I've ordered a Drueke board.

Hello,

I'm new here. Since the beginning of the year I have been playing chess again; with my neighbour and my dad. We mostly replay old classic games out of books, but have had a few matches ourselves.

One thing I have always wanted since I was a child is some nice chess pieces and boards. At the start of the year I discovered Chessbazaar and ordered a few sets from them. Then I discovered House Of Staunton and ordered their lacqured Dubrovnik set. Just recently I heard of Drueke boards. Was a bit disappointed that they don't trade anymore.

But, then I found some Drueke boards on Amazon USA being sold by ChessUSA. Apparently the owner has comissioned Bill Drueke (the grandson) to produce some boards for him in the old classic Drueke style.

Since I live in the UK I ordered direct from the ChessUSA website because via Amazon there is no delivery to the UK. So I am now pleased to bagged such a wonderful chess board. I'm learning that when it comes to chess sets quality is expensive!

I've got my eye on the Noj Dubrovnik sets now....but for that I will need to save up.

A thread about Drueke and JLP Woodworking solid wood chess boards...

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/drueke-vs-jlp-woodworking-solid-wood-chessboards

Upon a quick check of the ChessUSA site, the 18 inch Drueke chess board is selling there for $230USD.

http://www.chessusa.com/product/DB-101.html

The same board can be ordered from Druekegames store on eBay (direct from the owner & manufacturer, William Drueke III) for $175USD.

http://stores.ebay.com/Drueke-Games/Games-/_i.html?_fsub=3&_sid=119475863&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

Thanks for the info.....

I received my 2.25" Walnut/Maple Drueke from Bill last week for my '78 Olimpico Argentina set. My other boards were only 2" and the pieces have wide bases. I think it works  ... 

Ronbo710, that setup looks great! How do the newer Drueke boards compare to the vintage boards?

That board looks fantastic. The one I ordered from chessUSA apparently has square edges instead of a 'lip'.....at least I think it does. The photo on the website shows it is slightly different. We shall see!

Thanks for asking.The only vintage Drueke board I have now is a smaller 20" board. The quality is about the same but the older one is slightly smoother. That may also just be due to decades of handling and storage.

Sweet board!

The internet tracking shows that the board is now in Britain. Question is do I get hit with taxes????

Looks great, Ron!

Honza, you asked how the new Drueke boards compare to the vintage ones. I don't have a new one for comparison's sake, but here are some shots of vintage ones.

A 2.75" board from the sixties or seventies...

A 2.25" board from the sixties...

Another Drueke 2.25" board from the sixties...

A 2.25" board from the end of production, around 1990.

A 1.75" board from the seventies or eighties...

Chuck, I have a board that looks strikingly similar to that 1.75" board, including the beveled edge. It appears to be solid wood, My light squares are a little darker, but that may be age as the underside looks just like your picture. 

I would have got it in the mid - late eighties. There are no markings on it whatsoever, is there a way to tell if it is a Drueke or a knockoff? 

If it looks exactly like a Drueke in every respect, it's almost certainly a Drueke.  The design, materials, manufacturing, fit and finish of a Drueke board are essentially unique.  I have never seen a knock-off (apart possibly from the JLP Woodworking boards - below) which can pass for a Drueke board, to anyone who knows what a Drueke board looks like.  I have 3 Drueke boards, none of which have any obvious Drueke markings.  Many Drueke boards were shipped only with a peel-off Drueke logo sticker/label.  Many owners simply peeled the stickers off.  The closest board to a Drueke which is now being produced appears to be the JLP Woodworking board, being sold exclusively (as far as I know) by ChessHouse.

http://www.chesshouse.com/JLP_Woodworking_Hardwood_USA_Products_s/458.htm