Collectors News
Every now and then, I find a news item, an odd sale on ebay, or some other snippet which strikes me as interesting, and which I would like to share with visitors to the Museum. And I have a request to visitors:
I would like to make this website at bit more interactive, as far as the format permits, and that involves a give and take from users and visitors as well. So, folks - lets waltz - if You find any news item of Your own, please forward, preferably with photos in jpg format, for publishing - with due mention of the provider, of course!
I would like to make this website at bit more interactive, as far as the format permits, and that involves a give and take from users and visitors as well. So, folks - lets waltz - if You find any news item of Your own, please forward, preferably with photos in jpg format, for publishing - with due mention of the provider, of course!
16th Russian Chess House uaction on ebay
13.12. - After a winter hiatus, the Russian Chess House Moscow is running another massive aucion on ebay - yo end details are provided by owner Murad Amannazarow:
SIXTEENTH RUSSIAN ANTIQUE CHESS AUCTION
Dear chess friends and collectors,
Our auction has just started and will wrap up in 16,20,22 April, 2018.
The top lots of our auction are:
- 13 & 14 Chess championships of the USSR 1944-45. Convolute. Extremly rare;-
- Russian USSR Chess Book: The match-tournament in Budapest.1950. Very rare cover;
- Annual sets of Soviet American and English chess magazines of the first half of the 20th century;
-The program of team match-tournament of the USSR in chess. Moscow 1973, signed by twenty famous chess players;
- Scoresheets, filled by M.N.Tal, T.V. Petrosyan ect.
In addition, visitors of the auction might be interested in unique photos of XII USSR Chess Championship 1940, many unique scoresheets of the most important chess competitions, a range of very rare soviet books, 2nd half of the 20th century, and above 500 other lots!
Also we offer many chess sets and magazines that you can buy right now.
You can see the various items by clicking on the link:
RUSSIAN CHESS HOUSE EBAY STORE
Best regards,
Murad Amannazarov,
Director Russian CHESS House
SIXTEENTH RUSSIAN ANTIQUE CHESS AUCTION
Dear chess friends and collectors,
Our auction has just started and will wrap up in 16,20,22 April, 2018.
The top lots of our auction are:
- 13 & 14 Chess championships of the USSR 1944-45. Convolute. Extremly rare;-
- Russian USSR Chess Book: The match-tournament in Budapest.1950. Very rare cover;
- Annual sets of Soviet American and English chess magazines of the first half of the 20th century;
-The program of team match-tournament of the USSR in chess. Moscow 1973, signed by twenty famous chess players;
- Scoresheets, filled by M.N.Tal, T.V. Petrosyan ect.
In addition, visitors of the auction might be interested in unique photos of XII USSR Chess Championship 1940, many unique scoresheets of the most important chess competitions, a range of very rare soviet books, 2nd half of the 20th century, and above 500 other lots!
Also we offer many chess sets and magazines that you can buy right now.
You can see the various items by clicking on the link:
RUSSIAN CHESS HOUSE EBAY STORE
Best regards,
Murad Amannazarov,
Director Russian CHESS House
Russian Chess House runs Christmas auction on ebay
ending Dec. 16 - 19
13.12. - The Russian Chess House is is having a major auction on ebay this week, involving as usual chess books, chess magazines, photos and mementos, chess sets and chess game scores with signatures of the players! Here is Murad Amannazarow's annoncement:
FIFTEENTH RUSSIAN ANTIQUE CHESS AUCTION
Dear chess friends and collectors,
Our auction has just started and will wrap up in 16-19 December, 2017.
The top lots of our auction are:
Antique English Chess Book signed by Emanuel Lasker for Rudolf Goltz. 1935;
Russian Chess Poem «Gakrab». 1904;
Set of 3 Russian Books: Playing chess. Playing checkers. Playing dominoes. 1914-1915;
Two Scoresheets of Grigory Levenfish. III Moscow International Chess Tournament.1936;
Chess Scoresheet signed by Mikhail Tal. 40 USSR Chess Championship. 1972;
Soviet Agitation Porcelain: 32 Chess Pieces «Red Army vs White Army». Designer: N. Danko;
Set of 32 Porcelain Chess Pieces «Russians versus Tatar-Mongols». Russia, Kislovodsk;
Russian Porcelain Chess Set «Battle on the Ice»;
Russian Chess Set «Sea Tale», curved form a walrus bone. 1990s;
Large Russian Amber Chess Set.
In addition, visitors of the auction might be interested in unique photos of XII USSR Chess Championship 1940, many unique scoresheets of the most important chess competitions, a range of very rare soviet books, 2nd half of the 20th century, and above 500 other lots!
Also we offer many chess sets and magazines that you can buy right now.
You can see the various items by clicking on the link:
RUSSIAN CHESS HOUSE EBAY STORE
You can save your money on shipping by buying a few items! You'll pay only for the largest shipping and handling fee for one of the items, while the rest of the items are delivered free.
Dont forget to follow us on eBay =)
Best regards,
Murad Amannazarov,
Director Russian CHESS House
FIFTEENTH RUSSIAN ANTIQUE CHESS AUCTION
Dear chess friends and collectors,
Our auction has just started and will wrap up in 16-19 December, 2017.
The top lots of our auction are:
Antique English Chess Book signed by Emanuel Lasker for Rudolf Goltz. 1935;
Russian Chess Poem «Gakrab». 1904;
Set of 3 Russian Books: Playing chess. Playing checkers. Playing dominoes. 1914-1915;
Two Scoresheets of Grigory Levenfish. III Moscow International Chess Tournament.1936;
Chess Scoresheet signed by Mikhail Tal. 40 USSR Chess Championship. 1972;
Soviet Agitation Porcelain: 32 Chess Pieces «Red Army vs White Army». Designer: N. Danko;
Set of 32 Porcelain Chess Pieces «Russians versus Tatar-Mongols». Russia, Kislovodsk;
Russian Porcelain Chess Set «Battle on the Ice»;
Russian Chess Set «Sea Tale», curved form a walrus bone. 1990s;
Large Russian Amber Chess Set.
In addition, visitors of the auction might be interested in unique photos of XII USSR Chess Championship 1940, many unique scoresheets of the most important chess competitions, a range of very rare soviet books, 2nd half of the 20th century, and above 500 other lots!
Also we offer many chess sets and magazines that you can buy right now.
You can see the various items by clicking on the link:
RUSSIAN CHESS HOUSE EBAY STORE
You can save your money on shipping by buying a few items! You'll pay only for the largest shipping and handling fee for one of the items, while the rest of the items are delivered free.
Dont forget to follow us on eBay =)
Best regards,
Murad Amannazarov,
Director Russian CHESS House
A chess set maker from Pennsylvania
David´s set "Skirmish in the Bohemian woods" - now exposed in the Ströbeck Chess Museum in Germany - nice touch with the candle light n the rooks....
David Sanfilippo is a ceramic artist in Reading, Pennsylvania who makes large themed chess sets in glazed stoneware, mainly with an historic background, and also to order! Each is a single production, and which are glazed in a high temperature firing. So far, David has produced 30 sets, kings stand about 5 1/2 " ( about 14 cm) high on a base of ca 2 1/2 " diameter (60 mm) , and they sell for an average of USD 1.000.- You can contact David Yourself for a quote ....
Recent Moscow Chess House auction ebay - top lots
26.9. - The top sellers at the recent chess auction on ebay by the Russian Chess House, as communicated by Murad Amannazarow, were the following lots:
- a 7-page manuscript by Pjotr Romanowsky on Emmanuel Schiffers was bought by a German buyer for USD 1.025.- (ca. Euro 871.- ) - that is about 130.- USD per apge, not bad!
- a program of the 1978 UdSSR Chess Championship sighed by all participants sold for USD 443.- (ca. Euro 376.50) - an extremely strong event including Tal, Kasparov, Dorfman, Belyavsky, Gulko, Geller, Razuvayev etc. the cream of the UdSSR golden chess generation!,
- an 1860 edition of Duncan Forbes, A history of chess sold for USD 333.- (ca. Euro 283.- ) ,
- the scoresheet of the game Tal - Petrosian from the 41.UdSSR championship - a rather famous game - sold for USD 330.- (ca. Euro 280.50) - included is a Russian edition of Petrosian's "My Best games" where he comments this game,, which he considered one of his very best ever,
- a panorama photo of the 12th Soviet Championship being played in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory fetched USD 316.- (ca. Euro 268.50) ,
- and a photoalbum celebrating Anatoli Karpov published 2001 was bid up to USD 313.- (ca. Euro 266.- ).
Which number of lots was sold or remained unsold, is Murad's secret - the modern high end porcelain chess sets offered seem to have remained unsold once more, and we wager many of the Russian language chess books as well?!
