question about kings…..
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I waaaaaaay prefer kings with crosses. Am I in the minority? Does it matter to any of you guys? I ‘see’ the pieces better with the crosses….. anyone have any feelings one way or the other?
Means nothing to me in terms of ‘belief’. It’s just easier for me to tell the pieces apart…..
More a question about a Noj 1950 Dubrovnik king vs a Chavet. One w a ball on top, one w a cross.
Then , try playing with a french regency chess set 
Now this this gets really hard on the eyes .
For me it doesn't matter, ball or cross. However, I played a few games last weekend with a friend. I brought out my Minceta pieces. He certainly made it known he liked to play with cross kings. I don't think you're a minority in thinking this.
Yeah, my kids refused to play with Dubrovniks. They thought the king and queen look too similar and, to be fair, I can't really disagree. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ They love playing with the Chavet reproduction. 
Oct 29, 2022
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#7
I recently turned a king with a cross that I liked. it was a new approach for me but it combined a lot of the stylistic elements I like.
I prefer a cross to make it easier to distinguish the king but I am not opposed to a ball as long as the king can be clearly identified. In a Dubrovnik set, I think the queen design is different enough from the king to tell them apart.
MCH818 wrote:
I prefer a cross to make it easier to distinguish the king but I am not opposed to a ball as long as the king can be clearly identified. In a Dubrovnik set, I think the queen design is different enough from the king to tell them apart.
I agree, the queen is easily to differentiate from the king.
I like both, cross and ball. I have no preferences.
Oct 30, 2022
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#11
i like the kings to have a somewhat more glorified design, with curves on their cross
Oct 30, 2022
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#12
ardutgamersus wrote:
i like the kings to have a somewhat more glorified design, with curves on their cross
i have no problem if its with a ball though
@Timo…. That’s a beautiful piece you made!!!!!! I’d love to see more pics if you’d be willing to post.
There will always be players who will object to a certain chessmen style for whatever reason. Can't please everyone. I mean, there are players who object to brown wood pieces because there's not enough contrast with the brown wood board.
There is something to be said for a King with a simple cross atop the crown. No ball, no spike, no diagonals, no chunkiness, no details. Just a simple cross.
- Wait, we need a king!
- Ah okay, let's stick a cross in it and call it a day.
Lolololol
Oct 30, 2022
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#18
@Krames, thank you for the invite to share some pictures of my sets. I run a small wood working shop in Illinois. I have some Staunton style sets as well as custom designs: Queen's Gambit, Spool Pattern and Dubiln Pattern. I also do boards and tables. Here are a few miscellaneous shots but for a complete overview, visit my Etsy shop at Falling Leaf Chess. It's a great time to buy for Christmas!
I’ve wanted a chess table for a long time….. thanks so much for the pics and the info
Originally the King had a cross on top. It wasn't until later that the crown was replaced by the non-religious ball or in some sets a spike.. The question then becomes why was the cross replaced? To my understanding the cross was replaced in the Soviet designed sets as the communists did not want any references to religion. Which is also why the "Bishop" has no mitre. I am sure the more informed collectors and experts will weigh in shortly. As for me it matters not if the King has a cross or a ball or if the Bishop has a mitre or a ball. What matters to me and how I recognize the pieces is the relative size of the individual pieces. Which is exactly why I do not own any of the themed sets. In the Dubrovnik sets the contrasting color tops on the Bishop helps to differentiate them.