Official FIDE Chess Set Have 2 Different Queen?

Hi Chess.com and particularly Eyeschess.

Your post convinced me to go for the Official one. Though I ordered it from Chessbaron and it took 10 days to reach me.

Okay here is the main thing. I believed worldchess claimed they only make 500 sets per cycle which makes me think they would actually produce 500 sets and never use their old stocks right? RIGHT?

Well, I don't know. Today I received 2 different knights which one is the 2013 version and the newer more rounded version. I questioned myself how could I have 2 version knights if they make it in the same year?

Also, anyone having this set have 2 different queens ( the head of a queen)?
Is this a feature? It is cool to have a different queen to replace from time to time but definitely not the knight.

Will I play it? Yes, I think this set is very balanced well-weighted, and I really much like the design, it a very unique one.

P/s: I have email chessbaron for the replacement. Hopefully, he will reply 

That's shocking. It strongly looks like a mixed set. Can you post a pic of the knights in 90° side profile?

This does look like a mixup of at least 2 different sets.

I actually would be asking for a complete set replacement.

Yeah, the feel is somehow distinguished from each other. Perhaps the rounded knight has a slimmer body to make it less weight?

Eyechess made the right call send it back for a complete change out.

It’s a nice set enjoy the instant classic that it is. Hopefully it will be an easy fix.

That's so strange! It looks like the knights were made by two different people and one forgot to use the current design.

 Hopefully, no one would experience this. But again world chess should do a better job for their quality control.
I might settle for the replacement of the knights only since the different queen kind of interesting like the king stamp on the Jaques chess set. I could use one version at the start and the other for the distinguished queen promotion. 

When did you make this Chessbaron purchase? The site has been saying Out of Stock for over a month now. 

It is apparent they are from different sets.  Notice that even the tone or coloring are different in the White pieces shown side by side.

I can weigh in on this one. Being my favorite set, and being a strange obsessive type, I bought four of these sets from Chess Barron in the last several years. They do have their problems though, and in the white piece side, darker wood pieces that don’t match the tone of the majority of the rest is a regular occurrence. Another regular problem is loose weights, which I fix by removing the felt, drilling through the plaster to the weight to fully expose the weight, filling the gap with epoxy, ensuring the epoxy fixes the weight to the side and fills the gap to level, reapply felt with glue, problem solved. Had to do this to over a dozen pieces out of 4 sets. Finally, to solve the random dark pieces that don’t match, I put out all the white pieces from 4 sets on the table and was able to assemble the darker pieces into sets that look more balanced. I have no explanation for your swollen knight, though in general, the handmade knights do vary a bit from piece to piece. They need to do the following
1. Have the set assembler be in a well light room and take a few minutes to make sure the color tone of the white side pieces are uniform- darker pieces look good, as long as they are together in a set, not a random, visibly darker bishop and rook with lighter pieces. 2. Stop doing the weight fixed in place with plaster. What happens is, when a piece is dropped on the floor, or goes through rough shipping, the plaster very slightly chips against and around the weight. Then, because the weight has room to move against the internal plaster which is no longer totally encasing it, you get a rattle, and it’s noticeable and annoying.

This is great information that we have not seen here before, on any set.

Was the inside packaging the old 2013 style cardboard? Or new current style foam? Does the box come sealed in any way? I ask, because you know how customers complain to retailers about pieces being this or that and request a piece replacement? Well, those pieces have to come from somewhere right? Maybe your set has a few of these swapped out pieces. Not necessarily damaged. But from different sets. 

I contacted Chessbaron about a month ago and he was completely sold out. Maybe he "found" this one last set in the back? It's his mix and match set for customer swaps. I'm 100% guessing. Sometimes there are differences in wood. But completely different sculpting from different years? That's very strange and eyebrow raising.

Hi Pawnerai, 

Yes I received it in the foam one ( the old one doesn’t come with extra queen right?) . My box doesn’t seal though .

I saw worldchess shop available from early February and 2 week later chess barron occurs to be the same.

my best guess is these set were made by more than one manufacturer then assembled at their retailers. 

in other news, if anyone wants to sell an original 2013, 2014 WCC set from Studio Anne Carlton (SAC) in box, ill give you top dollar for it

thanks,

G 

Nasty looking dent in that black knight, that would bug me.

I'm really trying hard to like that set, but unfortunately every time I look at one of those knights

all I see is K9 from Dr. Who. 😏 It must be my age. However, if I recall correctly K9 was a pretty

handy chess player. 😁

the color was changed big deal

Here I swapped my Smokey knight to the set. Somehow it fits the size but not the theme. Clearly, minimalism is the theme of the set and the horse should have simple sculpting to match.
I do have some other sets like 1849, 1972 but then I always find myself grabbing the smokey to go. Therefore, buying this set to replace the cheap smokey to show off my friend at the bar and the library.
My conclusion is that this particular set might fall into the category of an everyday set, durable, great feel, just like the Noj set.

Thank you to everyone,
I have received the replacement from chessbarron. If anyone wants to buy an authentic one. Definitely, chessbarron is the place to go.