- a 7-page manuscript by Pjotr Romanowsky on Emmanuel Schiffers was bought by a German buyer for USD 1.025.- (ca. Euro 871.- ) - that is about 130.- USD per apge, not bad!
- a program of the 1978 UdSSR Chess Championship sighed by all participants sold for USD 443.- (ca. Euro 376.50) - an extremely strong event including Tal, Kasparov, Dorfman, Belyavsky, Gulko, Geller, Razuvayev etc. the cream of the UdSSR golden chess generation!,
- an 1860 edition of Duncan Forbes, A history of chess sold for USD 333.- (ca. Euro 283.- ) ,
- the scoresheet of the game Tal - Petrosian from the 41.UdSSR championship - a rather famous game - sold for USD 330.- (ca. Euro 280.50) - included is a Russian edition of Petrosian's "My Best games" where he comments this game,, which he considered one of his very best ever,
- a panorama photo of the 12th Soviet Championship being played in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory fetched USD 316.- (ca. Euro 268.50) ,
- and a photoalbum celebrating Anatoli Karpov published 2001 was bid up to USD 313.- (ca. Euro 266.- ).
Which number of lots was sold or remained unsold, is Murad's secret - the modern high end porcelain chess sets offered seem to have remained unsold once more, and we wager many of the Russian language chess books as well?!
Moscow Chess House auction on ebay - ending Sept 9 - 12
6.9. - Murad Amannazarow/ of the Moscow Chess House writes:
Dear chess friends and collectors, our auction has just started and will wrap up in 9-12 September, 2017.
The top lots of our auction are:
Antique American Chess Book: William Steinitz. Sixth American Chess Congress 1889. Limited to 500 copies;
Soviet Chess Sculpture «The pioneers plays chess». Early Decade Of 20th Century (Copyright coloring);
Rare Antique Russian Chess Book: N. Kolotinsky. Catalog of the Kazan’s library of the society of chess game lovers in the Kazan City. 1908;
First Chess Book published in Netherlands: Elias Stein. Nouvel essai sur le jeu des echecs. 1789;
Chess Poster signed by Karpov, Tal and others: Karpov vs Korchnoi. Baguio, 1978;
Russian Chess: Scoresheet of the famous game Tal vs Petrosyan. XXXXI USSR Chess Championship. 1973
Program of 46th USSR Chess Championship (first championship, in which 15-year-old Garry Kasparov played)
signed by all participants;
American Chess Book signed by F.J.Marshall: Murshall's Chess «Swindles». 1914.
In addition, visitors of the auction might be interested in unique photos of XII USSR Chess Championship 1940, many unique posters and scoresheets of the most important chess competitions, a range of very rare soviet books, 2nd half of the 20th century, and about 400 other lots!
Also we offer many chess sets, books and magazines that you can buy right now.You can see the various items here or copy the following URL into your browser:
http://stores.ebay.com/russianchesshouse2012/_i.html?_sop=16&rt=nc
You can save your money on shipping by buying a few items! You'll pay only for the largest shipping and handling fee for one of the items, while the rest of the items are delivered free. If you purchase multiple posters in our shop you pay the postage only for one single poster. Dont forget to follow us on eBay =)
Best regards,
Murad Amannazarov,
Director Russian CHESS House
Dear chess friends and collectors, our auction has just started and will wrap up in 9-12 September, 2017.
The top lots of our auction are:
Antique American Chess Book: William Steinitz. Sixth American Chess Congress 1889. Limited to 500 copies;
Soviet Chess Sculpture «The pioneers plays chess». Early Decade Of 20th Century (Copyright coloring);
Rare Antique Russian Chess Book: N. Kolotinsky. Catalog of the Kazan’s library of the society of chess game lovers in the Kazan City. 1908;
First Chess Book published in Netherlands: Elias Stein. Nouvel essai sur le jeu des echecs. 1789;
Chess Poster signed by Karpov, Tal and others: Karpov vs Korchnoi. Baguio, 1978;
Russian Chess: Scoresheet of the famous game Tal vs Petrosyan. XXXXI USSR Chess Championship. 1973
Program of 46th USSR Chess Championship (first championship, in which 15-year-old Garry Kasparov played)
signed by all participants;
American Chess Book signed by F.J.Marshall: Murshall's Chess «Swindles». 1914.
In addition, visitors of the auction might be interested in unique photos of XII USSR Chess Championship 1940, many unique posters and scoresheets of the most important chess competitions, a range of very rare soviet books, 2nd half of the 20th century, and about 400 other lots!
Also we offer many chess sets, books and magazines that you can buy right now.You can see the various items here or copy the following URL into your browser:
http://stores.ebay.com/russianchesshouse2012/_i.html?_sop=16&rt=nc
You can save your money on shipping by buying a few items! You'll pay only for the largest shipping and handling fee for one of the items, while the rest of the items are delivered free. If you purchase multiple posters in our shop you pay the postage only for one single poster. Dont forget to follow us on eBay =)
Best regards,
Murad Amannazarov,
Director Russian CHESS House
Russian Chess House Moscow on ebay this week
15.6. - The Russian Chess House of Moscow (manager Murad Amannazarow) is auctioning off over 400 items on ebay this week - check the loot here. Photos, stamps, philatelic values, some chess sets of recent and older manufacture, memorabilia, pins, autographs, lots of older issues of Russian and foreign chess magazines, and oodles of books mostly in Russian are placed on the block. Among foreign language titles, we find Napoleon Marache's Chess Manual of 1866, some older German chess books - besides there is a mixture of rather pricey porcelain chess sets. In general, book prices are on the level of US antiquaries or above, which may explain why many (unsold?) items are recurrent through the last few auctions. Might it be that the Chess House overestimates the demand for classical Russian chess books and mags in America or in general the english-speaking world ? Or the difficulties involved in shipment delays, customs troubles, possible shipment damage and extra costs for buyers outside of Russia ? There are quite a few hopeful Russian sellers on ebay, for chess goods, Soviet nostalgia paraphernalia, handicraft, books, cameras, memorabilia etc. etc. I cannot gauge how they all are doing, but odds are a bit stacked against them, aren't they?
Last Jaeger quartetto at Waddington's fizzles out
15.6. - The last 4 Jaeger sets in ivory were sold at Waddington's in Toronto on June 14 - and to make it short, did not fly out of the ball park pricewise. Lot 91 - a lovely Rajasthan ivory polychrome set - went for CAD 4.320.- - double the estimate - but this is very modest for such a set. Lots 92 and 92 - rather crudely carved Burmese bone sets - went for CAD 780.- each - just below the lower estimate of CAD 800.- And a rather well carved African colonial ivory set (Congo?) only reached CAD 720.- well, that is double the low estimate, but much simpler sets of this irk sell for these amounts on ebay . In comparison , lot 95, an Austin Cox Alcoa set, mass produced by machinery, sold for CAD 1.200.- double the lower estimate! Such is life! On June 24, other non-ivory sets will pop up on the auction platform invaluable.com, engineered by who seems to empowered for placing the large leftovers of sets on the market, the New York based ZQ Art Gallery of José Zelaya.
Postscript - the online auctions of Jaeger collection sets
9.12. For anybody interested, the outcome of the online auctions announced below was a bit mitigated, but all in all a success. The Dec. 8 auction orchestrated by agents ZQ Art Gallery in New York after all featurd only 39 sets - one was retired before the auction. 9 of teh - hmphh, less flamboyant - items fell flat - no bids - in my opinion, due to starting prices a bit too high for bidders hardened in ebay bidding battles.... for example, lot 37, an Alcoa machine tooled set, regularly feteches between 400.- and 600.- USD on ebay , here the ante was 800.- USD right away! Lot 7, the ose set, predictably fell flat - these sell on ebay for peanuts regularly, there are thousands around yet - on the other hand, somebody forked out 100.- USD for lot 35, th Coca-Cola set! The absolute high bid landed for lot 20, an animal set from teh Brienz area in Switzerland, with USD 11.000.- The kings shown as an eagle with spread wings and cronw, the queen as a n eagless (does that exist? ) without crown. the Meissen replica Kändler "Moors" set 8lot 29) sold for USD 8.000.- , the attractive Bassano animal set (lot 25) only garnered in USD 800.- . Everything did more or less well - the Japanese polychrome set (lot 6) after a slwo start did really well, going for USD 2.250.- , lot 11 - a gaudy Vasari set - sold for USD 4.000.- the y like these thing sin the USA!. ON the other hand, an Isareali silver filigrane set in rather intersting abstract form sold for modest USD 800.- - God knows why! All in all, the auciton did reasonably well - hte complete showing can be seen here .
