" Zagreb '59 "...My favorite chess set

Fifty years has nothing to do with vintage (except concerning Martin acoustic guitars).

Me! I'm definitely vintage....I even get a nice Social Security check! The rest is a secret.

I don´t.

On my mothers kitchen table.

I have been trying to find some historical images of the actual pieces used in 1959 chess championship. Could only find reproductive sets. Any pro collector's here mind sharing some pics

The interpretation from House of Chess is very good indeed: Heavy, chunky pieces available with various woods for black, including the rarely used wenge wood:

I own a Zagreb 1959 chess set that I bought years ago - it's the only chess set I own apart from a couple of travel sets. The set I bought has a king height of 3.25" (to fit the small HOS "Tiroir" chess board) and has a slightly "softer" design for the knight (no hard line behind the eye - instead there's a hollow. Very soft lines on all the pieces.

I'm not sure if I bought the chess pieces from HOS. When I bought it, there were already a whole lot of knock-offs of the style, and I probably bought mine for a lower price than HOS was selling it for.

I've always loved this design - the different colored tops on four of the pieces suggests a Russian origin, while the soft curves on all the pieces really feels good in the hand. I just found out that it was never actually used in a tournament, and all I can say is that it ought to be. There's a reason it's so popular.

I've never really enjoyed playing with Staunton pieces. The design just seems a little uninspired to me. The original 1849 Staunton design is okay, but I've always felt that there were better designs that were just as functional. Another of my favorites is the Dublin Calvert design.

Anyway, here's the knight from my Zagreb '59 set:

Well, that might still be remedied...

Oh that does look lovely! And at an "analysis" size, too? I'm always interested in smaller sets that can be used for travel or less conspicuous play. I love keeping a small Chavet set and 1.5" vinyl board in my backpack, so I can play anywhere. I'd love to find some other sets with beautiful, distinctive design that would pair well with a 1.5" or 1.75" board.

I wonder if Martin would consider this a "vintage" guitar...along with my new Zagreb set that I got this week.

OMG! I had a Tak too! They were Martin owned. I'll bet it sounds great by now. Great photo!

@magictwanger Hey you caught that! Yeah my dad bought it in '77 before Martin threatened to sue Takamine for making their guitars with Martin's blueprints. It's a great sounding guitar with solid rosewood back and sides. But you'll notice that it's a 12-string with only six stings on it. It's my 'fingerstyle' guitar.

Ha! I gave up on twelve string guitars once I snagged my now wife,in college.

She thought it was cool. Loud & hard on the hands...Yet David Bowie had no problems.

It was all six strings after that.Until hand pain stopped me permanently.Only hurt when playing...Even with lights. Gave it up out of frustration.

Yep, found that 12-string torture on left hand. And I've got a couple of knuckles developing issues (growing old sucks). So lately been gravitating towards short scale acoustics which have less string tension. I probably play my Gretsch Jim Dandy the most these days. I'm really not looking forward to relegating my 11 guitars to just wall art.

Sold 7....Two BR Customs a few years ago(Bourgeois and H&D)...Killed me!

I'm getting so old that I can't pee when I'm peeing.

Yet David Bowie had no problems. magictwanger Well when your a alien rock god that felled to earth , That's hows us kids saw him back then in the early 70's .

Peeing problem and listening to Bowie in the early seventies, seems we´re a bunch of geezers... Anyway, here´s my latest Zagreb, a very nice set from Taj Chess Store (another indian outfit). King height is 3.6´´.

Well,I was kinda' kidding....That set is really stunning though.

Thanks, and yes, it is. Here´s a better pic of knight and bishop, the pieces that define a Zagreb set.