Czech club play chess set design - how do you like it?

I know it wouldn't be authentic, but a smallish cross or something to distinguish the King would probably go a long way... I love this set but I imagine it would confuse many people ^^

@utpic - your Lasker hand carved knight reminds me of this ^^ (but I only saw it briefly)

I friggin' love that set felonet!....You're quickly becoming "my man"!

Of course it's a compliment.

If I'm not mistaken, the above set is from the collection of Holger Langer.

Who says collecting chess sets isn't collecting art?

I love this one.. Gentlewomen- cf. their reprise in utpic's 'deluxe' set above (#20)- the archers- one of them falling short of his brothers- and one tower feistier than the other three. Friendly horses, great pawns, tipped kings. Remnants of green felt, unweighted.

Position above occured after 13.e5 in Hübner-Hort, game 5 of a friendly match, Hamburg 1979. (Not that I study a lot! ) They are born in the '40ies, while these pieces, grandchildren of the design from the 1880ies, may be from the 1950ies.

Nice set for sure...Happily, I was born after they were. Not by much though...Whew, I'm getting long in the tooth.

Loving the unusual / different artistic design too. I bought them w/ box in June 2023. Haven‘t had my chess pieces in hand yet since they are still in Europe. They are supposed to be 1950s or older. Adding two pictures here:

Nowadays SC is doing repros: https://stauntoncastle.com/products/the-1951-1954-ceska-klubovka-fide-tournament-czech-reproduction-chessmen-in-ebony-wood-boxwood-4-0-king

or you can find them on Etsy by CB: https://www.etsy.com/listing/860883227/the-1951-1954-eska-klubovka-fide?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm

and EBay (SC): https://www.ebay.com/itm/235328096876

Above pieces mentioned look very similar and feel a bit „stauntonized“ to me, maybe due to being not so sleek and the knight design.

The peaceful game of chess with ceska klubovka IV pieces. This is large and heavy, dark blue felts, plastic knight busts. A similar set I have seen dated 1986. Mid-eighties was when I started playing chess in a club as a teen. At the time, we had basically old Bundesform, often in mixed sets, or the plastic Bayerwald ones.

I don't mind the black and white mix. I like to see that. The aspects that stand out to me are:

• The King shape could very well belong to a Queen as well. I could get used to it, but if I'd see the piece on its own, I would have guessed it's a Queen piece.
• The Knights look more like hounds than horses, but that's a minor detail that wouldn't bother my ability to recognize the piece.
• I don't like the wood burn accents on the White Rooks. Again, a minor detail.

An interest set otherwise and I really liked the old historical sets which had better Knights.

CZECH CHESS PIECES

Česká Klubovka (Czech Club Chess Set)

The original designs for the Czech figures were developed in the 1880s at the end of the 19th century by one of the most famous Czech sculptors, Boguslav Šnirch (1845–1901). He was also the first chairman of the Czech Chess Association. These sets were produced throughout the 20th century right up to the present day.

(Source Bohuslav Schnirch on Czech Wikipedia https://cs.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohuslav_Schnirch)

Photo: Chess Club Prague, museum corner.

The photo shows chess pieces "česká klubovka" (czech club set).

In the photo, grandmaster Lubomir Kavalek shows a simultaneous game on Czech chess boards.

Lubomir Kavalek, a former long-time player in the world ten, also established himself in the USA, where he lived since 1970.

Indian grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna gives a simultaneous game at the Prague Chess Club. Czech club chess pieces.

Harikrishna has been living permanently in Prague for more than 10 years and willingly accepts invitations to European tournaments. Simultaneous game in Prague, played with Czech chess pieces.

In the photo is the Slovak grandmaster Jan Markos, champion of Slovakia 2011, 2012.

Czech chess pieces on the board.

Maroczy and Nimzowitsch play with Czech chess pieces "česká klubovka" (czech club set), Lasker on the far right watches the game.

Photos from the Poděbrady tournament 1936

The tournament was played with Czech chess pieces.

World champion Mikhail Botvinnik gives a simultaneous show in Prague on February 7, 1956.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Prague 2024)

In the photo, Collector Petr Kral talks about the Czech chess pieces on display at Česká Klubovka. Behind him is a stand with a photograph of Boguslav Schnirch, the founder of the Czech chess pieces Česká Klubovka.

Photos from the exhibition

https://praguechess.cz/index.php?modul=&akce=&orderby=2481

The Česká Klubovka chess set has been played in the following international tournaments:

IV. Chess Olympiad 1931. Prague

Poděbrady International Tournament 1936

International tournament Prague 1942, 1943

FIDE Zonal Tournament 1951 and 1954.