Carving out chess pieces of history
Artist makes a game out of venerable Army-Navy rivalry

By Bradley Olson
sun reporter

Originally published February 25, 2007

Carved chess set draws crowds to gallery

You might not think a chess set would be the kind of show-stopping artwork that would double or triple the visitors to a small art gallery on Main Street in Annapolis, but what sits in the display window at Gallery 1683 is no ordinary set piece.

The board, carved by local artist Amy Maddox, depicts the Army-Navy rivalry through an even older war game.

A 2-inch-tall John Paul Jones and George Washington fill the spaces of kings, the Navy “N” and Army “A” the queen. The other pieces are miniatures of buildings at each academy, including Bancroft Hall and the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis. Instead of nondescript pawns, there are Naval Academy plebes and West Point cadets.

Sandra Pezzoli, the gallery owner, said a host of visitors, lifetime Annapolis residents and midshipmen stop in daily to look at the chess set, which has been on display since last month.

“We thought it was completely delightful and wonderful,” Pezzoli said. “The joy for us is putting it in the window. It draws a crowd. It’s just one of those things that captures the imaginations of Annapolitans and visitors alike.”

Although most love it, some who come in, particularly midshipmen, wince at the price tag: $1,500.

But that didn’t deter the fiancee of a recent graduate, who bought a bigger set for $2,500 as a wedding present, she said.

Here is the full story.

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