I really like the rooks and bishops from this set, incidentally.
Soviet Grandmaster Knights
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May 7, 2016
0
#3
The bishop miters are slotted, unlike most Soviet sets that embody a more secular design...
May 7, 2016
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#11
cgrau wrote:
Ronbo710 has asked about wood and plastic knights in these large Soviet sets with kings in excess of 4.0 inches. Here are some shots of the knights from one of my favorite Grandmaster sets. The white knights have wood heads, the black knights have plastic ones. As time wore on, wooden heads were replaced with plastic ones as it was easier and cheaper to mold them than carve them.
Hi Chuck,
Are you saying the Soviets attached plastic heads to wooden bases? Uniqueness out of necessity, or so it seems. Both your favorite set and the thinly stemmed one are attractive.
Odd how I never seem to see a thinly stemmed Soviet piece that is warped, but I'm always finding Lardys warped where a relatively thicker stem meets the collar. Perhaps it's how dramatic the cut is on the Lardy, going from a wide, wide collar to a thin stem. Obviously, the Soviet sets are thin near the middle, which give them a unique hour glass appearance, sort of like a woman. Hey, maybe that's the attraction. 
Best,
Bob
Thanks Chuck!! Those Rooks at the top make me want to fly to Kiev tomorrow and pick up my latest acquisition in person -MAGNIFICENT! I just hope mine are anywhere near as well carved. Congrats on a GEM.
Wow. I don't think I've ever seen a picture of Averbakh and certainly not when he was young. Great shot!
I had no idea such a wacky set (if I may say) was used in Soviet play.
May 8, 2016
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#15
fightingbob wrote:
Are you saying the Soviets attached plastic heads to wooden bases?
Yup.
May 8, 2016
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#16
fightingbob wrote:
Odd how I never seem to see a thinly stemmed Soviet piece that is warped, but I'm always finding Lardys warped where a relatively thicker stem meets the collar. Perhaps it's how dramatic the cut is on the Lardy, going from a wide, wide collar to a thin stem.
That's a great observation. Come to think of it, I've never seen a warped Soviet set despite all the other damage they've endured over the years. I'm just guessing that Lardy used some awfully green wood.
I think one objective of the Soviets' thin stems and wide bases was to move the center of gravity down to enhance stability without much if any weighting.
May 8, 2016
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#17
Ronbo710 wrote:
Thanks Chuck!! Those Rooks at the top make me want to fly to Kiev tomorrow and pick up my latest acquisition in person -MAGNIFICENT! I just hope mine are anywhere near as well carved. Congrats on a GEM.
Many thanks, Ron! I agree. Those rooks are simply outstanding. The best on any of my Soviet sets and as nice as those on any other of my sets.
May 8, 2016
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#18
Thechess_lone_ranger wrote:
where is the king's crown? Lol
What do you mean by "crown," kemosabe?
If you mean the absence of crosses, they dispensed with them for ideological reasons, preferring secular to religious connotations.
If you mean the absence of finials on some of the pieces, that's quite common with vintage Soviet sets. They just fall or get knocked out over time.
For comparison, here's some pics of my Averbakh set.
Ronbo710 has asked about wood and plastic knights in these large Soviet sets with kings in excess of 4.0 inches. Here are some shots of the knights from one of my favorite Grandmaster sets. The white knights have wood heads, the black knights have plastic ones. As time wore on, wooden heads were replaced with plastic ones as it was easier and cheaper to mold them than carve them.