The parallel online auction at Waddingtons seems to have performed at a better level, perhaps pulled along by the earlier fixed auction of top set in the same venue, as well as a shorter run of sets. 16 lots were at stake, and my tip for a high riser with lot 556 - a large ivory set descirbed as Japanese - fell flat. Estimated at 2.000.- to 3.000.- CAD, it only sold for CAD 1.560.- Top honors goes to lot 559, a Burmese bone set that largely passed the estimate of CAD 400.- finishing at CAD 5.760.- A Bosnian bone set - with several irregularities! - jumped over the moon - estimate CAD 300.- with an end result of CAD 1.200.- Even such modest offers as a standard Vietnamese water buffalo Regency set (lot 565) managed to pull in with CAD 252.- albeit below the madly optimistic estimate of CAD 500.- Such sets are worth USD 50.- on other markets if the weather is fine....Everything else slightly topped the estimates making this a reasonably successful experiment indeed. Th seellers should be reasonalby content, as the times go. Punters and observers - but especially the Jaegers and their auction managers - will know which conclusions to draw from these results....
The parallel online auction at Waddingtons seems to have performed at a better level, perhaps pulled along by the earlier fixed auction of top set in the same venue, as well as a shorter run of sets. 16 lots were at stake, and my tip for a high riser with lot 556 - a large ivory set descirbed as Japanese - fell flat. Estimated at 2.000.- to 3.000.- CAD, it only sold for CAD 1.560.- Top honors goes to lot 559, a Burmese bone set that largely passed the estimate of CAD 400.- finishing at CAD 5.760.- A Bosnian bone set - with several irregularities! - jumped over the moon - estimate CAD 300.- with an end result of CAD 1.200.- Even such modest offers as a standard Vietnamese water buffalo Regency set (lot 565) managed to pull in with CAD 252.- albeit below the madly optimistic estimate of CAD 500.- Such sets are worth USD 50.- on other markets if the weather is fine....Everything else slightly topped the estimates making this a reasonably successful experiment indeed. Th seellers should be reasonalby content, as the times go. Punters and observers - but especially the Jaegers and their auction managers - will know which conclusions to draw from these results....
Three auctions of Jaeger chess sets this week!
the lavishly illustrated catalogue from the 1988 Jaeger exhibition in Munich, Germany
5.12. Chess sets from the collection of Halvor Jaeger - probably with 6.400 pieces the largest in the world in 1988 - are being auctioned off this week in three distinct auctions:
- 13 lots (130 to 143) of superb quality and pedigree are being auctioned off today by auction house Waddingtons, Toronto, in a fixed conventional auction, which can also be followed via the auction platform Invaluable. com , at 18.00p, local Toronto time (23h00 GMT)
The highlight should be lot 131, a polychrome figural set in ivory from Paris , and a little silver figural knight by the Augsburg silversmith Christian Lütkens from 1715 (lot 130). We will of course report on the results...
- in addition, several pieces from Jaeger's holdings (lots 553 to 568) are being auctioned off online from the 5th to the 8th December, also by auctioneer Waddingtons - the auction can also be participated via Invaluable, or directly at the auction house via registration. This batch of includes a superb Japanese ivory figural set (lot 566) , but also such less attractive items as a mexican pulpit set (lot 556).
And finally, New York Auction Gallery ZQ Art is auctioning off 40 lots from the Jaeger hoard on December 8 in an online auction, which can be followed both via Invaluable as via Liveauctioneers. A good part of this group ws shown in the 1988 exhibition of the Jaeger colelction at the Museum of Ethnology (Völkerkunde-Museum) in Munich - the catalogue today is already considered a collectors pieces on its own. Especially interesting are lot 29, a Meissen set (copy of an original Kändler design from the 18th c), lot 14, an Israeli silver filigrane work, possibly the Bassano animal porcelain set (lot 25), and definitely lots 20 and 21., and lot 8, a danish Hansen cast pewter set. Not quite so seductive in potential buyers eyes will be lot 7 - a leaden Rose set from war times, and lot 35 - a Coca Cola set by God - - here Mr. Jaeger must have winced when somebody presented it to him....
All in all, three distinct formats are being tried out - a traditional hall auction, an online auction over three days in something like ebay-format, and an online auction with a short fuse on Dec. 8. It will be quite interesting to observe - especially to the Jaegers and their advisers - which format is the most successful....
- 13 lots (130 to 143) of superb quality and pedigree are being auctioned off today by auction house Waddingtons, Toronto, in a fixed conventional auction, which can also be followed via the auction platform Invaluable. com , at 18.00p, local Toronto time (23h00 GMT)
The highlight should be lot 131, a polychrome figural set in ivory from Paris , and a little silver figural knight by the Augsburg silversmith Christian Lütkens from 1715 (lot 130). We will of course report on the results...
- in addition, several pieces from Jaeger's holdings (lots 553 to 568) are being auctioned off online from the 5th to the 8th December, also by auctioneer Waddingtons - the auction can also be participated via Invaluable, or directly at the auction house via registration. This batch of includes a superb Japanese ivory figural set (lot 566) , but also such less attractive items as a mexican pulpit set (lot 556).
And finally, New York Auction Gallery ZQ Art is auctioning off 40 lots from the Jaeger hoard on December 8 in an online auction, which can be followed both via Invaluable as via Liveauctioneers. A good part of this group ws shown in the 1988 exhibition of the Jaeger colelction at the Museum of Ethnology (Völkerkunde-Museum) in Munich - the catalogue today is already considered a collectors pieces on its own. Especially interesting are lot 29, a Meissen set (copy of an original Kändler design from the 18th c), lot 14, an Israeli silver filigrane work, possibly the Bassano animal porcelain set (lot 25), and definitely lots 20 and 21., and lot 8, a danish Hansen cast pewter set. Not quite so seductive in potential buyers eyes will be lot 7 - a leaden Rose set from war times, and lot 35 - a Coca Cola set by God - - here Mr. Jaeger must have winced when somebody presented it to him....
All in all, three distinct formats are being tried out - a traditional hall auction, an online auction over three days in something like ebay-format, and an online auction with a short fuse on Dec. 8. It will be quite interesting to observe - especially to the Jaegers and their advisers - which format is the most successful....
18.11. A Silver chess set from Taiwan
C.J.Han is a silversmith based in Taiwan who has designed and fashioned a chess set in silver , halfway between abstract and concrete, emulating European Medieval knights! The set is tiny - the kings stand 30 mms high - it is made in sterling silver (ca. 92 % pure) - and the artist is asking USD 4.200.- for his work. When in Taiwan, go and visit to C.J.'s craft shop - he also makes jewelry, rings and sundry other objects in silver to order - even Your personal design of a chess set!
The contact: E-mail han6612(at)hotmail.com
Address:No.9, Ln. 12, Baokang St.,
Xinfeng Township,
Hsinchu County 304,
Taiwan (R.O.C.)
The contact: E-mail han6612(at)hotmail.com
Address:No.9, Ln. 12, Baokang St.,
Xinfeng Township,
Hsinchu County 304,
Taiwan (R.O.C.)
1.11. Lund chess book auction started
Per Skjoldager and the Lund chess Academy have started another - the 18th so far! - chess book auction on their website - You can inspect 296 lots here. As usual, the auction is studded with authentic treasures - tournament books, runs of old chess magazines, autographs and mementos - will end on November. 10.
6.9. 10th ebay auction by Russian Chess House started
Murad Amannazarow, owner of the Russian Chess House Moscow, has launched his 10th Mega-auction via ebay - 427 items can be seen clicking here. Books and magazines, mostly in Russian and from Soviet days, autographs, stamps and stamped envelopes and postcards, photos, memorabilia and chess sets are offered for sale. The "piece de resistance" (highlight!) must be a fancy figural chess set in mammoth ivory, offered at a starting price of USD 2.000.- Well worth having a look at...
Lund Chess Academy book auction on until June 10
The Lund Chess Academy is running another of it online chess book auctions, ending on June 10. As usual an eclectic mix of complete and incomplete runs of old chess magazines, tournament books, openings literature, history and autographs, wit several authentic treasures on offer. Check it out here.....
31.5. - another Russian Chess House auction is on - ends June 5
The Russian Chess House in Moscow is auctioning off another large number of chess memorabilia, photos, signed chess books, autographed chess books, , scoresheets etc. on ebay. The auction ends in five days, so check it over - there are about 375 lots, among them chess books in german, duch, french, czech, spanish, hungarian etc. Most of the objects are again from the vast estate of Alexander Roshal . The highlights seem to be be unique postcards, singular photos - may of them showing Roshal with chess celebrities! - complete runs of Shakhmatny Listok from the 1920ies, and some rather recent amber chess sets. .
Russian Chess House auction on ebay till March 6/2016
The Russian Chess House has put up a massive batch of chess books, chess magazines and chess games on ebay this week, ending on March 6th. The highlights are a first Russian edition of Nabokov's Lushin's Defense, a full run of Shakhmatnyi Listok from 1926 in pristine condition, czech chess magazines from the 20ies and 30ies - lots of tournament books, photos, memoralia , and chess sets.
