Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1314457
he world's most well-known chess set was famous long before its appearance in the 2001 block- buster film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Now in the collections of the British Museum and the National Museum of Scotland, the 93 Lewis Chessmen are carved from walrus ivory. Believed to have been crafted between 1150 and 1200 AD, they were discov- ered at Scotland's Uig Bay around 1830, along with a cache of other objects. Their creators remain a mystery. As David St. Hubbins, lead vocalist of the fictional rock band Spinal Tap sang in "Stonehenge" about the Druids, "No one knows who they were or what they were doing." We do know what Paul Karrer was doing, however, when he carved the set seen on these pages. "Our French Bulldog Winnie loves to chew on antlers," the Pacific Grove resident says. "One day, I thought what a waste of such a beautiful material that was and decided to see if I could craft something out of it." A retired elementary school teacher and avid chess player, Karrer brought the game to his classrooms. "My grandfather taught me to play when I was in the fourth grade," he says. "I can play an OK game of chess. I'm no master. To be honest, I've been playing elementary school kids for many years. Plenty of people can easily beat me," he adds with a laugh. Karrer decided to create a set as homage to the Lewis Chessmen. In a backyard shed, Karrer got to work with a stash of antlers he had around the house—ones The chess set Karre r r cre r ated gets a bit of use but for obvious re r asons, it must be ke k pt out of Winnie's sight.