ClipArt ETC

The Parlor and Board Games ClipArt gallery offers 46 illustrations of chess, checkers, backgammon, cards, and similar games. See also the Dominoes gallery in the Math Counting collection.

A board game for two players.

Backgammon

A board game for two players.

"The Backgammon Table" — Chambers' Encyclopedia, 1875

Backgammon

"The Backgammon Table" — Chambers' Encyclopedia, 1875

A backgammon board.

Backgammon

A backgammon board.

"Backgammon, a game played by two persons upon a table or board made for the purpose, with pieces or men, dice-boxes, and dice. The table is in two parts, on which are twenty-four black and white spaces called points. Each player has fifteen men of different colors for the purpose of distinction. The movements of the men are made in accordance with the numbers turned up by the dice. It is said to have been invented in the tenth century." -Vaughan, 1906

Backgammon Board

"Backgammon, a game played by two persons upon a table or board made for the purpose, with pieces or…

A chess board showing the placement of the chess game pieces.

Chess Board

A chess board showing the placement of the chess game pieces.

A row of cards.

Cards

A row of cards.

A row of cards.

Cards

A row of cards.

A row of cards.

Cards

A row of cards.

A row of cards.

Cards

A row of cards.

A row of cards.

Cards

A row of cards.

A hand holding the four robbers.

Cards

A hand holding the four robbers.

Cards laid out

Cards

Cards laid out

An illustration of a group of people surrounding a casino table.

Casino

An illustration of a group of people surrounding a casino table.

A board for playing checkers, or draughts.

Checker-board

A board for playing checkers, or draughts.

Shows setup of a chessboard.

Chess

Shows setup of a chessboard.

A man playing chess.

Chess

A man playing chess.

A game played by two persons, on a board containing sixty-four squares, with two differently colored sets of pieces or men.

Chess

A game played by two persons, on a board containing sixty-four squares, with two differently colored…

A board game and mental-skill game for two players.

Chess

A board game and mental-skill game for two players.

"Chess is the most purely intellectual of all games of skill, the origin of which has been much disputed, but probably arose in India 5,000 years ago, and thence spread through Persia and Arabia, to Europe and America. The game has undergone many modifications during its diffusion throughout the world, but retains marked traces of its Oriental origin. The game is played by two persons on a board which consists of 64 squares, arranged in 8 rows of 8 squares each, alternately black and white. Each player has two sets of pieces of opposite colors of 16 men each, and of various powers, according to their rank."—(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Chess Board

"Chess is the most purely intellectual of all games of skill, the origin of which has been much disputed,…

Chess is a recreational and competitive game played between two players. Sometimes called Western chess or international chess to distinguish it from its predecessors and other chess variants, the current form of the game emerged in Southern Europe during the second half of the 15th century after evolving from similar, much older games of Indian and Persian origin. Today, chess is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.

Chess Board

Chess is a recreational and competitive game played between two players. Sometimes called Western chess…

This chess board and chess men is made in silver and gold, richly ornamented with jewels and enamels.

Chess Board and Chess Men

This chess board and chess men is made in silver and gold, richly ornamented with jewels and enamels.

This king chess piece is wearing a 16th century costume.

King Chess Piece

This king chess piece is wearing a 16th century costume.

This queen chess piece is wearing a 16th century costume, worn by the princesses of Germany.

Queen Chess Piece

This queen chess piece is wearing a 16th century costume, worn by the princesses of Germany.

"Adjudged the best two-move problem of the British Chess Association Tourney, 1872). White to play and mate in two moves." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

Chess Strategy

"Adjudged the best two-move problem of the British Chess Association Tourney, 1872). White to play and…

"The prize problem of the Cambridge Tourney, 1860. White to play and mate in three moves." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

Chess Strategy

"The prize problem of the Cambridge Tourney, 1860. White to play and mate in three moves." — Encyclopedia…

"One of the first-prize set of the Bristol Tourney, 1861. White to play and mate in three moves." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

Chess Strategy

"One of the first-prize set of the Bristol Tourney, 1861. White to play and mate in three moves." —…

"One of the second-prize set of the Pasris Tourney, 1867. White to play and mate in four moves." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

Chess Strategy

"One of the second-prize set of the Pasris Tourney, 1867. White to play and mate in four moves." —…

"One of the first-prize set of the British Chess Association Tourney, 1872, and also adjudged the best four move problem of the Tourney. White to play and mate in four moves." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

Chess Strategy

"One of the first-prize set of the British Chess Association Tourney, 1872, and also adjudged the best…

"One of the first-prize set of the British Chess Association Tourney, 1862, and also adjudged the best problem in the Tourney. White to play and mate in five moves." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

Chess Strategy

"One of the first-prize set of the British Chess Association Tourney, 1862, and also adjudged the best…

"The game of chess, or draughts."

Egyptian Chess

"The game of chess, or draughts."

The straight rod used in playing billiards.

