New Blog on Soviet and Russian Chess Sets

"Welcome to my new blog on Soviet and Russian chess sets. As interest in these Stiefkinder of traditional chess collecting has grown, it has become clear that there is a need for more and better information about them. They were, after all, the chess pieces used in the Soviets' ascent to chess dominance. In April of 2020, I launched a Facebook Group, Shakmatnyye Kollektsionery, to begin to address that need. As of this writing, that group has expanded to 1700 members. This blog intends to reach an audience outside the Facebook community and to provide more detailed information than the Facebook format allows."

Please check it out and let me know any topics you'd like covered.

https://www.chess.com/blog/cgrau/arlindo-vieiras-four-styles-of-soviet-grandmaster-chessmen?ncc=1#first_new_comment

You already know this, but I really look forward to a dedicated entry on the "Baku" sets. Heh. 

Also Flohr Botvinnik.

Oh, also Jantar clocks. 

How do we keep up? I'm not familiar with chess.com's blog system.

Thanks, Mike. You can find my blog entries either through the main menu, selecting Connect/Blogs and then searching for cgrau. Or you can go to my page and they will be listed under my activity. If there is some other way, I have yet to discover it. Also, each time I post a new entry, I expect to announce here in the Equipment forum and the various Facebook chess collecting groups.

Chuck,

I wonder if you could include some discussion of the Valdai Nobles sets. They don't get the attention that some of the other Russian designs get but they are a personal favorite.

Thanks for sharing all the great info you've found over the years. You are a treasure.

Ron

Aw shucks, Ron. Thanks. I was planning on working Valdai Nobles sets. Funky little things, they were one design chosen to be really pushed to the masses, but not really used for high level tournament play. Interestingly, a photo of Botvinnik playing with one was just posted in Shakhmatnyye Kollektsionery.

Hey! Yes greatly interested in this blog. I have always wanted to know more about Russian Chess sets in the hopes of one day owning a set. Thanks!

This is awesome. Thank you for all the research and sharing it online. One can tell this is something you are passionate about. Putting together a record of the history is important before it's lost to time. The Soviet Union was HUGE at its peak. It's no wonder there are so many different styles of chess pieces to admire.

Thanks, Joel. The name of the blog is Soviet and Russian Chess Sets. As far as I know, and I don't yet understand the architecture of this site's blogs, you either need to search for it within blogs or go to the activity section of my profile and click on the link there.

Thanks! I look forward to reading and learning about Soviet sets.

Excellent news!

Please let us know when you are ready to publish your book, Chuck.

Haha, will do. 

You're quite welcome.

Oh, I meant to ask...you always seem to find great old pics of some of these sets being played throughout history. Is there a best source for historical match pictures? 

I only seem to be able to find them in the odd book or so.

Chesk out the Facebook chess collector groups. Shakmatnyye Kollektsionery, Staunton Chess Sets, and Chess Collectors are three good ones.

Thanks for the kind words and the suggestion.

I would like to know more about the "poured amber"  1970 chess set.  I saw it for sale in the Hermitage  ( Petersburg)  museum gift shop , around 1990. I am not able to send pictures of my set. 

Many thanks!