Checkmate for games company in world final

Hull-based Studio Anne Carlton has been appointed by Agon as the official manufacturer and distributor of the World Chess Federation-approved World Chess Championship Chess Set.

And following collaboration between the company, Agon, and architect and industrial designer Daniel Weil, the set will take centre stage during the match between current World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand and Norwegian grandmaster and world number one, Magnus Carlsen, although the venue has yet to be decided.

Studio Anne Carlton managing director Michael Lee said: “Thanks to Agon, world chess is on the cusp of a new era, set to reignite global audiences and inspire a new generation.

“The Championship Chess Set is the flagship product that is intended to be used in all championship events and Daniel Weil is a true grandmaster when it comes to the design.

“Studio Anne Carlton is delighted to have been appointed the official manufacturer and distributor and we are already working with Daniel to extend the range.”

The company was formed in 1969 and now has more than 200 chess sets and family games in its range.

It is home to the world’s leading brand of decorative chess sets, spanning subjects from the Isle of Lewis to the Battle of Hastings and from Lord of the Rings to Peter Rabbit.

Also in its comprehensive ranges of classic games are backgammon, compendiums, dominoes and roulette.

The World Chess Championship Cycle is the pinnacle of chess and consists of nine events over two years.

The Championship match is expected to take place in India or New York between November 6 and 26.