Cue

The straight rod used in playing billiards.

A pointed, missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand.

Dart

A pointed, missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand.

Darts used in the game, Puff and Dart.

Darts

Darts used in the game, Puff and Dart.

Small cubes, used in gaming, by being thrown from a box.

Dice

Small cubes, used in gaming, by being thrown from a box.

A pair of dice, with the 'six' face forward on each.

Pair of dice

A pair of dice, with the 'six' face forward on each.

A small cube, marked on its faces with spots from one to six.

Die

A small cube, marked on its faces with spots from one to six.

One of the twenty-eight pieces of ivory or other material, indented on the face with spots from one to double-six, used in playing games.

Domino

One of the twenty-eight pieces of ivory or other material, indented on the face with spots from one…

A board game is a game in which counters or pieces are place on, removed from, or moved across the board. Most game boards have a pre marked surface specific to that game.

Entertainment Game Apparatus

A board game is a game in which counters or pieces are place on, removed from, or moved across the board.…

A game which consits of figure of a sailor cast in metal and a number of colored balls, and three drawing-pins.

Jack's Alive

A game which consits of figure of a sailor cast in metal and a number of colored balls, and three drawing-pins.

"This is a game of pure manual dexterity, and is rare practice for cultivating steadiness of hand and delicacy of touch. Its worst fault is that in the very nature of the game a constant series of deadlocks are inevitable, only to be overcome by the self-sacrifice of one or other of the players. Jackstraws are a number of thing narrow slips of wood, bone or ivory, each more or less notched, sometimes cut into fantastic shapes, and numbered. These being held together in a bundle, are allowed to fall on the table, and the players, two or more in number, each in turn pull them out one by one with a small hook. As long as a player can go on abstracting from the heap, without in any way shaking or disturbing more than one jackstraw at the time, his turn continues, and all he thus secures he keeps; at the least shake his turn ceases, and the next player goes on. When all the jackstraws have been thus abstracted, each player counts his heap, each jackstraw being valued at the number inscribed on it, and he who has most wins."— Thomas Sheppard Meek

Jackstraws

"This is a game of pure manual dexterity, and is rare practice for cultivating steadiness of hand and…

"This game, as seen from the illustration, is played with pegs which can be fastened firmly into a bard, and with a corresponding number of wooden rings or quoits. When the pegs are set in their places, the first player takes the quoits and, standing at a specified distance, endeavors to throw the rings over the pegs. for every ring that fairly encircles a peg the thrower scores the number which is attached to the peg; but should more than one ring fall on the same peg, the score goes to the opponent. In this, as in all games where a ring has to be thrown, the ring should be held just like a quoit, so that a spin may be communicated to it and make it fly steadily to its mark. Rules: 1) The game of Ringolette is adapted for two or more players. 2) The first player being decided upon, he places the board in the centre of the table, and standing about three feet or more from the board, commences his play. 3) Each player takes the eight rings, and plays by pitching the rings on the pegs. 4) Each ring that is fairly on the pegs counts according to the number indicated on the board. 5) Should a player place more than one ring on each peg, it scores to the opposition. 6) Three-score and one is a medium game; five-score and one a long game. These rules may be modified by agreement among the players, but not otherwise."— Thomas Sheppard Meek

Parlor Ringolette

"This game, as seen from the illustration, is played with pegs which can be fastened firmly into a bard,…

Two boys playing puff and dart.

Puff and Dart

Two boys playing puff and dart.

"This amusing game requires more care and delicacy of touch than at first seems to be the case. The apparatus of the game is very simple, consisting of a bull's head painted on a board, with a hook in its nose and another on each horn. In the top of the board is fixed a horizontal rod, to the end of which is suspended a ring by a piece of string. The players stand in succession in front of the bull, take the ring and try to fling it so that it shall be caught on the nook in the bull's nose. Each player has nine throws, and he who succeeds the greatest number of times wins the game. It is tolerably easy to throw the ring on the hook, but not easy to throw it so that it shall stay there, and the 'knack' of the game consists in throwing it with just sufficient force to reach the hook. In another modification of the game the string is lengthened to twelve or fifteen feet, and has a slip-noose at the end. The other end of the string is not fastened to the end of the horizontal rod, but held in the left hand, while with the right the player tries to throw the loop over the two hooks in the bull's horns. If he can catch them both he scores two, and if he catches only one of them, he scores one. Each player has six throws." — Thomas Sheppard Meek

Ring the Bull

"This amusing game requires more care and delicacy of touch than at first seems to be the case. The…

A small cubed marked on its faces with spots numbering from one to six, used in gaming from being thrown from a box or hand.

Roman Die

A small cubed marked on its faces with spots numbering from one to six, used in gaming from being thrown…

Two men sitting at a table playing a game.

Men at Table

Two men sitting at a table playing a game.

An illustration of two women playing chess.

Women Playing Chess

An illustration of two women playing chess.