Lund Chess Book auction starts March 1
This years first chess book auction of the Lund Chess Club will start on March 1 and run its course for ten days - check out the offers here. There are many highlights - for example a bound first year 1836 of the first ever chess magazine, "le Palamede" by Labourdonnais, Hoffers Four famous Chess Matches, the tournament book of Vienna 1898, and literally dozens of rare tournament books.
CCI Italia publishes first english item!
CCI Italia has for the first time published an english article - Roberto Cassano's article on the Italia chessmen - first presented as a lecture at the Italian CCI meet in Oct. 2015 - has now been published in english AS WELL - and in a download format! Cassano's article has been published here in November 2015, but in a different editited format.
Auspicious goings on - possibly CCI will in the future have multi-language articles published online, a practice that already has occurred now and then in the Chess Collectors Magazine!
Auspicious goings on - possibly CCI will in the future have multi-language articles published online, a practice that already has occurred now and then in the Chess Collectors Magazine!
New looks for Le French CCI website ...
The website of the French Section of CCI has been worked over quite thoroughly in recent times - and now offers a great deal of new material, information and brilliant photos. Especially impressive is the huge collection of African Ches sets (probably from Patrice Plain's colelction) , the incisive photo show of the principal french chess sets, and the large section on chess stamps. Even without speaking french, it is a delight to click through the various pages... don't miss it! And while we are at it - it is worth Your while to visit ALL CCI pages regularly...
7th Russian Chess Book Auction on ebay is running...
Once again, Murad Amannazarow of the Russia Chess House has placed a huge amount of books, memorabilia and chess sets on ebay - You can view the auction here. Among the highlights are photos of former and still living Russian chess legends - some playing chess, but I like the one "Anatoli Karpov eating dumplings"! Some German, dutrch, Etonian, Latvian and french chess books, but the bulk is Russian. Especially intersting should be complete runs of Russian chess magazines from the 20-ies, 30ie and 40ies.
Another Lund Chess Auction is on
Lund Chess Academy run by KWA member Per Skjoldager is running another massive chess book auction - this time for 226 items - which will end on November 20. Among the books for auction are chess magazines old and very old, torunament books, bibliographies et. etc. - check it out!
More Russian Chess Relics - 6th Chess House auction on ebay
Murad Amannazarow of the Russian Chess House - Russki shakhmatnyj Dom - in Moscow is running his 6th auction on ebay this week, with 305 lots ending 26th - 28th - see here.
This time around, what stand out is:
- a game scoresheet by GM Grigory Levenfish from Moscow 1936, against Salo Flohr !!,
- chess books in Russian, Serbian, English (, German ( Kurt Richter, Bardeleben !!), French (Henri Delaire!), Italian, Lithuanian, Czech etc. etc. - , from as far back as 1863,
- batches of ancient Russian chess mags edited by Chigorin(fe Shakhmatnyj Journal from St. Petersburg 1893!),
- several contemporary porcelain chess sets I have never seen (there is no end to them it seems....),
- photos , letters and other written memorabilia from the estate fo Alexander Roshal. Big auction indeed!
This time around, what stand out is:
- a game scoresheet by GM Grigory Levenfish from Moscow 1936, against Salo Flohr !!,
- chess books in Russian, Serbian, English (, German ( Kurt Richter, Bardeleben !!), French (Henri Delaire!), Italian, Lithuanian, Czech etc. etc. - , from as far back as 1863,
- batches of ancient Russian chess mags edited by Chigorin(fe Shakhmatnyj Journal from St. Petersburg 1893!),
- several contemporary porcelain chess sets I have never seen (there is no end to them it seems....),
- photos , letters and other written memorabilia from the estate fo Alexander Roshal. Big auction indeed!
Lund Chess book auction ending September 10
Lund chess club - alma viva is book expert Per Skjoldager - is running its 10th book auction , ending September 10. The highlight seems to be an edition of Stamma, offered at Euro 7.000.- !!
Russian chess relics on ebay this week 12.08.
Russian Chess House manager Murad Amannazarow is auctioning off Chess relics and chess books in Russian via ebay this week, ending on August 19. You can see the lots here. a large part of the lots offered seem to derive yet from the estate of late chess mag ediutor Alexander Roshal - highlights are
- complete runs of 1920 Skahkmatny Listok,
- 30'ies runs of Shakmaty, and
- of Chess in the UdSSR.
Also a complete run of the "black" grandmaster biographies (in Russian), a modern porcelain set on the oil industry them!, and other tidbits.
- complete runs of 1920 Skahkmatny Listok,
- 30'ies runs of Shakmaty, and
- of Chess in the UdSSR.
Also a complete run of the "black" grandmaster biographies (in Russian), a modern porcelain set on the oil industry them!, and other tidbits.
Kloprogge treasures in June auction at Klittich's
The main body of the Kloprogge family chess collection will be auctioned off in June with Brunswick auctioneers Klittich & Pfankuch (see Agenda) . Over 500 lots will fall under the hammer - among them a fine Jaques ivory chess set of early days inl a Carton Pierre box (king 7,5 cm high), a 17th century german chess queen, medieval chess pieces from the Orient, and several fine dutch and danish ivory sets in Selenus style. Also the collectors library, and lot of chess boards. There are a lot of very standard chess set - Hans Kloprogge seems to have acquired a lot of resin, plastic and current sets during his collecting career - and kept them!
The second part of the auction - the more important one for most collectors, possibly - will involve a third batch of doubles from the fabulous chess book hoards of the late Lother Schmid. either the doublettes keep coming endlessly !! - or a whole lot of them did not sell in the last two auctions featuring them ??!! It is well worth Your time to go through the lists...
The second part of the auction - the more important one for most collectors, possibly - will involve a third batch of doubles from the fabulous chess book hoards of the late Lother Schmid. either the doublettes keep coming endlessly !! - or a whole lot of them did not sell in the last two auctions featuring them ??!! It is well worth Your time to go through the lists...
Botwinnik notes on sale in ebay auction!
Various handwritten notes by Ex-World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik as well as Polugayevsky's Grandmaster identification card are up for sale in several ebay online auctions which will end on April 6 and 7. The objects are offered by is run by Moscow chess antiquarian Murad Amannazarov of the Russian Chess House, and You can see the lots via this link.
Many of the objects on offer - historic photos, chess magazines, scoresheets from Grandmaster games - originate from the estate and archives of the late Alexander Roshal, controversial editor of the Russian chess magazine 64. Plenty of photographs of Karpov, Korchnoi, Botvinnik, Kholmov, Petrosjan, Anthony Miles (identified as as Anatoli Maels !!!) and others... so far few offers, possibly a good chance to snaffle some historic documents for interested punters....
The highlights seem to be a modern amber chess set offered at USD 1.900.- , very exotic recent porcelain chess set - manufactory unidentified - offered at 800.- USD and a tincast Kremlin memory chess set (sporting palaces, churches and monuments of at the Kremlin as chess pieces) offered at USD 1.300.- Also for sale: a cute Cops vz. Robbers chess set in plastic, offered for a mere USD 170.-
Many of the objects on offer - historic photos, chess magazines, scoresheets from Grandmaster games - originate from the estate and archives of the late Alexander Roshal, controversial editor of the Russian chess magazine 64. Plenty of photographs of Karpov, Korchnoi, Botvinnik, Kholmov, Petrosjan, Anthony Miles (identified as as Anatoli Maels !!!) and others... so far few offers, possibly a good chance to snaffle some historic documents for interested punters....
The highlights seem to be a modern amber chess set offered at USD 1.900.- , very exotic recent porcelain chess set - manufactory unidentified - offered at 800.- USD and a tincast Kremlin memory chess set (sporting palaces, churches and monuments of at the Kremlin as chess pieces) offered at USD 1.300.- Also for sale: a cute Cops vz. Robbers chess set in plastic, offered for a mere USD 170.-
New Chess Set for Carlsen-Anand match !
As the Carlsen-Anand match gathers steam, attentive visitors of the official FIDE server will note that FIDE is endorsing an Official FIDE Chess Set specially designed for the match by a seemingly prominent designer named Daniel Weil, a managing partner of an international designing network called Pentagram. Mr. Weil's take in altering the traditional Staunton design has been to go back to greek antiquity (Elgin marbles) and introduce the precise steeple of the Parthenon, according to a complimentary writeup in Design Week. Do not miss the hilarious online comments on the new chess set!
In passing , we learn by the writeup on Fast Company site that Nathan Cook (and not Howard Staunton or John Jaques) designed the Staunton chess pieces - a question that is still very much controversial among historians and collectors - and the authority quoted is an article in the Smithsonian Institute Magazine! Such is life....
All this is quite interesting considering that FIDE endorsed an official chess set for the 2012 Youth World Championship, the "Best Chess Set Ever" (see farther down this page). Possibly every major Championship from now on will see another superlative new chess set marketed for a hefty price, as part of a rather laboured marketing offensive ? We know that any kind of major event nowadays is dolled up by a whole panoply of merchandizing and marketing measures, but does this improve the status and reception for chess in the world - or just help to even somebody's budget?
Following the links from FIDE.com , we are led to the Offical FIDE CHESS SET page, a shop page with prices, but sans a buying option. Contact provides a message form, for potential buyers, which will - surprise, surprise - go to AGON Limited, a company owned by Andrew Paulson, who acquired rights to the World Chess Championship last year from FIDE , and runs a cascade of companies in connection with this connection..... Another link via Fastcompany leads to another buying option - SAC Company - well known to chess Collectors worldwide - SAC possibly manufactured this set via Indian subcontractors?
The Official FIDE Chess Set is offered for USD 470.- with board on the FIDE hosted Offical site (leading to AGON) , with the set alone costing USD 320.- and the board alone USD 190.- .
On the SAC site, the combo is priced at 299.95 gbp - a bit more, but that may be due to currency shifts between USD and gbp - but gbp 99.95 for the board alone - a lot less than on FIDE - finally gbp 99.95 for the pieces alone. If You are interested in this chess set, wait for the match to end - prices are bound to come back to the ground then......
The set itself seems to have been produced on a CNC computer controlled turning machine. It is very smooth, the knights show typical CNC shapes, the wood is probably sheesham as there is no grain, and it comes very smartly packaged in a plastic box with the Paulson-Pentragram-WCC symbol printed on top. Will You run and get years soon ? FIDE warns that only a limited edition has been provided......
(c) Chess Museum 2014
In passing , we learn by the writeup on Fast Company site that Nathan Cook (and not Howard Staunton or John Jaques) designed the Staunton chess pieces - a question that is still very much controversial among historians and collectors - and the authority quoted is an article in the Smithsonian Institute Magazine! Such is life....
All this is quite interesting considering that FIDE endorsed an official chess set for the 2012 Youth World Championship, the "Best Chess Set Ever" (see farther down this page). Possibly every major Championship from now on will see another superlative new chess set marketed for a hefty price, as part of a rather laboured marketing offensive ? We know that any kind of major event nowadays is dolled up by a whole panoply of merchandizing and marketing measures, but does this improve the status and reception for chess in the world - or just help to even somebody's budget?
Following the links from FIDE.com , we are led to the Offical FIDE CHESS SET page, a shop page with prices, but sans a buying option. Contact provides a message form, for potential buyers, which will - surprise, surprise - go to AGON Limited, a company owned by Andrew Paulson, who acquired rights to the World Chess Championship last year from FIDE , and runs a cascade of companies in connection with this connection..... Another link via Fastcompany leads to another buying option - SAC Company - well known to chess Collectors worldwide - SAC possibly manufactured this set via Indian subcontractors?
The Official FIDE Chess Set is offered for USD 470.- with board on the FIDE hosted Offical site (leading to AGON) , with the set alone costing USD 320.- and the board alone USD 190.- .
On the SAC site, the combo is priced at 299.95 gbp - a bit more, but that may be due to currency shifts between USD and gbp - but gbp 99.95 for the board alone - a lot less than on FIDE - finally gbp 99.95 for the pieces alone. If You are interested in this chess set, wait for the match to end - prices are bound to come back to the ground then......
The set itself seems to have been produced on a CNC computer controlled turning machine. It is very smooth, the knights show typical CNC shapes, the wood is probably sheesham as there is no grain, and it comes very smartly packaged in a plastic box with the Paulson-Pentragram-WCC symbol printed on top. Will You run and get years soon ? FIDE warns that only a limited edition has been provided......
(c) Chess Museum 2014
bulbous crown, like a prelates cap, on kings
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massive stems -
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smart packaging ?
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standard veneer board - squares a bit too small for the pieces....
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Lund Chess Academy - book Auction No. 11
Lund Chess Academy run by longtime bibliophile Per Skjoldager is running its 11the chess book auction here - this acution will end on November 10 - the main staple as always are rare tournament books
On top of that. chess Academy member Victoriano Gallego Jimenez is running his own book auction on the same site - in a different room - this auction wll end on November 11 - here the gist is made up of many runs of the British Ches Magazine. Check them out!
On top of that. chess Academy member Victoriano Gallego Jimenez is running his own book auction on the same site - in a different room - this auction wll end on November 11 - here the gist is made up of many runs of the British Ches Magazine. Check them out!
Russian Chess Museum inaugurated in Moscow
The Russian National Chess Museum was inaugurated on sep. 26 in retored palace on Gogol boulevard, Central Moscow. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumshimov, the Russian Chess Federation president Andrey Filatov, Olympic Committee President Alexander Shukov and the Deputy Speaker of the Russian Parlament Dimitry Peskov graced the front row st the opening ceremony - details and photos on FIDE's web site.
The Museum contains over 4.000 objects, most of them from the former Chess Museum in the Central Chess Club, which have been locked up for the last years. One of the main exhibits is the chess table from the Karpov-Kasparov match in Moscow.
The Museum contains over 4.000 objects, most of them from the former Chess Museum in the Central Chess Club, which have been locked up for the last years. One of the main exhibits is the chess table from the Karpov-Kasparov match in Moscow.
Lund Chess Book Auction No. 10 underway....
Lund Chess Academy - run by KVABC member Per Skjoldager - has started another chess book auction, in support of young swedish chess players - it is edition No.10 now! 216 classical chess books are on the block, the final countdown of this acution will be on Sep. 10 between 18h.00 and 22h00 local time (GMT plus one hour) .
The main exhibits are tournament books, chess magazines - with No.1 and No.2 of the British Chess Magazine! - and Duchamp & Halberstadt, Opposition et cases conjueguées in its original print. Good bidding!
The main exhibits are tournament books, chess magazines - with No.1 and No.2 of the British Chess Magazine! - and Duchamp & Halberstadt, Opposition et cases conjueguées in its original print. Good bidding!
CCI meeting 2014 in Weimar on Nov. 7 - 9
CCI Germany will run its current year's meeting in Weimar from the 7th to the 9th of November - the details are all to be found here.
Apart from presenting itself in a highly traditional setting - Weimar with its well-preserved architecture is the equivalent of Stratford upon Avon for the German-speaking world, with its memories of Schiller and Goethe - this meeting is being organized together with the Ken Whyld Association of Chess Book collectors. A notable innovation to broaden the circle of chess collecting. Brunswick auctionators Klittich & Pfankuch, will be showing a selection of the Kloprogge chess piece collection which will be on auction in Brunswick on November 20 to 22.
Apart from presenting itself in a highly traditional setting - Weimar with its well-preserved architecture is the equivalent of Stratford upon Avon for the German-speaking world, with its memories of Schiller and Goethe - this meeting is being organized together with the Ken Whyld Association of Chess Book collectors. A notable innovation to broaden the circle of chess collecting. Brunswick auctionators Klittich & Pfankuch, will be showing a selection of the Kloprogge chess piece collection which will be on auction in Brunswick on November 20 to 22.
Lovely Chess video on Soviet tournament sets
Arlindo Vieira from Porto has posted a highly aesthetic chess video on Youtube, highlighting the background of Soviet tournament chess sets - with recourse to historic photos of Soviet masters in play, and underlaid with gorgeous music. Go and see it!
Lund Chess Club starts their 9th online chess book auction
The Lund Chess Academy has started their 9th chess book auction, with 221 chess books visible online at the Chess Academy site .
Highlights are several tournament books and bound chess magazines formerly belonging to Aron Nimzovitch. The auction is organized by chess book specialist and KVABC-member Per Skjoldager - like the preceding events the aim is to arrange funds to support young chess talents. The auction will close on June 10 between 18h50 and 22.h15 depending on the number of the listed lot.
Highlights are several tournament books and bound chess magazines formerly belonging to Aron Nimzovitch. The auction is organized by chess book specialist and KVABC-member Per Skjoldager - like the preceding events the aim is to arrange funds to support young chess talents. The auction will close on June 10 between 18h50 and 22.h15 depending on the number of the listed lot.
Baburin Chess Auction No. 42
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Alexander Baburin is scheduling another of his book auctions for march 6 - 8 on his auction site Grandmaster Square. Highlights this time around will be
- an original edition of the famous Gustavus Selenus book (supposedly with all the much sought for prints),
- the immensely rare Weickhmann book on the chess variant invented and patronized by the author (ed. in ULM in 1664),
- a first edition of Philidor's "Analyze des Echecs", published 1749 in London!
Especially the Weickhmann book should be the object of strong bidding battles - it is very rare one of these comes up for auction.
