HOS Ebony Dubrovnik Chessmen

So these came in the mail today. First impressions are not so bad, really.

Is that the genuine ebony set for $399 retail?  Looks very nice. Congrats on your new set.

Are the knights’ heads ebony too? It may just be the lighting but in that last picture the knight’s head looks ebonised.

This is literally the second ebony Dubrovnik set HOS produced, so I'm rather dubious that there are 139 threads on precisely this same topic. 

They seem to be the latest trend. ChessBazaar recently came out with a Dubrovnik set, and I guess HOS has too. I think the NOJ Dubrovnik set has been around for a while, but it is quite expensive.

I think it's an ugly design, but they say it was Bobby Fischer's favorite. I've never cared for the Russian and Eastern European takes on the English Staunton design.

Its a nice looking set of chess pieces. I still like my Chess Bazaar set better though. Personal taste once again.!

Bobby Fischer and his 1970 Dubrovnik chess set: http://youtu.be/8S3lKm9gw3I

The HoS pawns needs to be fatter. Anyone who has seen, the hello chess lovers vids by Izmet, won't like these staunton design pawns. CB 3.6 inch set has much better pawns though NOJ still rules :)

Nice set. Is anyone aware of a place one can find a new, high-quality, blue and white (or even red and white but prefer blue) chess set? Any links you can provide would be appreciated. Thanks.

@Chicken_Monster On this site, click on 'Shop Online' takes you to wholesale chess website. 

There are blue and white half sets there at http://www.wholesalechess.com/shop/chess-pieces/tournament-chess-pieces/heavy-tournament-chess-pieces-color-half-set

Good site - thanks.

I'm having trouble finding the high-quality blue and white, though. I know they exist.

I see some cheap plastic vinyl stuff in various colors on the link you sent me. Looks like plastic tournament cheap stuff on the page you sent. Then looking through the site I see some nicer sets $100, $200 and up, but did you see those in various colors? I'm looking for something that is, I don't know, $100 to $1000 or more and in colors such as blue and white or other colors (red and white etc.). Maybe I missed it on there? That site is massive. Thanks in advance if you see can point me to it.

@Chicken_Monster:

I have seen blue and white pieces show up on Ebay occasionally, but I don't remember seeing them on anyone's site.  HOS used to offer red and white lacquered pieces in several styles, but a look at their current catalog only reveals one:

http://www.houseofstaunton.com/the-classic-series-chess-pieces-3-75-king.html

Chicken_monster

Maybe you should try metal sets where these colours might be availaible. Someone had posted a white/blue chess set on this forum here - http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/post-youre-chess-sets

(look at the first post in the thread)

@Chicken_Monster:

Can't sleep, so I checked out Ebay for you.  Some blue and white alabaster sets but couldn't find anything in wood.  Couple red and white wood sets though and some antique bone in red and white also.  This set looked OK:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RED-WHITE-WOODEN-CHESSMEN-FINELY-CARVED-FELTED-WEIGHTED-K-4-629-/251649871795?pt=Games_US&hash=item3a97804fb3

Another option is to save the photo posted in the "post your chess set" thread.

Go to HoS site and select the design/size you want e.g Fischer/Spassky set 4" etc

Then email them with the photo and ask if they can get one for you in Blue/white at extra cost. Maybe they will agree.

Also here is a nice set from London Chess Centre, http://shop.chess.co.uk/Purling-London-Bold-Chess-Set-Cobalt-Blue-White-p/cb05575.htm

Thanks, baddogno. Surprising they have red and not blue. Red is nice though.

Yes, Rishsi, that is the set I was looking for (or one like it) and the post/set I was thinking of. I had contacted the poster a long time ago and no response. I want the pieces AND board to be blu & white. Maybe a wooden set in those colors by HOS would be nicer though. I can talk to them. Good idea. They'll probably do it for an extra 10 thousand dollars LOL.

Kimbacal posted a link to some spectacular red & white pieces in one of these posts ... I have it saved .... it was chessbazaar....Dubrovnik I believe... The board was also red & white and looked good in the pic, but I believe she said is wasn't anything of great quality. I don't know, I was just thinking of doing something a little different. I may still go the traditional route/colors.

 HoS might do it for 100-200 dollars extra and you will have to wait for couple of weeks. Ideally they should be offering customized chess sets.

Did you check the link in post #18 above, looks like the chess set you want.

I want the squares to be blue and white as well....like the one in post # 16... to me, that looks great. An HOS set would as well I'm sure. I really like the ones Kimbacal posted that she bought from chessbazaar too...they are red & white and sold out anyway..

That's because red is a traditional color for chess pieces, and blue is not. Old ivory sets were typically stained red for the black pieces, and most of the imitation ivory sets followed suit. There are only three common colors for black chess pieces, and each one is strongly associated with the traditional materials used to make them: red (as in the color of stained ivory), brown (as in the natural color of walnut and other dark colored wood species), and black (as in the natural color of ebony).

By the way, you can get blue and white chess pieces, along with a blue and white board (as well as many other color combinations for the pieces and board), for cheap at the USCF store:

Pieces: http://www.uscfsales.com/chess-pieces/plastic-chess-pieces/regulation-colored-plastic-chessmen.html

Board: http://www.uscfsales.com/chess-boards/vinyl-chess-boards/regulation-vinyl-tournament-chessboard-2-25.html

Yes, they are just plastic pieces and a vinyl board, but maybe they can hold you over until you find exactly what you're looking for.