We found this vintage pocket chess set in my father's items - it is leather with celluloid pieces
This looks the closest to the B/W pics of Fischer on the train. There are two columns of slots on the sides for the captured pieces.
Anyone still using these checkbook/passport style boards for analysis?I figured most people would be using their phones or tablets so they can use a strong chess engine to analyze the game in real-time.
I had one sent it back. Chess Cafe closed these out for $10 each. The one they sent me the pieces did not fit into the slots, was the worse set I had. The best two I have are from ChessMate and the red and white magnetic button set from the Russian Federation store.
I just purchased this set yesterday from Russia!
That is a nice set reminiscent of the sets of the 60's I used to play on. It is well made too.
I'm looking for any historical resources about flat pocket travel chess sets. Mostly the kind with magnetic pill pieces in cases that shut, or flat book like slotted boards with tab pieces. I appreciate any help or links to the history of travel pocket chess sets. Thanks in advance!
In his autobiography, "The Stress of Chess-- and Its Infinite Finesse", Walter Browne talks about the pocket chess set carried by Bobby Fischer. Below is an excerpt from page 49 which happened during the Finals of Siegen 1970:
"One night I met Bobby Fischer. He was analyzing his drawish adjournment with Romanian GM Florin Gheorghiu on his handmade pocket leather Argentine Chess set. (Later, in the 1980's, I bought dozens of them on my trips to Argentina)."
Interestingly, artifacts collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame has Walter Browne’s pocket leather chess set that he acquired during an international tournament in Buenos Aires 1978:
https://worldchesshof.org/sites/default/files/2016-open-files-brochure-web.pdf
Interestingly, artifacts collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame has Walter Browne’s pocket leather chess set that he acquired during an international tournament in Buenos Aires 1978
The white kingside Knight has lost its ears. Ack!
In Australia ( I am in Victoria but assume all states would be the same) I find that a lot of those $2 and discount miscellaneous stores sometime stock them for around $4-7 AUD ( approx $5-10 USD). The ones I have seen are about the size of your hand and clip shut. They are made of plastic moulding with magnetic pieces. I am sure Alibaba and other stores would have them.
Here is a Passport set for sale on a Dutch site:
http://www.vanstockum.nl/passport-travel-chess-set-10018989/