Post a picture of your best, most expensive chess set, that you own

The HOS Zagreb. Beautiful. I have the rosewood one.

I got it from Chess Bazaar actually.

Is beautiful.

not sure this is my most expensive, but it's my favorite board with my favorite set, and neither was exactly cheap.

I agree with Rsava that proportions can be a personal preference.  I also happen to like a slightly crowded board.  I think it shows off the pieces better.  They tend to get lost on a larger board.

My favorite is my brand new 'Custom' Isle of Lewis Chess Set from Ivan Simberg in Montreal, Canada. There wasn't a maker in the world that I could find that would make this custom Isle of Lewis set for me with the ii
peices the do not exist on the market. He made it for me. I know you will never find a chess set or chess maker like this. https://www.etsy.com/shop/chessets 

My most expensive (so far  )  and definitely one of my favorites is my Noj Tal set . I still find the shape of the pieces stunning. 

My most expensive chess board. (and pieces)

(I had to substitute a few pieces)

wgnoyes,

Which HoS set is this? Love the tall pawns. Glad to see that HoS modified the pawns from the original Staunton dimensions, where the pawns were about half the height of the king and half the diameter of the square.

Here is a HOS Collectors Series w/4.0" King in Boxwood and Rosewood on a Custom Board with 2.5" Squares in Purple-heart and Curly Maple with Rosewood Boarder, w/ Spalted Maple Corners and Delimiter, and inlaid with Bloodwood.

The HoS Centurion Series. 4" King, Boxwood and Red Sandalwood. I really like the heft of the pieces.

Love the red sandalwood pieces. A classic premium wood no longer legally available. I've seen some sites trying to pass off bud/blood rosewood (padauk) as red sandalwood. Shame on them.

Here's the scoop about Red Sandalwood in India:

Loubalch, thanks for the info. I wasn't aware that Red Sandalwood was so controversial. I was lucky enough to get my set in the late 90s or early 2000s.

I got my red sandal set about 3-4 years ago. Dealer was clearing out some NOS (New old stock) sets that had be sitting on the shelf for a long time, maybe 10+ years, as the color had already darkened to a beautiful burgundy, like yours.

Now that is a very beautiful set!!! One I could never afford.

Stories of Christmas Past... I bought my set back in 2009 at the start of the "Great Recession" when HOS still offered the Collector Series w/4" King in Boxwood and Rosewood. It was too expensive for my taste. But HOS was trying to lure people into buying their sets.  I ended up buying it during their Christmas SALE. Given it was 2009, I think they offered me a 20% discount, plus they offered to upgrade the included Chess Box which I upgraded to the Coffer.  Add to that they allowed me put it on Layaway and it was just too good a deal to pass up.

Likewise with the Custom made board. Think I had it made in 2010. The maker had a 20% discount going, and we worked together to create what is truly a work of Art. Between the Purple Heart, the Rosewood, and the Bloodwood the RED colors pop out; likewise the Curly Maple and the Boxwood complement each other really well, and both are tied together by the Spalted Maple corners and delimiter.

I have a very unique set: HOS no longer makes the the Collector's Set in Boxwood and Rosewood, and today it sells the set ONLY in the expensive woods; and the Board is truly a one of a kind.