Post your Travel Chess Sets

Interesting, Chuck.  I think you're right about the conversion, and if so then it is truly unique.  Thanks for posting.

Yes, you're right, I missed it.  I haven't seen many llama's in Mexico lately.  I guess I was just thinking of a way to get the legend of Malinche in the post.  Thanks for the correction, cedric_d.

Hello UpcountryRain,

I assume you were playing on a folding, two dimensional disk-type pocket set and you're looking for a three-dimensional, preferably Soviet era travel set, correct?

Whether plastic, wood or bone, a practical travel/analysis set must have a place for captured pieces and must allow the position to remain as is when closed and traveling.  That means no folding boards with the playing surface on the outside.  It's also nice to have a lid that is permanently attached to the set so it can be easily flipped open.  Oh, and it's also nice to have a set where the pieces don't dislodge themselves from the holes when turned upside down with lid closed.

From a purely practical point of view, the best 3-D set for analysis is the rugged plastic Shoptaugh I already mentioned in these posts.  However, the pieces are small and hard to see for older eyes.  Though the Shoptaugh has a removable lid, it won't get lost because it fits snugly underneath the playing portion of the set.  Unfortunately, I haven't seen any Shoptaughs recently on eBay, and the set is no longer manufactured by Mr. Shoptaugh.

Regarding Soviet travel sets, there is only one model of the peg-in type belonging to that era I've seen listed on eBay, and that is the one I posted.  There are several Soviet era magnetic sets, but none of them have storage space for captured pieces, and the magnets are not strong enough to keep the pieces in place while traveling.

Yes, the set I posted is quite attractive, but there are some things to consider before placing a bid on eBay.  First and of primary concern is the small diameter of the pegs in these sets; go back and take a look at the hole size in each square.  The pieces have to be carefully handled because I suspect carelessness or abuse will probably break one off, though it has not happened to me so far.  However, if the set is used primarily for analysis and the pieces moved often, the somewhat fragile pegs may be a concern.  This would not be so on the Swiss set in the same post because the pegs are much larger in diameter; again take a look at the size of the holes in each square.

Second, the varnish on the pieces is inconsistent due to age and use, though I'm not convinced they were varnished well to begin with.  Frankly, that can be said of other Soviet era sets.

Lastly, not all the peg-in boards are the same for these sets.  Some, like mine, have alternating types of wood for the light and dark squares, but other sets have the dark squares painted on a solid piece of birch (I think that's correct though it may be basswood from the linden tree, which is used in crafting matryoshkas).  You can tell the difference, and I've stayed away from painted boards.

I have two of these sets, both purchased from a young woman who lives in the Ukraine.  She resided in Donetsk at the time of the separate eBay sales, but she has since moved back in with her parents in Kharkov due to the threat of a Russian invasion in the eastern part of the Ukraine.  She is still active on eBay.

Lastly, if you are patient and willing to spend between $125 and $150 you may find a 6-inch Whittington or a decent slide-top bone set (below) listed on eBay.  This set did not arrive looking quite this dapper, I cleaned it up.  On the other hand, if you don't like playing with red pieces, stick with wood or plastics; bone travel sets from the Victorian era were almost always dyed with cocheniel.

I hope this post has been of some help.

Best,
Bob

Hey Bob,

Thank you for the very detailed response. I truly appreciate the time and thought spent in helping me.

Actually, yesterday at the dentist's office I was not using a smaller pocket set (it has been years since I've had one) but was using this small Soviet set that I just posted in the analysis set thread:

Mind you, I drive a compact car so I sat myself in the back seat, laid one of the back seats flat and used it as a table for my board. (I wish I had a picture.) You can imagine the looks I got from passersby. That's when I thought I needed a travel set, recalled seeing this thread, and thought to spend more time to take a closer look.

Each of those points of advice you offered were exactly what I was looking for. While I am enamored with Soviet sets, I probably will not end up being a collector of travel sets and will end up with just one. With that being the case, I think I will keep my eyes open for the perfect set that will fit the bill; one that's been around for a while (I like old things), practical for play (I travel often enough and bug my wife for a game or two or the plane), or analysis (while I'm waiting for the wife at the dentist, etc.), able to keep a position without pieces falling out, and aesthetically pleasing. As for the red...I love red.

Thanks for setting me on the right track. Your advice has encouraged me to be patient (and vigilant), to exercise some self-restraint, and to wait for that right one. When that day comes (and it will), you can be sure that I'll post pics.

And the best to you too,

UpcountryRain

I'm pleased you found the post helpful, UpcountryRain.

I love your Soviet set, and a photo from your auto would have been entertaining.  Frankly, if I would have been walking by I would have applauded you for the proper, most thoughtful use of a fold-down seat .

I just checked and the slide-top set with shipping from the U.K. -- most of these sets on eBay are listed in pounds from Britain -- was less than I thought, $102.16 to be exact.  The 6-inch Whittington in the initial post was $155.62 with shipping.  8-inch Whittingtons in very good condition are about $200 more, around $350, though some can be had for less if you don't mind more wear on the surface of the board.  Vintage travel sets with wood pieces are always under $100.  Lastly, the K & C Ltd. of London with wood board and plastic pieces like Bob's at Post #3 range from $40 to $55 in very good condition.  These prices give you an idea of the reasonableness of various eBay listings.

One warning about those Victorian Whittingtons.  Peruse any photograph well to make sure none of the pieces have been replaced.  This usually happens with pawns.  My first set some time back had a replacement pawn I didn't notice; I ended up returning it to the seller.  Save yourself the trouble.

