Show us your everyday chess set

I said it before, I'm saying it again: I love the fat rooks!

Oh, wow, I've had these for at least a year and a half...I don't think I've done more than comment in existing threads like this one:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/chess-bazaar-dubrovnik-3-0-pics-2-0-noj#comment-55920240

Long story short, I think it's a really nice reproduction, IMO one of the best out there to my tastes, and from what I can tell based on shared photos, pretty consistent production.

I'm a big fan of the fat head pawns, fat rooks, and fat head bishops (not so much in this set, though). These Sumos are nice!

Sure, I already saw this post but I forgot it, sorry for that. I was looking for different Dubs options to buy, and for me, CB 3.0 it's a potential candidate. There are some other options, but I cannot found something 100% accurate with the "originals", so, I probably choose something with a good quality/price relation.

Here is the set that's currently on my desk as the 'every day chess set'

Bendable/unbreakable pieces - classic shapes/design, foldable board . . . 

Definitely in the running for 'best chess set' I own. Obviously lots of factors can go into that designation, but all things considere, this is a GREAT set. Well done Starbucks!!!!

****Please excuse the black pieces set up on the white side of the board****

-Ted

@krames Awesome set! Are those pieces weighted?

@stum they’re not ‘weighted’. They’re relatively ‘heavy’ just bc of the material used. But definitely not ‘weighted’. They feel pretty good in my opinion…..

My every day set (for now) is a HUK glass eyed knight set with a 2 7/8" king on a Rumanian coffee house board from around 1970. It has to be small to fit on my desk next to the computer and this set up while not perfect, is still better than the crappy little magnetic travel set I was using. The two main issues are obvious in the photos. 1. The bases are too large for the 1.5" squares. 2. The contrast between the pieces and the squares is virtually non-existent. While some of these photos sort of hide that, the rook photo shows it loud and clear. Because of reason number one, deadly, nasty little pawns tend to hide behind queens so I have to be careful. It's not ideal, but for now it's still an upgrade. I need a bigger DESK!

@Krames  Great set! Between the 3 silicone boards I have, the Starbucks one is the nicest quality silicone. It's got a very nice substantial feel to it. When my son has friends over it's the one I leave out for them to play with   

@michaelcausey7 Love these, and nice pictures! What is HUK or what does it stand for?

This set is from the former GDR. Made by VERO (VEB VERO Olbernhau), if I am correct. You can see pictures in the front page of Leipzig chess club

I own two (without glass eyes), some pictures here.

Thanks! HUK is a Swiss company I believe, but I have no idea what it stands for. The set came in a box that is certainly one that they use but perhaps isn't original? The pics in your link appear to be the exact set although they've been re-felted. Interesting! You have some great looking sets! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Krames! It's certainly an upgrade from what I previously kept on my desk.

HUK are the initials of the company's owner Hans-Ulrich Kessler. The company is a toy manufacturer and retailer based in Zurich / Switzerland.

As @kiwimotard already mentioned, the set seems to be very similar to sets made in the 1970s and 80s by Vero in Gruenhainichen in the former GDR. Most of these sets were made with plain knights, but there was also a version with glass eyes (however, I could not find a picture, but @kiwimotard already showed an example above under the first link).

As far as I know, many of these sets were exported to provide foreign currency for the GDR economy (as were the Ruhla Gardé chess clocks). Probably HUK bought sets like this and resold them under their own brand.

I'm not entirely sure that it is a HUK set. That's just what someone else here thought when they saw the box. I do have a different HUK set and the boxes are VERY similar. However, the set you've shown appears to have a box just like them even though I can't see the latch in your photo. Either way it appears for sure that this set was indeed made by Vero so...mystery solved! Thanks G47!!!

Any given Sunday… this morning it is this. 

Last Sunday it was more rustic … with the morning sun showing the scratches on the ageing glass table! 

Beautiful powder! Lovely set. Are those pieces padauk?

HoS Professional... 

My everyday chess sets, two types, same producer: