Bruce Frahm's
Chess set page
I was a chess player in high school and college but haven't played actively in years. Interestingly, I helped the Kansas State U chess club compete with other college clubs by using amateur radio to communicate the moves in realtime.
A passion that worked well with travel was collecting chess sets. This hobby is on the back-burner now, due in large part to the hassle of cleaning all the pieces while living in Kansas! I am a fanatic for interesting motifs and boards, and have listed some of my favorite sets below. I'd enjoy hearing about any unusual sets you may have.
English. Cast pot metal gold/silver w. black 'patina'. Board size 14 x 14" The pieces are famous or historic structures of Britain -- cathedrals, castles etc. Purchased in Greenwich Village during our honeymoon, 1977. Board separate - inlaid light/dark woods on freestanding legged table, with lid for storage. Queen Anne style.
Italian. Cast brass/silvered brass. Board size 24 x 24" The pieces are Roman gods, gladiators etc. Board is lightly tooled leather, stained natural/black. Purchased in Roman market 1976
Indonesian. Intricately carved rosewood/ebony. Board size 16 x 16" (no board). Pieces are Indonesian garudas and other mythological creatures. Unbelievable handwork, and I bought it in Denpasar Bali in 1979 for $17!!
Taiwanese. Simply carved pine/brown. Board size 16 x 16" Pieces are simple depictions of Chinese Buddhas, servants, dragons etc. Board is wood with plastic game surface black/white with intricate Chinese scenes. The board is the 'art' in this one. Drawers for storage. Purchased in Taipei 1976.
South African. Camphor/ebony handcarved. Board size 12 x 12" Pieces are South African tribespeople, huts, etc. Board is Kenyan. Folding, unbacked elephant leather natural/white. Dimpling in leather clearly visible. Pieces purchased Durban, board Mombasa, 1979
Two that were 'left behind', giving me nightmares. I saw a beautiful set, rather traditional motif, of intricately beaten sheet metal, silver/gunblue, 30 x 30" board. To give an idea, the rook was about 4.5" tall, and had an extended drawbridge held by very small gauge gold chain. Too big for a flight, too expensive ($600?), already had Italian brass set desc. above, etc. As far as I know, it's still sitting in the shop on the right corner as you come out of St. Mark's Square in Venice.
The other set was across the street from the Prado museum in Madrid. The players must have been matadors, bulls, Flamenco senoritas, etc. but I don't recall the material. What I DO recall is the board, not for its playing surface but the sides which created the storage drawer space. They were beautiful, colorful Moorish arches of plastic. With 4 identical sets displayed in a row, I thought the plastic made them tacky, and left 'em all behind. Two days later I knew I'd screwed up, and haven't forgotten!