Montglane Service

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The Montglane Service is a fictional chess set that appears in Katherine Neville's The Eight. It was purportedly owned by Charlemagne, and it is reported that the design of the set was of early Indian influence created from solid gold and precious gems. The weight and size of each piece is reported to be quite large with pawns starting at about 6 inches high (approximately the size of a vertical dollar bill) and kings and queens at 12 inches.

The Montglane Service received its name after it was gifted by Charlemagne to a loyal friend who controlled the Montglane region of France who later willed it to be protected by the nuns of Montglane.