn may become a second queen, or any other piece, regardless of what already sits on the board. 


Check, checkmate, and stalemate 
A king stands in check when it comes under direct attack. Checkmate arrives the instant a player, in check, has no legal move left to remove the threat, ending the game outright; stalemate arrives when a player has no legal move at all, yet the king stands clear of check, ending the game in a draw rather than a loss. 

How a game can be drawn 
Beyond stalemate, a game may end in a draw several ways: by agreement between the two players, by a dead position in which neither side could possibly deliver checkmate, by threefold repetition of the identical position, or by fifty consecutive moves passing without a pawn move or a capture. 

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