Competition size pieces

Before restaining: Blacks are really pale. Check the Bishops on squares C4 and C5!

The stained Knights, secret meeting.

Manufrance

Material: wood (boxwood)
King size: 3.5"
King base: 1.61"
Rook size: 1.99"
Square size: 2"
Purchase: used €25 (with chessboard)

Watching after small adds, I again had a lucky find for €25: this set featuring a shape I initially thought typically Lardy, but actually Chavet from the late 70's, size 5, with a glossy varnish, whose box is branded Manufrance; the commercial brand name for the very ancient "Manufacture d'armes et cycles de Saint Etienne". This factory used to sell thru a large catalog including firearms, bicycles & lightweight motorcycles, sewing machines, games... A frequent, typical Jura boxwood characteristic: the black King has some lean! This light warping happens if the wood completes drying after being carved. The Knights are glass-eyed ones (I like it); and if their height is more usual there, their base diameter is still impressive.

The black King is rather fond of the white Queen.

Lacquered & marbled Chavet

Material: wood (boxwood)
King size: 3.6"
King base: 1.42"
Rook size: 1.97"
Square size: 2"
Purchase: used €30

I did spot years ago gorgeous Chavet sets featuring size 3 chessmen, lacquered and marbled, sold including 1 9/16 inches squares board, glossy lacquered. They were offerred in some shops and on online sites with colors available as cream and another color, that could be black, dark red, dark blue, or green. The pieces were really nice to my taste; on another hand the glossy board with colors that match resulted in something more like a beautiful ornamentation than a practicable set to play with, with respect to overwhelming reflection. In addition, the cost was in the range of slightly more than €250, up to slightly less thant €300! I so resigned... Until seeing these used pieces offerred for €30. On delivery, the happy surprise has been about their size, as they are size 5, weighted and felted. And in mint cosmetic condition! They nicely fit a basic green vinyl board, or can bring some happiness on a wooden chessboard featuring soft colors.

The forest green horde.

The Chavet Knight is sublime!

Dubrovnik

Material: plastic
King size: 3.6"
King base: 1.42"
Rook size: 2.01"
Square size: 2"
Purchase: new €17.4

This set has been designed for the 1950' chess olympiads in Dubrovnik (in former Yougoslavia). Atypic due to the absence of any religious symbol (no cross on top of the King's crown nor mitter cut for the Bishop, rather simple balls; not to forget the opposite colors of the Bishop's finials), it has been made iconic by Bobby Fischer who owned one and stated it is the best set he ever played on. In 1992, he got an agreement for using a Dubrovnik set for his rematch against Boris Spassky. So, inevitably, there is a high demand for high-end reproductions, often expensive. The cheap option is this plastic version, to my opinion nevertheless gaining from some authenticity: offered by Chess and Games Shop Muba in Kranj, Slovenia (as well a republic from former Yougoslavia). I think the design is globally faithful; despite the plastic material the chessmen still got style and of course are sturdy, colors are fine, and they are even slightly weighted (and felted). A funny point is the weighting is made of buckshots sunk into what looks much like candle wax moulded into the hollow pieces, I appreciate this rusticity definitely balanced by the very low price.

Two small inconsistencies: the bases of the Bishop and the Pawn, respectively strait and chamfered (rounded for the other pieces).
But it is discreet, and I much like the stocky Pawn, pleasant to handle.

The Knight is very unusual, and produces a rather mysterious attraction.

Soviet "Mordovian" (aka "Latvian")

Material: wood
King size: 3.7"
King base: 1.46"
Rook size: 1.97"
Square size: 2"
Purchase: used €72

Even if I did purchase this wonderful set to a seller located in Riga (RigaRetro, via Etsy), the "Latvian" designation does not originate from the factoring location, which is Mordovia (then a soviet socialist republic, now Russian). By the way, this type of set is alike designated as "Mordovian", and the factoring location appears to be the Yavas work settlements complex. Actually, the "Latvian" designation refers to "The Magician from Riga", namely Mikhaïl Tal. What is the relationship between the 1960 world champion and this sort of set? It is known to be his preferred one. Despite not being able to track back the source of this statement, the below picture provides evidence he did play using this type of chessmen. It is a very elegant set, featuring a slender fineness for tall pieces (King, Queen, Bishops) putting the rusticity of the other pieces in contrast. The Knights particularly have a lot of damned character! In the 1950s, the "Latvian" sets featured a more stocky, more rounded Knight with regards to the one presented here (dating back to the 60/70s); and the 80s Knight got back to a more basic design, less detailed, for an easier mass production (the other pieces were as well slightly simplified, and by the way, it is the set used in the Netflix mini-series "The Queen's Gambit" for the final tournament in Moscow - check the pictures here). The chessmen are felted (with a rather rough cloth) but unweighted, and the wood is surprisingly light.

