The cutest chess game in the Chessmen Museum is without a doubt the one where the black sheep play against the white sheep. It provokes a lot of oohing and aahing. The design for these adorable bales of wool wasn´t initially meant for a chess set though.
Gordon and Fraser Lamont, two brothers from Glasgow, Scotland, founded their game design company, Fragor Games, over ten years ago. They are passionate board game players, who also like to join in the noble game of chess. Fraser is seven years younger than his brother Gordon and so it wasn´t easy for him to beat his older brother at chess. Fraser can still vividly remember the first time he won!
Board game with sheep
The first board game that the brothers brought to market, in 2004, is called Leapfrog, a game where frogs race each other. They got a real taste for the business and their second game followed a year later: Shear Panic. This board game is about sheep that have to be shorn. The herd wants to stay as close as possible to Rambo the Ram and as far away as possible from the sheep shearer. By throwing the dice and carrying out certain actions, players can make each other´s sheep herds bolt: shear panic!
Especially the design of the game is striking: the stone sheep are ever so cuddly. This doesn´t mean it is a children´s game though, it is rather abstract. The Dutch version came out in 2006, by the name of ´Paniek in de wei´, or, ´Panic in the meadow´. That same year the game was nominated for the Toy of the Year competition, in which the toys are annually chosen by a professional jury of, among others, educationists.
Chessboard sheep
The design of the little Shear Panic sheep was created by Italian native Paulo Chiari. It wasn´t just this one game though, the sheep also found their way to other games, such as the chess game in the Chessmen Museum. Proof of its authenticity is the name of the designer on the chessboard, which represents a meadow. On the board, white sheep are facing black sheep, both sides with Rambo the Ram as their king. The knight attracts the most attention: it is a sheep with a little lamb on its back.
All of the sheep have got the typically Chiari round noses, small eyes and round little ears. These sheep are not the only adorable animals he makes. The designs of several farm creatures and wild animals share his style. The chess game created in Chiari´s style is not related to the board game ´Panic in the meadow´, or the Lamont brothers, but such a popular design deserves to be imitated.
You must be logged in to post a comment.