A little while ago, our Teen Services staff member introduced his regular Teen Time attendees to chess. Now, almost daily, we have a group of teens whom pull out the chess boards and play (and coach each other) for a few hours. Some younger ‘tweens have even gotten in on the act and we have had simultaneous games going on in different rooms of the library.

I thought about how quickly and with how much enthusiasm the kids took to the game when I came across this title. Learning the rules of the game and strategy are only one part of chess’ appeal. The other is how much a part of history it really is. Boards and pieces have always reflected the place and time of their creation, so they can be, and often are, a reflection of people’s perceptions of power and status – what kings, queens, bishops, and castles looked like. They can also tell us a lot about who traveled, when and how far. Traders, merchants, monks, and soldiers could transport a game made in one country to another, or make pieces out of bought, or traded for, exotic materials . Ivory Vikings attempts to tell the story behind the origins of, and offers new interpretations for, probably the most famous set of chess pieces in the world – the ‘Lewis Chessmen’.

I hope our newly minted chess masters will come to appreciate the history of the game as well, and whether you’re a chess player or not, Ivory Vikings is an adventure of parts mystery, history lesson, art class and travelogue which is well worth undertaking.