Inspired by the historic battle between the League of Corinth and the Persian Army, the Battle of Issus Chess Set is probably the most beautifully designed and luxurious chess set in the world. It is priced at $1.6 million, and it includes some incredibly intricate pieces that resemble iconic figures such as Alexander the Great as the Greek king accompanied by Athena, the Greek goddess of war and wisdom as his queen.
As for Darius III, he is accompanied by the winged Persian god of war, both pieces being breathtaking in their own way. Other noteworthy pieces include war ships as Greek bishops and elephants as Persian bishops, as well as columned temples that replace rooks. Both sides have pawns represented by foot soldiers with swords bows, arrows and javelins, while the knights are all horsemen, obviously.
The set’s price tag is justified by the fact that each piece was created using 14k gold and was adorned with precious stones, while the board rests on top of a custom made mahogany and leather-topped table. The project required about 10 years of hard work in order to be complete, 14,000 man hours of craftsmanship, to be specific.
