Noj set/advice

Hello everyone. I am new here and wanted to say hello, share a little information, and ask for a little advice. In short, I was looking for my first higher end chess set and found this website. I did quite a bit of reading in these forums. Wonderful information that led to my decision on who to buy from. I decided to sign up here and get involved a little.

I am quite excited to be officially on the NOJ wait list for a chess set. I ordered the Minceta four inch king set with brown stain. Hence, my posting here.  Thanks to all for sharing your knowledge and experiences. The Noj threads were very informative.

In short, I ordered the four inch set because I am looking for a set to keep in my home library as a display piece when not in use. This set and board will never leave the room just FYI. Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences on these larger pieces? I thought they would be nice to play with as well as nice looking for display.

I will be purchasing a designated board for this set but not until after it arrives. I have started looking around however. MTM (another company I discovered here) has a couple I really like. Any other solid wood construction boards you fellows may recommend in a similar price range? Any suggestions on square size for these larger pieces?

I realize much of this is quite subjective but any thoughts would be appreciated as when it comes to nice chess sets you fellows certainly have some experience with this. Thanks!

Congratulations on your purchase.  There have been some members of this forum that did buy the 4” King size Dubrovnik sets before.  GoodKnightMike comes to mind as one.  Cgrau might be another.  There should be some others as well.  You might be able to find topic threads by doing a search of these forums.

The larger sized pieces will need a larger size square.  The standard one has a King base diameter of 39mm.  This means a square size of 2.0” to 2.25” will work with a 2.125” square being perfect.

The larger set has a King base of 43mm.  The smallest square size, without being cramped, would be a 2.25” square.  And this will work fine.

When you get your set, come on here and give us your review with photos.

It's interesting you chose a Dubrovnik Minceta as a display set. The Minceta is known for it's playability, hand-feel, and durability. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautifully crafted set. And it has a unique instantly recognizable look. But many people would choose a more intricate set for display. With that said, I love the Dubrovnik and would display it as well. Great choice!

Finely crafted solid wood boards are beautiful. Just be sure you know what you're getting into. Solid wood chess boards sometimes do not play well with seasonal changes in temperature and humidity. Some warpage or separation may occur and you as the owner just have to accept it as part of owning a solid wood board. It takes a highly skilled craftsman who knows chess board construction, different woods, grains, and finishes to best create a strong durable board with minimal "issues". It's not just cut 64 squares, glue, clamp, sand, and poly. Just do your research and know what you're getting into with a solid wood board over an equally (IMO) beautiful veneer board. Good luck!

Hello gentleman and thank you for the replies, advice, and nice comments.

I read several of the NOJ posts before signing up and Eyechess your post with the Minceta review (I believe it was last year) was particularly informative so thank you.

I must have missed the posts about the four inch sets. I’ll have to look again. Maybe I can find them. Interestingly, Gregor from NOJ told me his personal preference in the Minceta is the standard size. He said he thinks it has “more presence.” However, he was also very quick to point out that was just his subjective personal opinion. I just like it because, besides my preference for playing with larger pieces, for a set that will be used and displayed in my home library I just think it will be more eye catching.

Thanks for the tip on square size. I thought 2.25” would be fine for a 43mm base diameter but is is nice to hear from fellows with more experience.

Pawneri, thanks for your thoughts on boards. FYI I chose NOJ as a display set (that will also see home play) because part of the display appeal is the story behind the company, its location, and the outstanding small shop craftsmanship. In addition to a great set to play, it should make for an excellent conversation piece. All the furniture and bookshelves in my home library were made by me strictly with hand tools in my home shop out back (I don’t even have power out there!) so this set will kind of “fit in” with the room so to speak.

Thanks for your advice on boards. I was already familiar with much of it as I do some hobby woodworking and carpentry but a board is a bit of a different animal. I’m in no hurry to buy one until my set arrives so I’ll do some poking around. That said, MTM has a couple I really like. We’ll see.

I won’t have everything for awhile but when I do I can certainly oblige the request for photos.

Original Dubrovnik 1950 chessmen came in a folding wooden chessboard with a square size of 60 mm (or 2.36 inch).  Here's a photo of the original 1950 from Noj.

I have a Noj Minceta with 3.58" King and it plays well on both 2.25 and 2.36 inch square boards, though my personal preference is 2.36 inch squares because it's more relaxing like the original. If you're planning to get a 4" Minceta, a quick calculation would reveal that boards with square size of 2.5 inch would produce similar ratio as the original.

zagryan

Thanks for taking the time to provide your thoughts. Good tips and much appreciated. As I previously mentioned, I'm not buying a board until I receive my set and have a chance to fiddle around with it. I have a couple different size boards and I'll see how the pieces fit and then go from there. 

In the meantime I appreciate the feedback from everyone. Thanks again! It's going to be awhile but in time I will share a photo or two.

https://www.noj.si/?mod=catalog&action=productDetails&ID=181

@MCH818 - You talk about the 1950 queen non-stop. It is obvious you're obsessed over perfection. One of the hardest things you'll ever have to do as a Dubrovnik enthusiast is to stop searching for the perfect set because Noj upgraded them few years ago :-)

@facecards - Do share some photos when you eventually get your board. I myself have bought inexpensive roll-up vinyl boards in various sizes and eventually found my preference through numerous game plays and analysis. Since you already have a couple different size boards, I think you're well prepared.

I certainly will! It will just be a little while. It appears the set will be ready to ship in a couple months or so and then I have to decide on a board. When I get it all together I’ll make sure to post a photo or two in this thread. Thanks again to everyone for the replies and if anyone has a favorite board feel free to tell me about it here.

On another note, I’m very much a chess hobbyist and occasional player who simply enjoys the game. Therefore, my skills are pretty mediocre (and I’m fine with that.) If anyone here would like to engage in the occasional friendly online game to possibly help us both improve a little feel free to message me.