All the best,
Bob

Thanks again, fightingbob. Time to shop around!

this is a k&c ltd set. it's cute. all paper, i think, except for the pieces which are plastic. even the board is i think paper, which makes the pieces sort of wobbly. it's a nice size and kind of unique colors, etc. i've only been back into chess the past 3 years. when i was a kid, i had a peg set, and liked it quite a bit. i don't know if many people these days like peg sets. i don't even know many people who use sets this small. i adore them, and have been looking for a sturdy one to carry around. for me, these are only for analysis, not playing. the paper is kind of fragile, so that's a concern when carrying it around.... i've got a new drueke magnetic set, which has been pictured here in a previous post. don't care at all for that set. the board scratches easily, the magnets are too strong, and the pieces are not very attractive (to put it mildly, no offense) and just seem clumsy as all gitout. one man's opinionated opinion.....

This is my favorite, though I don't own one.  I've seen pictures of Fischer playing with something like this.  Very similar to Marcel Duchamp's design.

My travel and analysis set since the sixties. I dimly recall ordering it from USCF for a few bucks. Still works well...

Hi!

I'm relatively new both to the world of chess and to travel chess sets in particular, but have just secured this in an ebay auction (it is yet to arrive, the photos are taken from the listing; I hope the real-life item is not a disappointment!).

This set reminded me quite alot of Bob's (n9531l) K&C; the figures seem to be the same design, and the holes for captured pieces are arranged similarly. But there are also some obvious differences: My pieces are red and white, the dark squares on mine are a different colour/wood to the spaces for captured pieces, and those spaces are inverted compared to Bob's board.

I wondered if you might be able to shed any light on this, fightingbob? You seem to be very knowledgeable on the topic, and the fact you mentioned K&C also made sets with wood cases as opposed to faux-snakeskin made me think I might have a K&C, but then again the differences are obvious...

Either way, I'm curious to hear what you make of it!

Cheers!

The layout looks like my set. You have 13 holes for captured pieces, and so did mine, until I drilled two extra holes at the ends of the short rows to make room for all pieces but the kings.

I see! I did realise just now that yours had 15 holes and mine 13, and wondered whether that meant mine was odd (15 seems more logical, allowing a player to lose all pieces but the king before being mated...), so thank you for explaining! That does seem to support a shared origin, as I have not seen any other board with that kind of configuration of holes for captured pieces.

Cheers!

Hello bamboozl:

I own four K & C Ltd of London sets, all from eBay.  My two rectangular, double latch sets similar to the ones you and Bob Baker (i.e. n9531l) posted are slightly different from one another.  One has a faux snakeskin cover over wood and the other is natural hardwood.  Both are in nearly pristine condition and are pictured below.

 
These sets also came in thick, stiff cardboard as is seen in Post #67.

As you can probably discern from the photos, the sets have different hues for the boards and the felt inside the top covers is not the same dark red/maroon.  The pieces are also different between the two sets; notice the lack of a mitre on the bishops that belong to the faux snakeskin set.  I suspect the pieces were swapped out, but I can't say for sure.  It may be changes in production over time.  More common among K & C Ltd sets are pieces with mitred bishops.

I wish I could tell you when each was made, but I suspect they were made at different times in the company's history.  I believe both date back to the 1960s or 1970s.

Why the company drilled 13 instead of 15 holes for captured pieces is a mystery to me, but I believe they all have 13.  Perhaps it was a copyright issue, but that is merely a guess?  We may never know the real reason.

The number of holes for captured pieces differ between these two sets because, wholly independent of Bob Baker, I drilled four additional holes for the one.  Apparently, great minds run in the same channel.  I paused before doing the same for the wood set because the holes are just a touch larger than the originals, which are metric.  Now that I've purchased some metric bits, the wood set will receive the same treatment.

By the way, if you decide to do the same with yours, I would recommend using a drill press and measure carefully the spacing and alignment.  This guarantees vertical holes and ones perfectly aligned and spaced with the existing ones.  I'm very picky, if you couldn't tell.

Best,
Bob

A #31 wire drill bit (0.120") seemed to match my holes almost exactly, so I didn't have to get any new bits. My pieces look like the one in your wood set, and hinges look like the ones in your snakeskin set. My wood colors don't match either of your sets. It seems there were a number of versions of this set.

P.S.  A 3.0mm metric bit (0.118") would have also worked for me.

I too have one of these little beauties! Although my pieces are black and white. My father gave it to me on my birthday in 1977.

Thanks, LouStule.  Now we know the sets date back to the 1970s at a very minimum.

Bob Baker's set in post #3 has black and white pieces.  Perusing eBay for K & C Ltd travel sets, red appears to be the more common color, but that is based on a rather small sample.  I have one K & C set with black pieces and the other three are red.  A fifth has black, but I'm not positive it was manufactured by K & C Ltd.

Best,
Bob

Here are a couple photos of my little set. It's been awhile since I pulled this out of the safe and I see that it is slightly different than the other ones posted of this type. Notably, the end holes. (16 each side with a nice inlay divider between the "pawn holes" and other holes). I always thought the gold felt was a nice touch also. Thanks for the info on these Bob. I had no idea who the manufacturer was until I read this thread. As I mentioned earlier, this was a gift from my father in Sept. 1977 and it was new at that time.

Those hefty pawns make it look something like one I got from India.

Ya, the rooks are pretty tall too and the queen is taller than the king!