Stolen chess pieces returned

Check mate: Stolen chess pieces returned
By SAM SACHDEVA – The Press
Last updated 05:00 08/04/2010

They’re back: The stolen chess pieces – plus another piece stolen six years ago – have been returned.

Christchurch residents had been asked to watch for anyone trying to pawn five giant chess pieces after a black queen, black knight, red queen, red knight and red rook – were stolen from the city council’s iconic outdoor chessboard in Cathedral Square on Saturday night.

The chessboard has been in the Square since 1989, when the first game was played between the Wizard and then-mayor Sir Hamish Hay.

The five stolen pieces were returned this morning after the council received numerous calls from the public with sightings of the pieces over the weekend.

Christchurch City Council marketing manager Richard Stokes said the person who had taken four of the pieces also contacted the Council, and an arrangement was made to pick up the pieces from a third party.

The final missing rook was returned to the Civic Building by an associate of the person who took it. All of the pieces had been returned undamaged, Stokes said.

Here is the full article.