Tal pondering over a Latvian set, and enlarged picture of the Knights.

That's some Knights!

Are they beautiful? Are they ugly? Anyway, surely distinctive, they can't leave you unmoved...

Regency

Material: wood (boxwood)
King size: 3.9"
King base: 1.23"
Rook size: 2.4"
Square size: 2"
Purchase: used €30

This design of turned wood pieces, typically French, is obsolete since the Staunton design fashion. Its name comes from the Parisian café "Café de La Régence", a chess Mecca during the XVIII and XIX centuries. The pieces are very elegant, fine and streamlined, but obviously require to be used to them for an intuitive grasp of the positions. So, I use them only to analyze old games; it is a real pleasure to get into the mood this way. I guess they were Lardy made, based on the Knights shape, their top body is shared with the one used in old cheap Staunton Lardy wooden sets (only the base is different). The chessmen are not felted (nor weighted), so I use them on this neoprene and cloth playing surface, providing sliding comfort. A nice buy for only €30!

Memorial plaque unveiled on April 4th, 2023 at 161, Saint-Honoré street, Paris, France.

Modern Selenus (Lotus style)

Material: wood
King size: 4.1"
King base: 1.37"
Rook size: 2.23"
Square size: 2"
Purchase: used €17.85

I bought this chess set (offered with its original box, featuring soft thick flannel inside) mostly out of curiosity, and with regards to the low price. The Selenus style has been in current use, alike the Regency style, before the invention of the Staunton pattern. It has mostly been common in Germany and, on the whole, in central and northern Europe. It has been named with regards to the shape of the pieces, close to the ones displayed on engravings from the 1616 book "Das Schach-oder König-Spiel" (Chess, or the King's game) by Gustav Selenus (pen name of the author). Antique Selenus sets are made of bone or ivory, but this one has been made in India of turned and carved wood, also named "Lotus style", likely in the years 1970-80; and maybe distributed then by Dal Negro. It may be termed a modern Selenus with regards to the Bishop and Queen finials, respectively a miter and a crown looking Staunton-like, much helpful to distinguish and recognize these pieces. Nevertheless, I reserve this set for replay and analysis of ancient games!

The pieces are neither weighted nor felted, and are fragile. So, the neopren chessboard able to absorb a light tumble is a must.

The carving is impressive.

Details of Knight's heads.

English Stallion

Material: wood
King size: 3.63"
King base: 1.6"
Rook size: 2.15"
Square size: 2.16"
Purchase: used €50

This purchase has been a gamble, but a winner one! The classified on Le Bon Coin (a French small ads portal) displayed four pictures, of which two of the (much common) boxwood storage box, one of the opened box loaded with the pieces (on top of which one could see some Pawns, Rooks, Bishops and the dark King), and a single picture for only two pieces properly displayed out of the box, namely a light Rook and the dark King. No display of any Queen or Knight, neither of the whole set of course. Nevertheless, the dark reddish color of the King pointed to a very nice wood species, and the carving seemed good, so I smelled a high-end set offered for cheap (€50). The set was said to never have been used. Was it complete? What size? Would the Knight fit my taste? No way to chat quickly enough with the seller for questions, the risk was high the set would sell very fast. And it did sell fast, as I bought it immediately! That was a nice move, as I found out later: it is complete, Staunton standard, excellently carved, and indeed featuring a very nice brown dark red wood for the dark chessmen. I also received a vinyl chessboard, green and white, as a small additional gift from the seller. It seems obvious to me the set had been made in India; it is actually mint condition as new, the pieces are weighted and equipped with black leather or leatherette underneath. There are no additional Queens. I failed to identify the maker and the model name, the set can be several years old; but I finally found this very design (in different sizes and wood species) offered by several retailers, most frequently named"Stallion" or "Staunton Stallion" or "English Stallion". The light pieces are obviously made of boxwood, and two assumptions can be made for the dark ones: if the set is somewhat recent, it must be bud rosewood (a vague designation used in India for African padouk), else it likely is red sandalwood, a protected species now banned from India export. I favor this second possibility, as the African padouk is more golden orange; the set may have been sold before the export forbidding, and the inside of the wood is definitely the same slightly purplish-blue shade as the red sandalwood is. I could check this as the dark Queen's coronet suffered two small chips, that most probably happened during shipment, as I fortunately retrieved both chips in the box. This enabled accurately glueing these back in place, and no damage can be spotten anymore.

