Sándor Biro Chess Set

Chessbazaar has also reproduced this set in different colours and woods!

Yep, rip-off artists.

Chessbazaar price range for the Romanian chess set is reasonable. Royal Chess Mall has reproduced this set too but it is slightly more expensive!

The Indian sets are no where near the same quality. Unfortunately in that region they can not grow maple trees. They use box wood which is prone to dents and cracks. Sandor Brio uses maple which is a hard wood making his set pretty much indestructible.

Looks like I missed uploading this one somehow!

Now I only need to learn how to play proper chess, heh.

That is a really great photographic capture @beachero!

Not only can one easily see that the little player is truly enjoying herself, but it shows that the Biro Sandor set is simultaneously sturdy and attractive.

Better order mine soon, then, and thank you to @Ferocissimvs for relaying that the carver may end his production in the very near future.

Maple wood does have some advantages over boxwood; for example, boxwood is subject to mould as well as cracks as you mentioned. I have dozens of chess sets made from European maple wood and have not developed any mould so far. Also Sandor Biro chess set is more similar to the original than the Indian version. May be staunton castle or chess empire can make a more accurate version of the romanian set than chessbazaar or royal chess mall but so far for some unknown reason they have not reproduced this set yet. The price of the set for £100 is reasonable too!

LOL what? Sandor Biro chess set itself is the original set.

Bobby Fischer also purchased two chess sets from him after his 1992 match against Boris Spassky in embargoed Belgrade, which marked the 20th anniversary of the 1972 World Chess Championship in Reykjavik. Because he violated the embargo, Fischer had to go into hiding in Hungary for three years.

As a result, one of the available colors for his chess sets was named “Fischer Burgundy”. At Fischer’s request, the bishops were redesigned with opposite-colored tips (likely inspired by his fondness for Dubrovnik sets), a feature that has persisted to this day.

Source with timestamp: https://youtu.be/nr4NS7kWu-s?t=203

@stumOnner, I have two of his sets and I wouldn’t say the maple feels hard or indestructible. Quite the opposite, actually. The lacquer used appears to be nitrocellulose, which has a soft and “breathable” quality, as nitrocellulose never dries completely. I have knicks and indentations on my used set, but I enjoy the character. Now my NOJ maple pieces? Extremely hard, but more intricate drying and finishing processes are involved. All things considered, I feel Sándor‘s design is what lends the indestructible nature: single carvings, thick stems, large collars, no sharp edges, et cetera. A true masterpiece born out of necessity!

@FEROCISSIMVS, is black an offering now?! I inquired when I purchased my sets back in Nov ‘22, but only red, brown, and dark brown stains were offered (latter appears black in certain lighting conditions).

Yep, that’s right! When I asked for an offer, he replied to my email with these pictures of the available colors, though I think his webpage has been updated too. He is using some kind of water-based bio-lacquer btw (so it is strongly advised not to touch them with wet hands), maybe black was unavailable at the time?

I agree that the maple wood used for making sandor biro chess set is not as dense and solid as the one used by Noj. Maple wood also has different grades and the higher grades are more expensive. Sandor biro may have tried to save money by using lower grades. In that case boxwood is better than low grade maple. Boxwood also has grades and higher the more dense. Chessbazaar and Royal Chess Mall have made very good copies of the Romanian set and their knights are more aesthetic (nobody can make knights like Indian craftsmen) and their price during sales could go down even to $99. Of one prefers maple because it is lighter colour then the Sandor Biro would be the choice. To prevent both boxwood and maple from developing mould it is best to store them in good quality wooden box away from intense heat and humidity.

Hahaha, nice job trying to hijack the thread with false statements such as

or

If you want to promote RCM or Chessbazaar so hard, please do so in a different thread, as this one is titled “Sándor Biro Chess Set.” You could create a separate thread called something like “Romanian-Hungarian Piece Replicas” or “Biro Chess Piece Ripoffs.”

It is already quite unfortunate that most people looking for chess pieces will likely only come across your business, whichever company you are affiliated with. Of course, you cannot produce a perfect 1:1 copy, as that could potentially lead to legal action.

@Vtv & @Spanish - I should have stated these are my opinions (: (no expert) just sharing my experience. You are right in regards to digression on wood material / condition and the carver. I have many NOJ sets and have always stated NOJ is in a class of their own (no comparison). I have 2x sets made by Sandor, I don't have the Indian version of the Brio. Everyone has their own opinion and by no means am I knocking anyone for their purchase or considering purchase. I favor maple over boxwood (just me), I also favor the original maker as it was intended (personally). I'm cool with the discussion and inputs as long as its healthy (: here is a Brio photo I snap when visiting Italy. - Stums

Noj uses the highest grade of wood for making their products and they are really sensitive to quality.
The Sandor Biro produced nowadays are not exactly as aesthetic as the original ones made by IM Biro, may be because he spends less time on making them or uses newer machinaries for mass production. Also the wood grade used by Sandor is not the top end, either he cannot afford highest quality maple or he can no longer find them easily. The Romanian set reproduced by Chessbazaar and RCM both of which I possess are chunkier than Sandor’s and they even stand out better on a 5-5.5 cm square chessboards (for Sandor’s set 4.5 cm square chessboard is better) specially the paduk ones. Sandor’s set is also good and specially appeals to those who prefer lighter colour wood such as maple. Biro can also do better if he uses paduk wood instead as staining wood requires special technique otherwise the colour comes off with regular touch or from exposure to humidity. Overall, Biro’s set is still good and worth owning.

I do know for sure that there was a point in time where Sandor Brio had to switch stain due to the availability. I confirmed this with him at one point in the past. Comparing photos I've seen online, I would agree that the original stain was more attractive (from the photos). In terms of the wood quality, I can't speak to what's happening now. My 2x Brio sets are really nice with no complaints and highly regarded. I think it's also true that Sandor doesn't have easy access to exotic woods like Paduk. Not sure if he even intended his set to be made with other than maple, as the creator of this original design.

I have had exchanges with one of the best known chess piece designers over the past few decades about Amritsar. All his pieces are produced there both for economic realities and the skill of the carvers. They do a great service for our community in keeping alive and available designs that are no longer available - or only at prices beyond the reach of many of us.

That said, he holds a grudge against the total disregard there for copyright/rights of the original designer. He has mentioned design after design of his that are quickly reproduced and sold directly, undercutting the price he needs to remain viable and in violation of his rights.

For this reason, I object to Amritsar companies ‘stealing’ Sandor’s design. His sets are available directly from him and at a very reasonable price.

@stumOnner, I agree on maple over boxwood, as well as supporting the original designer/carver over third-party ripoffs. Thanks for the healthy discussions points and awesome photo of the set in Italy!

Does anyone have experience with the new water-based finish on Sándor’s sets? Does the finish rub off with sweaty hands? I’m inclined to think he wouldn’t deploy the finish if it easily rubbed off under this condition that could be caused in hotter environments, tournament play, fast controls, et cetera.