Chess and the Nativity

No need to pack away your nativity scene at the end of the Christmas holidays. Just remove the stable, straw and manger and add more shepherd pawns and another virgin queen from the box. Hand-carved Masonite figures, such as long-eared ass knights, rest on a checkered, tropical cardboard surface to adorn your home during both religious and competitive interludes.

Though the elephant castles look a little out of place crowding the stable and can only move in straight lines, the pious practicality of the unique chessus set is unbeatable. I still recall the response of its craftsman, a Palestinian carpenter and immigrant from Sydney. When I asked if payment should be made with card or cash, Joe replied, “Check, Mate.”