Very nice chessmen

The Knight is hyperclassical, and very nicely carved!

A modern touch of design: the rather long and narrow muzzle of the Knight (do zoom in the picture taken from above, to better see that),
the somewhat higher crenellation of the Rook, and the conical shape of the King's crown.

Awesome shades revealed under strong light!
In more cosy light, the dark pieces are very dark brown, with a light shade of claret red.

Indajesa

Material: wood (boxwood)
King size: 3.66"
King base: 1.47"
Rook size: 2.45"
Square size: 2.16"
Purchase: used €50

Taste changes with time and experience, and that is fine... Actually some years have passed before I started liking this Staunton design, typically Spanish (even Iberian, as it originated in Catalonia but in addition was commonly used in Portugal). I initially rejected the design of the Knight, very distinctive and somewhat aggressiv, due to the wiry and prominent outlines. Later, character became a key expected feature from my chessmen, and this Knight design grew on me... alike the other pieces from this set. The softly rounded coronet of the Queen is another distinctive feature; but there are more: the layered height of the pieces is gently sloping, resulting in a massive Rook, definitely consistent with its strength on the board. Pawns are as well unusually large, and the King tops the Queen only thanks to its cross finial. The pieces are felted, not weighted, but they are heavy enough for a pleasant handling, and the wide bases provide a nice stability. They were initially branded by Indajesa (Industrias del Ajedrez S.A, a company later acquired by Mora Viraf, which will keep on producing them).

Front viewed, the Knight seems a cheeky one, doesn't it?

An athletic jumper!

Dubrovnik 1950

Material: wood (padauk & boxwood)
King size: 3.7"
King base: 1.5"
Rook size: 2.04"
Square size: 2.16"
Purchase: new €182.80 +€57.12 tax & FedEx fee

For some historical context, please read (or read again) my above description of the plastic, definitely basic version of the Dubrovnik set. I badly wanted to get a nice quality wooden version, at a reasonnable purchase price, though. In the end, I found one at the Indian Chess Company, offering three versions; this one apart: ebony and boxwood at the very same fair price, or sheesham and boxwood at the very attractive price €122; it would have perfectly fit my expectation. Nevertheless, I succombed to the awesome reddish brown of the padauk. Despite the '1950' claim within the name that may intend some reprodution ambition from the seller, it was not part of my expectations: I cannot pretend being able to evaluate nor comment the reproduction accuracy with regards to original. On another hand, I can assert that this design is definitely pleasant to my eyes, and I consider the whole set awesome. What else could I expect?

The carving master piece: the Knight.

The pieces stand somewhat apart from the Staunton standard, yet are quite naturally identifiable.
I like the sturdy Pawn!

The Knight from every angle...

... and zoomed in.

1915-25 Nimzovich repro

Material: wood (boxwood)
King size: 3.75"
King base: 1.69"
Rook size: 2.2"
Square size: 2.16"
Purchase: new €364

Since I played a lot with the Chessmaster program, maybe this had an influence on me, as it offered white and red pieces:

Anyway, I did not stay unmoved while watching nice sets featuring such colors; owning one was not any priority to me, but it was a temptation I felt since long. Those colors were very classical, back when some nice chess sets were made of ivory, natural and red stained. There, the set is a magnificent reproduction made of lacquered wood, by Chessbazaar, of a Jaques Staunton set produced between 1915 and 1925:

both above pictures reproduced by courtesy of Alan Fersht
source: https://www.britishchesssets.com/chess/index.html

The common practice names the Jaques design variations using great players names (according to Frank Camaratta's classification), and the most distinctive piece in order to classify the various models is the knight; this one is named "Nimzovich"; and here is a wood example:

above picture reproduced by courtesy of Alan Fersht
source: https://www.britishchesssets.com/chess/index.html

The quality level reached by Chessbazaar to reproduce those pieces in lacquered wood is definitely excellent, so the high-end price looked fair to me. Of course the chessmen are weighted and felted. The bright colors bring a touch of cheerfulness to the game! Each side has one of both knights and one of both rooks stamped with a small crown; this was useful back in time for the descriptive notation: it enables setting the King's Knight and the King's Rook apart from the Queen side ones. This stamping is not anymore needed due to the algebraic notation being used now, but it adds a nice authentic touch to the set.

The dark side is red!

It cannot be more Staunton....

View above the King side stamping

The "Nimzovich" Knight is definitely successful. A great classical!

On a Leuchars repro chessboard (mousepad), during a cold winter morning ...

