10th century chess set expected to fetch £117,000 at auction

A chess set which dates back more than a thousand years and is worth up to £30,000 could fetch nearly four times as much at auction.

The 10th century set forms part of a collection of rare artefacts from the ancient game which is expected to sell for up to £117,000 next month.

Sotheby’s said the collection carries “huge significance” in the evolution of the game throughout Persia and the Middle East.

The pieces once belonged to German chess grandmaster Lothar Schmid, who is known for officiating the Match of the Century in 1972 between American Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union.

The items will be sold as part of the Sotheby's Arts of the Islamic World auction in London on April 20.