Pet peeve: "A minor annoyance that an individual finds particularly irritating to them, to a greater degree than would be expected based on the experience of others."
So for me ….
- The bishop’s mitre cutting through the ball on top
- Leaning pieces
- Undifferentiated pieces
- knights that resemble smiling lions rather than something equine
And here’s one and again no offence intended because I get that the sets are sought after but…
- the undershot jaw on some antique Jaques knights … (the 1870-75 ‘Tarrasch’ being an example)
Perhaps that’s not a pet peeve - just a style that I find less appealing than others.
On the flip side - and I think others won’t agree here too… I don’t mind a reasonable height differential between king and queen.
Again - I have such limited exposure to sets - I’d probably have quite a different view if I saw some sets in the flesh - rather than photos.
Finally, I seem to be able to park my pet peeves for ‘figural’ sets where I simply admire the art of some of the amazing display sets posted on various threads.
Kings that are much larger than queens. Bishops that have their top "ball" partially sliced through by the miter. Rooks that aren't robust enough. And I know these sets are rare, but I have a soft spot for sets where the rooks aren't shorter than the knights and bishops. Who says the pieces have to decrease in size from the middle of the board to the edges?