Player Series

Material: plastic
King size: 3.8"
King base: 1.54"
Rook size: 2.24"
Square size: 2.16"
Purchase: new €32.02

While searching a nice wooden chessboard to suit my "Leningrad" set presented hereafter, I had bought the floppy vinyl board displayed here; it appeared logical to peer a plastic set with it, sized consistently to the 2.2" squares. In the USA, you can find an interesting choice for high-end plastic sets, but either lacking any international shipment offer, or with dissuasive shipment cost with regards to the value of the set. Fortunately, you can also find a more reduced choice, but a quality one as well, in India; despite the largest share of this production being of course wooden carved sets. Pieces price is competitive with US practice, with the considerable difference that the shipment cost is included! Well done... So, I purchased these size 6 chessmen to Chessbazaar, they are simple with style, heavily weighted, and felted. As with all Staunton sets, the Knight is the most distinctive piece: I much like the modern design, stylized with moderation, and pleasant to handle. This being said, the Bishop itself is distinctive, featuring a slightly oversized miter resulting in a sort of pilot whale's head aspect. It stands clearly out of the other pieces, and is very handful.

Ecliptic

Material: plastic
King size: 3.85"
King base: 1.73"
Rook size: 2.08"
Square size: 2.16"
Purchase: new €42 including a neopren board

This wonderful design appealed me at once; it is both modern and consistent. It stands aside from the Staunton pattern, but keeps being perfectly easy to read and play. The designer is Conor O'Kane, from whom you can find the works here, as 3D print files. Displayed within a first discussion thread here, the 'Ecliptic' design raised such a feeling of interest that an ABS version has been produced under the Prevision Chess brand, and offerred thru Amazon. Another thread here discusses it more in details, including interesting insights about the Knight design. I purchased the "Grand Prix Edition" version, that includes a neopren (mousepad) board I set aside for other use, as it is a bit small to my taste (1.97" squares) with regards to those pieces. I think they feel significantly better with 2.16" squares. The other option at order (except 3D printing) is the "Championship Edition" version, including the very same pieces and a folding board, as well sized with 1.97" squares. To my eyes, the most astonishing piece was the Pawn, as its required simplicity usually leads to the standard design our eyes are much used to. Though, it is definitely consistent with the assumed choice for the Bishops, Queens and Kings design; therefore a great success. I think successfully designing such a simple piece, and at the same time stand apart from the usual design, must have been a real challenge. I fell in love with the Knight, it is just amazing, radiating a feeling of animal force.

The finish is shiny, but thanks to the rounded lines it doesn' get in the way.
Admire the ecliptic pattern consistency!

Also the Knight is much unusual, simple in design, nevertheless impressive with brute force.
Much successful!

Latvian repro

Material: wood (maple)
King size: 3.9"
King base: 1.5"
Rook size: 1.98"
Square size: 2.16"
Purchase: new €202.77 ($220)

Purchased from an Ukrainian seller (Oldset via Etsy), this set is a reproduction of the "Latvian" and so does not warrant any Mordovian origin. I just keep it as named by the seller, and only refering to the style of the pieces. I was already fond of their overall design (check out the genuine "Mordovian" set introduced higher in this page); I succumbed in front of both this sublime contrast of red and black, and the high manufacturing quality. The Knight reproduces the typical 50's design, and is much successful. The chessmen are weighted and felted, pleasant to play with.

The red army, definitely sublime.

Wonderful alignement!

This "Latvian" Knight is a piece of art. Beauty and simplicify are here on an equal footing!

Leningrad

Material: wood (boxwood and ebonized boxwood)
King size: 3.9"
King base: 1.65"
Rook size: 2.32"
Square size: 2.16"
Purchase: new €110.36

If you like the "Zagreb" set Knight (characterised by its high neck and vertical muzzle attitude), but don't like so much the opposite color finials on the Kings, Queens and Bishops; then the "Leningrad" set is the one for you. It is exactly how I went to choosing this set as the main one in my small collection. In addition, I have a small preference for this Knight as opposed to the Zagreb one, as its front view is more detailed (the Zagreb is only detailed from side view). Anyway, both designs of the Knight provide a very pleasant handling. Furthermore, each and every piece of the Leningrad set is great to play with, heavily weighted, felted, and stable. And of course, they are superb from my point of view, avoiding the exuberance featured by some high-end sets, excessively carved to my taste. I ordered this nice set in India, to Staunton Castle; and completed the set with a nice wooden board (Rechapados Ferrer).

"Library size" pieces
back to "My chess sets"

Pieces for 2 inches or more squares ("competition size")

Paco Ŝako

World Chess "Official Academy Chess Set"

DGT Chess Pieces Plastic

Chavet