- an original edition of the famous Gustavus Selenus book (supposedly with all the much sought for prints),
- the immensely rare Weickhmann book on the chess variant invented and patronized by the author (ed. in ULM in 1664),
- a first edition of Philidor's "Analyze des Echecs", published 1749 in London!
Especially the Weickhmann book should be the object of strong bidding battles - it is very rare one of these comes up for auction.
Bolivian chess
Johan Bollen is a belgian sculptor and artist who has been dividing his time between Bolivia and Belgium over the last 10 years. While in Bolivia, Johan has created this astonishing chess set, which incorporates Inca motives with the specific vision of the inventor. Pieces were cast in Bronze, via sand-box technique, in an edition of one, in Gregorio Conde's craft foundry El Alto, Bolivia. The kings stand 12 cm high, the whole set acc. to Johan weighs 15 kgs. As the molds in this sandbox technique are destroyed after the casting, this is an edition of one or Unikat - although the original models still exist. A multimedia presentation in Flash can be viewed here and an explanation of the motives used and prevalent in this set can be found here - in dutch language! Plus other most intriguing works of this artist, mostly in mixed or collage technique, but also statuettes in bronce
If You are interested in this set which at present is in Belgium, contact Johan Bollen personally.
(c) Chess Museum
If You are interested in this set which at present is in Belgium, contact Johan Bollen personally.
(c) Chess Museum
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Fascinating Gargoyles reminiscent of early American sculpture.....
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Chess Set Exhibit in South Korea !
An exhibition of artistic chess sets will be held from the 15th to 21st of January in the Korean Craft & Design Foundation (KCDF, supposedly in Seoul, S. Korea). As organizer and also designer Kim Jin A. informs, this contest/show exhibit takes place every two years in the capital, and in this edition involves 10 designers, and at least that many modernist, artistic and/or decorative chess sets. The whole idea reflects the recent Chess Images Show by mainly british artists like Damien Hirst and the Chapman brothers, last seen at the Rejkjavik Art Museum in 2013.
This Korean initiative is quite impressive, considering that in Korea International Chess takes a back seat to the widely known and practiced form of Korean Chess, somewhat similar to Chinese Chiang - Qi. If You are in Seoul or have access to the KCDF, don't miss it.
(c) Chess Museum
This Korean initiative is quite impressive, considering that in Korea International Chess takes a back seat to the widely known and practiced form of Korean Chess, somewhat similar to Chinese Chiang - Qi. If You are in Seoul or have access to the KCDF, don't miss it.
(c) Chess Museum
Baburin's chess book auction No.40 - Dec. 5 - 7
Alex Baburin, playing Veselin Topalov in the clock simul the former World Champion gave against the Irish national Team. You can see a video of the whole match here. Yes - and Alex won his game, saving Ireland's honour....
Alex Baburin, publisher of the world's only daily chess newspaper "Chess Today", will run his chess book auction No. 40 on Dec. 5 - 7 via his auction website www.gmsquare.com.
Lots will be posted in the next days here, so stay tuned....
Lots will be posted in the next days here, so stay tuned....
Fritz Steller chess set (12.11.)
Fritz Steller ist a german born artist who spent most of his adult working life in Great Britain, mainly in Stratford -upon-Avon. A chess set in ceramics by Steller is on sale as lot 493 on Nov. 20 with West Australian Auctioneers Mc Kenzies - details and photos can be seen here.
Portuguese Chess Museum inaugurated
The Chess Museum in Figueiró dos Vinhos, announced earlier this year, was punctually inaugurated in this North Portuguese town at some 40m kms from the major city of Aveiro, on the 26th of June - with a cocktail to enliven the well-attended ceremony. Details can be seen here. The Museum is based mainly on the collections of Mrs. Carlos Dias, Antonio Curado and José Bray, but is open to and actually soliciting donations and loans to enlarge the range of objects on view. To this effect, an Association of Friends of the Chess Museum has been formed, which is welcoming new members from Portugal and abroad!
(c) Chess Museum
(c) Chess Museum
Vista Alegre does it again!
In 1960 Vista Alegre, the venerable porcelain manufactory in Portugal, edited a splendid chess set on the motive of "Christians against Moors". The set was made for 2 years only, in a limited edition, and nowadays is one of the more sought after porcelain chess sets. .
Now, 40 years later, they have done it again. The same motive, figurines quite obviously inspired on the earlier set , and a porcelain board to boot. Only 500 sets will be made, according to the catalogue, but pieces can be ordered individually in pairs as shown! Each pair costs about 254.- Euros (dep. on VAT) , the whole set in one go will set potential buyers back ca. 3.500.- Euros - about twice the price of the Lladro sets, but then Vista Alegre is Vista Alegre....
(c) Chess Museum
Now, 40 years later, they have done it again. The same motive, figurines quite obviously inspired on the earlier set , and a porcelain board to boot. Only 500 sets will be made, according to the catalogue, but pieces can be ordered individually in pairs as shown! Each pair costs about 254.- Euros (dep. on VAT) , the whole set in one go will set potential buyers back ca. 3.500.- Euros - about twice the price of the Lladro sets, but then Vista Alegre is Vista Alegre....
(c) Chess Museum
Slovenian lights 1
The Best Tournament Chess Set Ever ?
Whether it is really the best chess set ever, is not for me to decide. it is most certainly a very interesting design, with echoes of "Bundesform" and Chavet moderne . This version was presented to Garry Kasparov, with all extras - full options! Stainless steel rings, leather pads, black and natural colouring etc.
Last years World Junior chess Championships in Maribor, Slovenia have most certainly shown some future chess champions on the international scenery.
But - a little detail has caught my attention - being fairly far away and just marginally informed - namely that a specially conceived modernist tournament chess set was created for and used in this youth bash!
Slovenia based creator and impresario Izmet Fekali came up with a smooth and practical chess set, naming them with commendable acumen "Best Chessmen Ever", which was generally used in the mentioned Championship. This set is heavily weighted, made from maple wood, conforms approximately to the Staunton pattern - especially the well-known Dubrovnik pieces ( see an incomplete one in Staunton sets ) of former Yugoslav glory, and is made in FIDE 2 size (St. 5 = kings at 87 mm / 3" 75).
Two types are made:
- BCE (=Best Chessmen Ever) Stage 1 one with straight rooks, simple knights, no collars,
for € 250.- in the basic version
- Stage 2 for € 300.- in the basic version.
This version is quite different, and sports collars on the pieces, double weights, crown stamps on the kings side rooks and knights, a bit better carved knight heads, slim-stemmed rooks, leather felts - and believe it or not,
a blessing bestowed by the local padre!
All sets may come either in an Eastern version - spire top kings - or Western version - crown top kings. A DGT compatible version for electronic boards is also available, conceived for the aforementioned WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP. The prices may seem rather stiff, but a standard middle to top class Indian made Staunton set with triple weights will cost about the same, so this seems viable and justified.
Various kinds of extras are available - for an extra price of course! - as fe
- extra queens,
- stainless steel rings to the bases,
- blue leather pads,
- colour variations,
- upgrades for rooks or knights from St. 1 to St. 2 (I suppose, substituing?),
- DGT board inlays etc.
All in all quite impressive - see more details on Best Chessmen Ever .
The pieces are actually manufactured by a small family business in Slovenia that mainly makes wooden pen barrels and furniture pegs, Noj Ldt.
And Noj Ltd - is a pandora's box of fascinating chess sets which deserves its own article...
(c) Chess Museum
But - a little detail has caught my attention - being fairly far away and just marginally informed - namely that a specially conceived modernist tournament chess set was created for and used in this youth bash!
Slovenia based creator and impresario Izmet Fekali came up with a smooth and practical chess set, naming them with commendable acumen "Best Chessmen Ever", which was generally used in the mentioned Championship. This set is heavily weighted, made from maple wood, conforms approximately to the Staunton pattern - especially the well-known Dubrovnik pieces ( see an incomplete one in Staunton sets ) of former Yugoslav glory, and is made in FIDE 2 size (St. 5 = kings at 87 mm / 3" 75).
Two types are made:
- BCE (=Best Chessmen Ever) Stage 1 one with straight rooks, simple knights, no collars,
for € 250.- in the basic version
- Stage 2 for € 300.- in the basic version.
This version is quite different, and sports collars on the pieces, double weights, crown stamps on the kings side rooks and knights, a bit better carved knight heads, slim-stemmed rooks, leather felts - and believe it or not,
a blessing bestowed by the local padre!
All sets may come either in an Eastern version - spire top kings - or Western version - crown top kings. A DGT compatible version for electronic boards is also available, conceived for the aforementioned WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP. The prices may seem rather stiff, but a standard middle to top class Indian made Staunton set with triple weights will cost about the same, so this seems viable and justified.
