Each Stickman Checkmate (No. 13) Puzzlebox has been quality hand-crafted from the finest holly, mahogany and leopardwood and comes with its own set of hand-carved travel-sized chess pieces. The box is richly decorated with intricate carvings of royal lions, noble crests and filigrees. It has an inlaid chessboard, sculpted feet, and attractive brass screw and handle accents. Chess pieces attach magnetically to the top of this box and will individually move across the board as the top portion of the box is rotated in various directions and degrees. The box comes with two hidden compartments that will unlock only after all pieces have been mechanically maneuvered into a checkmate for either the white or black side.
All mechanical parts of this box (gears, pinions, cams, racks, shafts) are crafted entirely out of solid wood, and the top of plate can be easily removed in order to see inside. It is intriguing to observe the mechanics in operation, and some collectors might be interested in attempting to figure out how the internal machine operates, as this is a complex puzzle in itself and not readily deduced. However, attempting this may provide some insight into how the main puzzle can be solved.
The level of complexity spans from nearly impossible (6-8 months) to moderate difficulty (6 hours). While it is not necessary to know how to play chess in order to solve or enjoy this puzzle, a basic understanding of the game is required to take advantage of the first few levels of difficulty. The Stickman Checkmate Puzzlebox measures 6 x 6 x 7 and weighs 3 lbs.
