Black and White Plastic E. S. Lowe's 1959 Renaissance set purchased from a newspaper advertisement from a Denver Department Store! Unweighted, I glued lead fish weights in the pieces myself. Two other plastic medieval themed sets were popular in the 60's - the Kingsway Florentine Chess Set, and the Sculpted Gothic Chess Set (1957) by Ganine.
I had a Plastic Red and White Weighted Staunton set, which saw a lot of use at lunches and after school in the cafeteria until it was stolen at lunch. Unable to get another Red and Ivory one, I got the Black and White Plastic Staunton one which I still have.
And here is the Wasson Chess Club, 1968
Oriental set, with Chinese figures - a pseudo ivory figures stained purple and brown in board box. The bald headed bishops and the knights riding dragons are my favorite pieces. The Inlaid mother-of-pearl board I got from the Nile Shop in Cairo was just right to go with these chessmen.
Hindu gods set from Surabago, Java purshcased by my son from a rather pushy street vender. It has a fancy carved round wooden box with legs that insert in slots.
Eastern European Consul Wood Set from Krakow, Poland. purchased by my wife while on a Mission Trip.
Wooden Staunton Set made in India with Walnut inlaid Board. Purchased from Wizards of the Coast
Here are a Chess Challenger from the 80's; An Ivan Electronic Chess and a Saitech Computer game
Marble or Alabaster Chess set with stone board case either from Chiellini of Italy - purchased on Ebay
Isle of Lewis Chessmen these are cast gypsum replicas purchased on Ebay and stained and painted myself. A future project might be a leather board, with celtic designs tooled into the white squares and around the borders!!
Hand made chess set made out of old Radio Tubes which would look nice on a mirrored glass board.
Resin Frog Kingdom Chess Set - Purchased on Ebay
Oriental Set with eight different Chinese Myth Character Pawns modelled after the Eight Immortals on Ebay - which would be a nice storytelling set.
Alice in Wonderland from England purchased on Ebay.
I also have a cute ceramic Teddy Bears Set that I need to paint.
St. George Chess Set. Purchased from
I have written an article on the conventional chess sets which proceeded Staunton's. Someday I would like to find both a Barleycorn; and a set similar to Washington's.
Jim Arnold's handcarved Red Oak Set - a gift from the carver
"Lotus Styled" Handcarved Rosewood Set from India
House of Staunton Red and Ivory Lacquered Chess Set with 4 Queens
House of Jacques Staunton Chess Set with 4 Queens
It was Club of the Year in 1968, in part due to a speech I wrote, but didn't give - it was read by someone else.
Abstract African Set, are carved out of Kisii Soapstone probably in Kenya. The board is also stone. The pieces show individually - the black royalty are shorter than the white - the queens face opposite directions, the pawns vary some in size. The other pieces are not exact copies of each other. Purchased in Uganda in 2005
Regency Wooden Set
