Post Your Chess Sets

I have to be honest.....As much as I love so many of the chess sets posted here,it's some of those boards that really begin to float my boat.

Magic,

Okay then, here are a few solid hardwood boards to start off.

2.5" Padauk and Northern Ash.

2.375" Padauk and Maple.

2.2" Padauk and Maple

With 90% of my chess sets being either Padauk, Sheesham, Acacia, Rosewood, red lacquer, red sandalwood, or stained mahogany, I tend to prefer Padauk and bloodwood boards that compliment the red and brown hues of most of my chess pieces.

Lou is evil!

Beautiful ! 

The 2.2" Padauk  gets me bad!   Love it....Funny how Padauk has become the darling of chess pieces and nice boards lately.....Lucky for me,I got a stunning Russian Zagreb set,in Padauk 3 months ago,before the price rose by 25% on that set.Admittedly,it's a beaut.

To fill in the size gaps, a few more solid hardwood boards.

2" Bloodwood and Northern Ash

2.125" Bloodwood and Maple

2.375" Bubinga and Maple

And 2.25" Walnut and Maple Drueke board

And a 2.25" Walnut and Maple Amish board (no animals were injured in the making of this chessboard).

Get to sleep already Lou....You're killing me....and.....I have a birthday coming up Monday,which did not include any chess paraphernalia......Waiting a few more months for my last set.

Magic,

Happy upcoming Natal Day. Buenos noches! 

Muchos Gracias Lou....Took Spanish in High school.

More lovely kit Lou.

@loubalch That Bloodwood and Maple is spectacular.

Thanks, the top three boards pictured above were custom-made to my specs by craftsmen on Etsy. The fourth board, I found in a resale shop, is a vintage (Drueke) board made in Grand Rapids, MI. The story goes that for years Drueke had this old guy sourcing the wood for their pieces and boards, and when he finally retired, the material quality and consistency suffered as a result. The final board pictured, purchased from a vendor, is a domestic board made by Amish craftsmen, origin unknown, PA, OH, IN, and MI being the most likely candidates.

Just purchased, some wooden chess sets from one of the last Russian manufactures. 90years of tradition, excellent environmental awareness, very interesting price ranges and what else : Great customer support and real stock (!). 

Will have to wait maybe 1 month to get my parcel via the Russian Post, but will certainly upload my sets then.

As did I, though not much of it stuck.

I recently purchased these sets in square size 45 and 33 (mm).

Made in RU, 100% wood. Pine (board), birch (pieces), both finished with varnish.

Traditional handcrafted by one of the last Russian manufacturer that still maintain authenticity.

It will take maybe 1 month to get my shipping.

-> see my review on post #2257

Nice solid looking modern made travel set made in Russia. Maybe ask them to include a few extra King and Queen finials in case of travel accidents.

Below, is a seller on eBay I bookmarked who sells new Made in Russia sets. Not in your traditional Russian style though. Birch wood as well. $99-120 + shipping. Never pulled the trigger. 

Thanks. Yes, I asked to add some b/w  finials   (they still use the same since the 60's) .

For travel a bit too bulky, maybe the smaller one, but a perfect size for studies on the desk or a coffee table (the only wooden folding sets with notation I know) when to avoid a tournament setup. 

Yours are nice too, interesting bishops. 

However, it feels good to see from time to time a material that is off-mainstream, as the imitated "perfection" from India gets boring.

Pawnerai,

Love the second set pictured above and below. Do you know if it's currently available and from where?

The first time I saw this style set was on the Kandun website, which was entirely in Russian. I lusted after this set for a long time until I finally was able to translate the page and realized that the set was only 3" tall.

[Kandun Retro 60 below]

https://kadun.ru/chess/Chess_Kadun_retro_60

I was happy to see where Chess Bazaar offers a version of this set. I own it and love it, especially the knights! It's available in both 3.75" and 4" versions.

[Chess Bazaar Soviet Era Set]

https://www.chessbazaar.com/chess-pieces/reproduced-russian-soviet-collection-chess-pieces/reproduced-russian-soviet-era-series-chess-set-in-sheesham-box-wood-3-75-king.html

Not sure if directly linking to an active eBay listing is frowned upon.

Seller name is: cavalieri-ruff

$119 + shipping.

**EDIT** just messaged you the direct link.

Yes, I like natural boards - you might even smell the wood when using. With the time, they will get a lovely patina and coloring.

(I find it terrible to play on glossy surfaces)