r/chessporn

The Lost Civilization Chess Set

A city forgotten by history. Ancient monuments standing in silence. A kingdom reclaimed by time.

This hand-carved chess set is built around a stepped board that descends toward its center, creating the feeling of exploring the ruins of a long-lost civilization.

The board is crafted from cedar and black walnut, while the pieces are carved from rosewood and Osage orange, highlighting the contrast between light and dark as the ancient kingdom comes to life.

Looking for additional information on a Chess set, I've been looking around trying to find more information on a set of pieces I recently picked up but have been unable to find anything about the set. I was hoping to find out if there was a chess board for it.

Not sponsored. I’m a sucker for cute shit though and I happened to notice this while I was studying Italian.

Many components are important in order to enjoy chess over the board.

1. Choosing the right chess set. I love heavy chess sets with the king which is around 4.4" or 4.5"

2. The right board contrast with the pieces is important. On this board one can also use ebony pieces

3. The light. The first pic is natural light, the second artificial, which one do you prefer?

White to move and gain an advantage.

I bought this at an estate sale around 7 years ago. Thoughts?

I believe it's important to match the board and pieces. Black to move and win!

Working on the two-tone version of the rest of the set.

The pieces are printed with iron-filled PLA, oxidized for real rust and texture, and weighted with steel inserts.

Still prototyping and refining a few things, but I’d love feedback on the overall direction.

The chessmen from the Isle of Lewis hold one of the great stories about medieval chess pieces. Carved in the 12th Century from walrus tusk and whale teeth, they were discovered in Scotland in 1831 among a group of artifacts including 82 chess pieces, comprising four different incomplete sets. It's generally understood they reflect Scandinavian viking culture. However, who made them and how they got to the Isle of Lewis remain a mystery.

1. What type of player or collector is interested in these sets?

2. Which company made this particular reproduction?

3. ⁠How does it look with this particular chessboard? The kings are so big they need 2.25" squares. I like the colors, but wonder if the light colored board is too refined.

In a dimly lit London pub, the fog is thick outside. White to move kicking off a legendary chess combination! Can you spot it? ♟️ This board is set for some history! 🤔 #Chess

Current specs:

King — 4.58” / 130g
Queen — 4.05” / 99g
Bishop — 3.67” / 71g
Knight — 3.60” / 80g
Rook — 3.10” / 79g
Pawn — 2.55” / 41g

I also included a bishop/knight comparison shot since a few people mentioned the knight height. The knight’s point sits near bishop height while the main head mass stays closer to rook height.

I haven’t seen a post with a 15” Drueke board with 1.5” squares posted anywhere…so here is my new mini drunken. The seller had a few NOS (new old stock) boards and I impulse bought this after buying a 23” board from him. It’s from after Drueke was acquired by Carrom, but before they got rid of the edge profile with the bevel. Later it seems they cut corners (pun intended) and went with just an angle cut for the edge.

Chess pieces in the pic are from a cheap set I had laying around. 3” king with a 1” base.

I couldn’t find any examples of 15” being sold or even discussed in forums, so not sure a fair value - I probably overpaid.

What do you all think a fair price for this is?

I had alot of fun making this with onshape on my spare time at school. I designed it with the intention of being small enough to fit into my backpack so that I could play with friends. What do you think of it? To simple, or are the pieces to Vaage?

I just unpacked them. This chess set is amazing, king 4.5 inches, the tilted knights seem alive and shaking their heads, but what I like is the weight. When a chess set is over 2 kgs, one can stop the gym subscription!

The position comes from the Woodpecker Method, position n. 1 Hamppe vs Steinitz Vienna 1860 Black to move and win. If someone likes the set and the positions I'll publish more.

My sister and I are the last of our family still around. We have just finished sorting and clearing out the family home and contents (and it *only* took 4 years, lol). Anyway, instead of an estate sale, we have contracted with an online auction site to help find a new home for much of the stuff. Most of what I just typed doesn't matter, its the background for my question:

My Dad was a big chess lover. My sister brought this set back from a trip to Mexico (in the early 80s, I think). It meant a lot to my Dad and, therefore, I would really like it to find a home with someone who will really appreciate it. I don't have a high confidence that will happen with the limited reach of this auction site.

With that being said, does anyone have advice on where I can notify collectors and chess lovers that this set is available?

Any advice is much appreciated!! Thanks