Why Is the Rook so Short?

^^^^ Like Ganesha you mean? 

The pawn is also unique in that it is the only piece that doesn't capture the way it moves.

As tuna mentioned, the knight is not an animal even though the piece resembles a horse's head.

However, if you consider the knight an animal, then it's a dead animal - and the rook is not the only non-living piece.

The queen is unique because it is the only piece that can do everything that at least one other piece can do (in fact, three other pieces).

By the way, unique is an absolute and should not be modified.  

Well, that guy in The Godfather wasn't thrilled about waking up to a horse's head.

Before considering the very important question of the rook's diminutive stature we should look at the pawn. There are a number of articles on the internet on chess set design and the origin of the Staunton pattern set. This from the Smithsonian is informative and quite accurate apart from a few obvious blunders. Stamp gives these pictures of Victorian stone wall balusters and suggests that Victorian architecture might have been the inspiration for the shapes (of pawns and pieces in the Staunton set).

Although there are some slight similarities in the bases, for example, I would suggest that in general these can be accounted for by considering that the aims of both the designers of chess pieces (where not constrained by the shape of the material (such as bone sets), and shapes in architecture in general (and furniture or any designed objects etc) that, any vague similarity here above can be accounted for in this way.

Stamp makes also the common mistake in having Nathaniel Cook married off to John Jaques daughter before the inception of the Staunton set whereas it was, in reality, later that Cook married into the Jaques clan. One can, therefore, be more comfortable with the assumption that Cook was the main designer of the set.Another try by Barry Martin is to quote Both Murry and Keats. " Both Murray and later Keats ibid allude to the Staunton pawn as symbolising the Freemason compass and square".

Quite how the Staunton pawn can be said to look like a compass and square escapes me. Keats was no doubt simply quoting Murray and he can be discounted.

In my opinion, the pawn can more accurately be seen as having it's design roots in many of the finials we see  on items of furniture and other finial shapes in architecture generally.

A ball atop a tapered stem with a collar under is a fairly simple symbol which is easy to make on a lathe, easily and quickly replicated, an important consideration when making sets on a price to suit market demands.

Interesting. You mentioned another design that Fischer liked. I forget the name but it looked a lot like the Staunton design. Is it considered a separate design or a variation of the Staunton?

Welcome back, Ziggy.

They used to say smoking stunted one's growth but I've never heard that caffeine does.

Hi Fred,

Fisher was said to have liked the, so-called 'Dubrovnik' set. There is a thread devoted to it 

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/bobby-fischers-favorite-chess-set

Yes, it is a Staunton variant.

Right. Yeah, I figured it was considered a Staunton variant. I like the Dubrovnik.

So, back to the design of the pawn in modern sets.

The pawn has, apart from in figural sets, been represented as a ball atop a stem with a base for stability.

As can be seen in this page from the book, De Ludo Sachorum. 

I bought a Drueke set many years ago. I bought it new for probably about 20 bucks. I posted the link early in this thread but I'll post it again.

http://chessantiques.com/product/drueke-players-choice-chessmen-no-36/

Then many years later I bought another set. I didn't need it because the Drueke was and still is in excellent condition. I just wanted to get a new one. I also posted this earlier but here it is again. How about those stocky pawns?

http://amchesseq.com/Ultimate-Chess-Set--Triple-Weighted--3-34-King_p_76.html 

Man, not a single post in almost a full day.

I'm going to have to hire some entertainers.

You are very welcome to contribute to the 'bump' thread that a few of us contribute to. Its a form of low effort voluntary work that helps no one. You might make a good contributor, but we do take the work seriously...

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/community/bumping-old-threads?page=21#last_comment

I checked it out and posted. Hope this thread won't need help from the bump crew but it's good to know you guys are on duty should an emergency arise.  

Yes, generally the off topic threads are light entertainment. Just make sure you accord the Bump thread a little gravity and you'll be very welcome...

By the way, don't miss Animal Jokes Hour at My Rematch Request Was Rejected!

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/my-rematch-request-was-rejected

Puns/Plant jokes hour is my specialty. Usually with extra noodles.

Rooks are short castles as long castles are expected to get broken by catapults. Or ... they were originally long and somebody broke them.