Various kinds of extras are available - for an extra price of course! - as fe
- extra queens,
- stainless steel rings to the bases,
- blue leather pads,
- colour variations,
- upgrades for rooks or knights from St. 1 to St. 2 (I suppose, substituing?),
- DGT board inlays etc.
All in all quite impressive - see more details on Best Chessmen Ever .
The pieces are actually manufactured by a small family business in Slovenia that mainly makes wooden pen barrels and furniture pegs, Noj Ldt.
And Noj Ltd - is a pandora's box of fascinating chess sets which deserves its own article...
(c) Chess Museum
Slovenian lights 2
a chess manufactory in Slovenia
Noj Ltd., is a small woodworking company created and run by Gregor Novak and his father, situated in the heartlands of Slovenia: Novaks "folly" not only has survived the demise of woodcraft in favor of plastic, but is actually thriving on the revival of wood applications for the upper-end markets in house furnishing, appliances, decoration etc. And Novak is a chess fiend of the purest water... by the looks of it!
The company makes chess sets - has been doing so for at least 15 years. At least since the Subozan factory in Subotica - formerly the source of almost all chess sets in Yugoslavia - vanished in the maelstrom of the Yugoslav break-up. Noj very soon took up - (or had been making them already...) - the main models of chess sets produced by Subozan, among them
- the Dubrovnik set of Bobby Fischer fame,
- the Novisad set,
and the Portoroz set.
Today , Noj is the only chess piece manufactory in the Southern Balkans, and produces an impressive range of different sets:
- the unique Dubrovnik sets in two sizes,
- the Dusko Pavasovic - set (a version of the Novi Sad sets improved in consultation with GM Dusko Pavasovic),
- the Portoroz set (much the same as former Subozan versions),
- the BCE (Best Chessmen Ever) sets - see above....
- a club size (100 mm) maple set produced for a state encounter between Slovenian and Croatian presidents - the "President",
- and a copy of a Russian standard tournament chess set from the 40ies - the model was provided by US collector Mike Ladzinski , fancy that! Jolly good, Mike - an American motivates an ex-yugoslav citizen to do a remake of a Soviet chess set! These chessmen, by the way , were made until quite recently in St. Petersburg, but with plastic knights!
But the Noj folks have not stopped here - they also make several highly artistic chess sets, like this one designed by Slovenian designer Oscar Kogoj ,
The company makes chess sets - has been doing so for at least 15 years. At least since the Subozan factory in Subotica - formerly the source of almost all chess sets in Yugoslavia - vanished in the maelstrom of the Yugoslav break-up. Noj very soon took up - (or had been making them already...) - the main models of chess sets produced by Subozan, among them
- the Dubrovnik set of Bobby Fischer fame,
- the Novisad set,
and the Portoroz set.
Today , Noj is the only chess piece manufactory in the Southern Balkans, and produces an impressive range of different sets:
- the unique Dubrovnik sets in two sizes,
- the Dusko Pavasovic - set (a version of the Novi Sad sets improved in consultation with GM Dusko Pavasovic),
- the Portoroz set (much the same as former Subozan versions),
- the BCE (Best Chessmen Ever) sets - see above....
- a club size (100 mm) maple set produced for a state encounter between Slovenian and Croatian presidents - the "President",
- and a copy of a Russian standard tournament chess set from the 40ies - the model was provided by US collector Mike Ladzinski , fancy that! Jolly good, Mike - an American motivates an ex-yugoslav citizen to do a remake of a Soviet chess set! These chessmen, by the way , were made until quite recently in St. Petersburg, but with plastic knights!
But the Noj folks have not stopped here - they also make several highly artistic chess sets, like this one designed by Slovenian designer Oscar Kogoj ,
Kogoj's chessmen, named Devin. Elegant and highly playable chessmen, with a most unusual appearance. turned in maple, with countercolour bishop tops, well balanced and artistic knight heads. Quite an achievement.....kings stand 117 mm, pieces are weighted !
Janez Suhodolc, another Slovenian designer with large experience in wood and furniture , even created three different artistic sets for Novak - a feast to see!
Plecnik set by Janez Suhodolc (Joze Plecnik was a famous Jugendstil architect from Slovenia)
And to add a scintillating note with a piercing historic high finish, they make a Leonardo da Vinci chess set based on the chess piece design in Luca Pacioli's famous 15th century manuscript, with its lovely chess piece diagrams. This manuscript was researched in detail by chess historian Alessandro Sanvito - and milanese architect Franco Rocco, who published his conclusions in a recent book via Amazon - and contributed to the design of these chess men.
This design of the pieces,on the principal first diagram in the treatise, has been attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, according to various sources a close friend and court colleague of Luca Pacioli, and shows a very simple contemporary playing set with turned pieces and several rings or "crows nests". Similar sets are found fe in the first edition s of Lucena's and Damiano's treatises. This design in a simplified and highly coloured form is being made in a Limited edition by Noj - see details here.
Prospects?
All in all, a very impressive range of chess sets. No doubt, Rajasthani craftsmen are already busy studying these designs in order to - hmph , expropriate them, shall we say? That is, if there is any money in this. In general , the market for standard chess men is not growing, so Gregor Novak is quite right to concentrate on the upper end market.
The Dubrovnik set is already produced in a slightly indianized style in India, but the sheesham wood and the knight heads are a giveaway. Nothing unusual there, as copying has always been rife in chess set making, and of course not only there. In fact, imitation is the way of improvement and economical progress... but for us personally, we dedicate to Gregor Novak and his family a resounding applause and hurrah !
(c) Chess Museum
This design of the pieces,on the principal first diagram in the treatise, has been attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, according to various sources a close friend and court colleague of Luca Pacioli, and shows a very simple contemporary playing set with turned pieces and several rings or "crows nests". Similar sets are found fe in the first edition s of Lucena's and Damiano's treatises. This design in a simplified and highly coloured form is being made in a Limited edition by Noj - see details here.
Prospects?
All in all, a very impressive range of chess sets. No doubt, Rajasthani craftsmen are already busy studying these designs in order to - hmph , expropriate them, shall we say? That is, if there is any money in this. In general , the market for standard chess men is not growing, so Gregor Novak is quite right to concentrate on the upper end market.
The Dubrovnik set is already produced in a slightly indianized style in India, but the sheesham wood and the knight heads are a giveaway. Nothing unusual there, as copying has always been rife in chess set making, and of course not only there. In fact, imitation is the way of improvement and economical progress... but for us personally, we dedicate to Gregor Novak and his family a resounding applause and hurrah !
(c) Chess Museum
Leonardo da Vinci set
These chic chessmen were conceived after the pieces used in a central chess diagram in Luca Pacioli's, De ludo scachorum - and supposdely drawn by his friend Leonardo da Vinci.
Luke Honey in business
As announced last December, Luke Honey, former chess specialist at Bonham's (and Philips, Philips & de Pury etc.) - has established himself as an independent antique dealer specializing in chess - better late than never! - using the Internet as base, instead of asphalt based standing premises! Check out his website here....the emphasis is on chess, but as an old hand in the auction world Luke obviously has a fine eye for good small antiques of any sorts....
Crumiller Art Project reaches 600 objects
26.4. Jon Crumiller kindly informs that his Art Project at present includes 600 works of art dealing with or showing chess, among paintings, photographs and sculptures. Check it out under this link. This very likely is going to be the referential page for Chess Art - especially as Jean-Marc Ricci's page seems to have closed down!
Chalet "O Casulo" in Figueiró dos Vinhos
Chess Museum to open in Portugal !!
26.4. International Arbiter Carlos Oliveira Dias informs me that a new Chess Museum will open on June 24 in the central Portuguese town of Figueiró dos Vinhos. This Museum, unique in Portugal and in Spain, will occupy the picturesque turn of the century building "O Casulo" (se pic above) , and show all kinds of objects referring to the culture and history of chess - boards and pieces, clocks, books, all kinds of printed matter, stamps etc. etc.
The Museum will start principally with the private collections of Dias, Antonio Curado and José Bray - but actively invites collectors to donate or lend some of their treasures. Given the actual constricted situation of most Portuguese municipalities, it remains to be seen whether the Museum will actually open open on the date announced. For details (in Portuguese) and localization, click here ....
The Museum will start principally with the private collections of Dias, Antonio Curado and José Bray - but actively invites collectors to donate or lend some of their treasures. Given the actual constricted situation of most Portuguese municipalities, it remains to be seen whether the Museum will actually open open on the date announced. For details (in Portuguese) and localization, click here ....
Sub -miniature chess set and table
The tiniest chess set in the world ?
Maarten Meerman in Canada has turned what is most likely the tiniest chess set ever made - a chess table with board and pieces between the size of a rice grain and a coffee bean! Take a look at this little wonder - Maarten also makes single pieces and has come up with chess earrings and single chess pieces as well as chess tables - all in sub-miniature size, of course!
