Missus Powderdigit would look at it, shook her head and left 
I say 'congratz! it's a beauty'! That's one of the few Soviet pieces I'm attempted to. I totally dig the design, slim stems and wide bases. Gorgeous set!
I don't think that knight is a leaner, either there is too much glue on one side or it wasn't cut straight. Easy to fix, just sand down to have it straight and glue it back.
Maybe I'm going nuts,being so anal about perfection myself,but I get it.
It's like the acoustic guitar guys,who want beat up instruments,which play and sound great,but have road wear......You just have fun with it.
I have that HOS box,since you were the guy who turned me onto their sale at the time.Placed my gem like 19th Century Alekhine set in it.
As for the Lardy......Mine are piled exactly like yours and in the exact box,since buying them in the mid 1970's......Not a mark on them.
@MCH818 - wonderful stuff. Perhaps the best part - your taste is evolving and you’re going with the flow… I love it when we allow ourselves to change, experience new things, ideas - whatever …
I laughed at your comment about restoring it - I have taken a break from that table but… I have felted the back of that restored board now and it is wonderful - even without the drawer and legs… but I will get back to them soon.
As it happens, I’m sitting on the couch after a long day of work … relaxing, reading the forum … reading about a gent solving tracking emerging global diseases and remembering time’s bygone. It’s pretty fortunate hey …
that some of us are lucky enough to even talk about chess sets when there’s so much else going on in the world but we all relax in different ways and I find it relaxing to read this CB&E forum. I looked across from my couch and took this photo … and how lucky that I have a a home, a healthy family and even little things like that set over there on the table … to be able to play people across the globe - on my phone …who would have thought?!
Alas, I am getting a bit too serious and reflective …
… well played MCH818 … well played, lovely vintage set. 👍
Talking about storing Lardy in it's box, I'm gonna give you all some stuff to think about. I noticed none of the Jura pawns are leaners so I figure since they're the shortest hights therefor the strongest construction, I always put them first at the bottom, the bishops standing up and the king and queen on top. This to mitigate more leaners in the future 
What you got is a organic chess set there comrade , which beats any of those repros with some TLC can bring back to its Communism glory
Fantastic set.
I too, became enamored with the style of the Soviet era sets. I have two from the 60s/70s but yours is quite a nice one with lots of character already built in.
Now it is time to come up with some stories of the epic battles the set has been involved in - they must include brutal Russian winters, lit by candles, and copious amounts of vodka must be included.
Thanks for posting @MCH818.
What you got is a organic chess set there comrade , which beats any of those repros with some TLC can bring back to its Communism glory
Thanks! Kate makes a very nice copy. It looks very close to the BF1 set used in the '33 match. @Cgrau posted some nice photos in his thread about the '33 set at https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/botvinnik-flohr-1933-soviet-set. I could have bought Katie's reproduction. It would be in perfect condition and as Kate states on her Etsy page made with the same materials and workmanship as the original sets. The one thing her set and other Soviet reproductions do not have is the wear and tear that came from usage over a long time. I can't imagine how many games were played with this set. Also this set survived for 90 years in the Soviet Union with all of the harsh winters, wars, famine, and other hardships. I love reproductions but there is something to be said for the longevity of an original vintage or antique set.
Congrats on acquiring that wonderful set.
The set actually used in the 1933 match remains an enigma. While the red set you reference bears many similarities to the less than perfect photos from the 1933 match, I have come to believe that we have yet to find a surviving copy of the set actually used.
For this reason, the name "Botvinnik Flohr I" that has been associated with sets in the style you've obtained are misnamed. Sets like these--and I have one that has been nicely restored--most definitely were not used in the 1933 match. Some of us have begun to refer to this design more generically as a "Soviet Upright." I plan a future blog post on the issue and won't belabor it here.
In the meantime, here's a photo of my restored 1930s Soviet Upright.
The knight with the lean just looks tired. Like what was mentioned above, easy fix if it bothers u. Nice collection.
Fantastic set.
I too, became enamored with the style of the Soviet era sets. I have two from the 60s/70s but yours is quite a nice one with lots of character already built in.
Now it is time to come up with some stories of the epic battles the set has been involved in - they must include brutal Russian winters, lit by candles, and copious amounts of vodka must be included.
Thanks for posting @MCH818.
Haha! I forgot all about the vodka and I like the "lit by candles" idea. If this set could only talk... Btw, do you have any photos of your two Soviet sets?
I do not but I just told my son that I am stealing his camera for a while and I will post some up soon.
Oh, Chuck, that set is simply magnificent.
Great knowledge! Is there a meaning behind the naming 'upright'?
Enough cgrau! You're going to make me want to start adding more sets and I want to be done!-
Congrats on acquiring that wonderful set.
The set actually used in the 1933 match remains an enigma. While the red set you reference bears many similarities to the less than perfect photos from the 1933 match, I have come to believe that we have yet to find a surviving copy of the set actually used.
For this reason, the name "Botvinnik Flohr I" that has been associated with sets in the style you've obtained are misnamed. Sets like these--and I have one that has been nicely restored--most definitely were not used in the 1933 match. Some of us have begun to refer to this design more generically as a "Soviet Upright." I plan a future blog post on the issue and won't belabor it here.
In the meantime, here's a photo of my restored 1930s Soviet Upright.
Thanks! You are right. We should not refer to our sets as a BF1 set. Soviet Upright would be much more appropriate. I would change the title but I don't think I can. I will make an edit to post 1.
You're restored set is so NICE!!! I love it! Btw, I am curious to know something. Is your set weighted?
It's not weighted. None of this style are unless the weights were added later.
It's not weighted. None of this style are unless the weights were added later.
I thought so because there is really no space for weights. I assumed it was when I bought it. I realized this was not possible when I received the set. Also, I remember reading that only tournament sets were heavily weighted. Is that correct?
For the most part.
[Edit] The title of the thread should be changed because the reviewed set was not used in the 1933 tournament between Botvinnik and Flohr. Calling it a 1930s Botvinnik-Flohr 1 set is not proper. The reviewed set is commonly referred to as a Soviet Upright set.
Up until recently, I was only into reproductions. I like them because the set can be delivered in as perfect condition as possible. If the set was delivered with any issues such as dings, marks, scratches, chips, color variations, etc a request can be made to the retailer/seller for replacement. Plus, replacement pieces are readily available should I ever break a piece. It is a win win.
This was 100% the case up until I bought my first vintage set. It was a 105 mm Lardy. It had some issues but I didn’t mind it too much. It was a 50 year old set. What could I possible expect from something so old. After 4 more vintage sets, I ran across this beauty. It was everything my reproductions were not. There were plenty of dings, marks, scratches, chips, and color variations. One pawn has a chipped collar and one knight has a lean. The finish was worn and the board wobbles. Gee whiz… Why would I want that? I have no idea, but I could not get it out of my head. Every time I went to Etsy, there it was in the search results. Everything was wrong with it based upon my standards for a reproduction, but yet it was just right visually.