Maarten is a space engineer who relieves the tedium of his rather theoretical engineering work on a computer screen with - turning microscopically sized objects on his lathe at home - yes , among the turner's there is a small and elite group of a nano-turners specializing in sub-microscopical turning! Contact Maarten if You want some nano chess men at this address!.
Maarten is a space engineer who relieves the tedium of his rather theoretical engineering work on a computer screen with - turning microscopically sized objects on his lathe at home - yes , among the turner's there is a small and elite group of a nano-turners specializing in sub-microscopical turning! Contact Maarten if You want some nano chess men at this address!.
25.12.
Auction Record for amber chess board
An opulent amber chess board which belonged to King Charles I was sold at Sotheby's on the 24th of Dec in a heated bidding battle for - gbp 601.250.- !! This is a bigt step upwards from the sale of the Mann-Eichel chess board at Sotheby's on the 4th of July for gbp 445.250.- !
This must be the absolute auction sales record of any chess item - I would be glad to receive any correction from informed readers, to rectify this assertion ! The board was made in 1607 in Königsberg, Eastern Prussia (today Kaliningrad) by Georg Schreiber, (sign. Georgius Scriba, + 1644) , then a reputed craftsman in amber, and was owned by Charles' father James I. It was taken to the scaffold by Charles I, who before losing his final game handed it to his chaplain Bishop William Juxon - in whose family it stayed for the next hundred years. In the 19th Century the board was acquired by Lord Robert Hesketh - and remained in the family until today.
It looks as if the family trust is back in funds, at least for the time being - although 400.000.- pounds can melt away awfully fast (30 % are retained by the house!). In the 70ies the then and present Lord Hesketh (Thomas Alexander Fermor-Hesketh) probably splashed a good amount of money on automobile racing, running a formula 1 team with drivers like James Hunt and Harald Ertl competing. This team closed down - for lack of money! - in 1978. Hesketh also tried to produce a motorcycle under his name, in an enterprise that also ended in failure.
Hesketh was a prominent member of the Conservative party, served in government from 1989 to 1991 as Under Secretary and Minister of State. From 2003 on wards till 2006 he was Tory treasurer, but had to resign in the middle of personal financial troubles, which forced him to sell the family seat at Easton Neston (Towcester, Nortshampshire).
This must be the absolute auction sales record of any chess item - I would be glad to receive any correction from informed readers, to rectify this assertion ! The board was made in 1607 in Königsberg, Eastern Prussia (today Kaliningrad) by Georg Schreiber, (sign. Georgius Scriba, + 1644) , then a reputed craftsman in amber, and was owned by Charles' father James I. It was taken to the scaffold by Charles I, who before losing his final game handed it to his chaplain Bishop William Juxon - in whose family it stayed for the next hundred years. In the 19th Century the board was acquired by Lord Robert Hesketh - and remained in the family until today.
It looks as if the family trust is back in funds, at least for the time being - although 400.000.- pounds can melt away awfully fast (30 % are retained by the house!). In the 70ies the then and present Lord Hesketh (Thomas Alexander Fermor-Hesketh) probably splashed a good amount of money on automobile racing, running a formula 1 team with drivers like James Hunt and Harald Ertl competing. This team closed down - for lack of money! - in 1978. Hesketh also tried to produce a motorcycle under his name, in an enterprise that also ended in failure.
Hesketh was a prominent member of the Conservative party, served in government from 1989 to 1991 as Under Secretary and Minister of State. From 2003 on wards till 2006 he was Tory treasurer, but had to resign in the middle of personal financial troubles, which forced him to sell the family seat at Easton Neston (Towcester, Nortshampshire).
Jon Crumiller's Chess Art Project
Among the many documents Jon has collected in order to facilitate dating and identification of chess sets - he has put together a large database of chess painting and drawings available on his Chess Reference site.
Now Jon has upped the ante once more, creating a spreadsheet of all 610 paintings which organizes, attributes and provides links to the full-size photos. This is a goodly step on the way to having an encyclopedic database cum pics of ALL chess-related paintings, drawings and sculptures...and will be very helpful for anybody colelcting, writing or researching chess, or just looking to illustrate some chessic texts! Please compare with earlier picture and chess art collections on the net - under Varia in Links - to appreciate the differences...
Now Jon has upped the ante once more, creating a spreadsheet of all 610 paintings which organizes, attributes and provides links to the full-size photos. This is a goodly step on the way to having an encyclopedic database cum pics of ALL chess-related paintings, drawings and sculptures...and will be very helpful for anybody colelcting, writing or researching chess, or just looking to illustrate some chessic texts! Please compare with earlier picture and chess art collections on the net - under Varia in Links - to appreciate the differences...
Swiss Chess Museum in Luzern
Werner and Roland Rupp have finally managed to set up their Swiss Chess Museum in a permanent show housed in a large warehouse in Kriens near Luzern - until now it was a virtual Museum . This is the dream of almost every major collector, to establish their collection as a publicly accessible physical exhibition! And these gentlemen from Switzerland - have done it! Bravo and hooray!
This is therefore the second all-Chess Museum worldwide, the first being the Rotterdam Chessmen Museum. See the Museum section under Links!
Over 3.000 chess sets are in the Lucerne Museum and generally visible on weekends between 10h00 and 16h00 local time. When in Switzerland, make a point of visiting Lucerne and the Swiss Chess Museum!
This is therefore the second all-Chess Museum worldwide, the first being the Rotterdam Chessmen Museum. See the Museum section under Links!
Over 3.000 chess sets are in the Lucerne Museum and generally visible on weekends between 10h00 and 16h00 local time. When in Switzerland, make a point of visiting Lucerne and the Swiss Chess Museum!
W.T Pinney - American Staunton sets
US collector Mike Ladzinsky - a dyed-in-the-wool adept of Staunton chessmen , see his great albums! - has managed to dig up a fairly rare US-made Staunton set - by a company called W.T. Pinney - situated in Los Angeles. These sets can be dated via recurrent ads in the 1940ies US Chess Review - for "Liberty Chess Sets" - the name also indicates the set was made and sold in war times! It also proves that wooden Staunton tournament chessmen of good quality were made in the USA in some quantity, despite the imports from Europe - that is, by
- Drueke in Grand Rapids,
- W.T. Pinney,
- Herman Steiner,
- and the turners of the "Cambridge Springs" sets with the spire-topped kings (see under Recent Entries)!
- and possibly others?!
Take a look at these very sturdy and workmanlike chessmen - most probably made at a time when imports form Europe proved impossible. Check Mike's Pinney album on
W.T.Pinney
and compare with the Herman Steiner chess set from much the same period, mentioned further down on this page!
Update from Mike Ladzinsky:
These "Liberty" sets were made in 4 sizes with 4.5" kings, 4" kings, 3.75" kings and 3" kings. The 4.5 Master size is shown in my Picasa album. For comparison , I have also included pictures of the 4" Club size and 3.75" small club size pieces. The 4.5" and 4" sets are weighted. The 3.75" set is not weighted. A great tournament set and was used in the 1941 US Championship along with other national tournaments.
- Drueke in Grand Rapids,
- W.T. Pinney,
- Herman Steiner,
- and the turners of the "Cambridge Springs" sets with the spire-topped kings (see under Recent Entries)!
- and possibly others?!
Take a look at these very sturdy and workmanlike chessmen - most probably made at a time when imports form Europe proved impossible. Check Mike's Pinney album on
W.T.Pinney
and compare with the Herman Steiner chess set from much the same period, mentioned further down on this page!
Update from Mike Ladzinsky:
These "Liberty" sets were made in 4 sizes with 4.5" kings, 4" kings, 3.75" kings and 3" kings. The 4.5 Master size is shown in my Picasa album. For comparison , I have also included pictures of the 4" Club size and 3.75" small club size pieces. The 4.5" and 4" sets are weighted. The 3.75" set is not weighted. A great tournament set and was used in the 1941 US Championship along with other national tournaments.
Chess Reference site - Jon Crumiller
Jon Crumiller's Reference pages are an absolute eye-opener for any chess collector. Most interesting are Jon's unearthing of addresses and identities of ALL chess manufacturer's and makers active in 19th Century London, by going through all London Registers. Jon has also produced a spreadsheet showing the business life of all of the major London chess craftsmen .... a perfect map of 19th century chess manufacture in London, one of the major chess cities in those days.
Even more important for practical reasons, is Jon's scanning and posting of all chess auction catalogues at his disposal - complete with prices, results, and of course pictures of the items.
Here is the link to the main page:
Crumiller Reference
Thanks , Jon!
Even more important for practical reasons, is Jon's scanning and posting of all chess auction catalogues at his disposal - complete with prices, results, and of course pictures of the items.
Here is the link to the main page:
Crumiller Reference
Thanks , Jon!
