1950s' Fischer Dubrovnik Chess Pieces Only Set - Mahogany Stained & Boxwood - 3.8 " King

I had been casually collecting chess sets over the years, albeit cheap, barely playable sets made with coarse design and cheap materials. Recently, I've found my interest in collecting chess sets renewed, but now for the more elegant pieces crafted from finer materials — the sorts of chess sets that one can proudly gift to a younger enthusiast or bequeath as a family heirloom. This Dubrovnik set is no exception, and just the unboxing experience earlier this evening made me feel as though a part of chess history had reached forward from the past to touch me in the present. My hope of acquiring an original 1950 Dubrovnik set are beyond remote, yet having even a facsimile like this set allows me to experience what the original pieces might have felt like (but for the extra weight incorporated in these modern pieces, which is an attribute modern players have come to expect).

I purchased the Mahogany-stained boxwood and Natural boxwood pieces. These pieces are elegant, yet possess a substantial heft which makes them more stable on the chessboard. Their finish is polished to a gleaming satin without any distracting glare. The green felted base pads ensure that as the pieces come down onto a chessboard, no abrasion or other aggressive contact mars either the pieces or the board. I find myself continually admiring the craftsmanship in the knights, which capture just enough realism to be recognised as the iconic horse in appearance without emulating the complex visual nuance of a living horse. The execution of the 1950 Dubrovnik knight was a fine balance of simple geometry for ease of production against the aesthetic demands for a familiar equine profile.

All in all, I would highly recommend this set for anyone whose collection lacks a Dubrovnik representative. Surely not everyone will play it as their go-to set, but I believe that everyone can admire the innovation of the design while still reading it as a Staunton set with a healthy Slavic variation.

I had been wanting a well made, reasonably priced, solid chess set I could keep out and use for games with the kids or analysis purposes. Although attracted to the early nineteenth century Staunton design, I wanted something a little different. I was watching a review by “Random Chess Talk” and he had a Royal Chess Mall version of the Dubrovnik on hand. I liked what I saw, so I started researching other manufacturers versions of the Dubrovnik to get their spin on a classic, well researched, historically significant set. Royal Chess Mall hit all the marks in what I was looking for. Upon arrival I inspected the packaging and found no issues save for a small indent probably suffered during shipping; no fault to RCM and the pieces inside were fine. A couple high lights for me were the wide, solid bases and an almost linear progression from king down to rook. One thing I always thought was a distraction from a Staunton set is the king is generally disproportionate to the rest of the line in height. I applaud the updated rook that is truer to the original and think the knight one of the prettiest of any set I have seen. In closing, the set feels good in hand, well made, has no sharp points to distract from play, and is something I will be proud to pass on one day. At twenty percent off regular price and free shipping I definitely consider this an investment worth making. Thank you.

The pieces arrived in a sealed box in seven days. The pieces were individually wrapped so as not to touch each other. The unboxing was so exciting that I felt like a child opening his Christmas gift.

I placed the pieces in a 2.5 inch square board. The pieces looked like they were ready for battle. I liked the contrast of the light boxwood pieces and the mahogany stained dark pieces, with their different shades of hue. When I moved the pieces, I felt like they were like butter sliding in a glass. It will be a real pleasure playing with these pieces.

I weighed the pieces individually. The total weight was 1,416 grams. The site declared a weight of 1,350 grams, so I was pleased with the weight of the pieces. Sometimes, I feel like I just want to hold and admire these pieces as it gives me great pleasure.

In conclusion, the pieces met my expectations. Kudos to Royal Chess Mall for providing us chess lovers with a good replica of Bobby Fischer's favorite chess set, at a good price, and excellent service.

I love the chess pieces. I’d only suggest to make them in 3.5”. I will purchase a new set soon for sure!

Love these pieces , worth the money.

I bought this beautiful chess set. I saw a lot of videos on YouTube before bought it, but I didn’t expect that such it’ll of quality! The Mohegan black pieces are just fantastic, they have a beautiful brown/purple colour i love it.

Excellent chess set, perfect weight, great quality in the pieces. Thank you Royal chess mall for fast shipping.

This Dubrovnik replica is now my preferred set to play, study, and analysis. It has adequate size, the right weight, and the best design. The size is not too large nor small, just the standard FIDE with proper proportions between the pieces and pawns. The weight is over 1 Kg, just the right amount to not move on the board and to be comfortable while relocating the pieces (remember that the original was unweighted). I like the size of the knights and the rooks in this set that are chunkier than other similar repros. The best feature is, of course, the design. The Dubrovnik set is one of those sets with historical value. Having one is like having a piece of history. Chess had a part in the cold war, and this set was in the middle of its ending. There are many repros around, and some are claimed to be the best overall. Dubrovnik 50s is a faithful repro of the original 1950s chess set, with only minor variances.

Considering that an artist designed the original Dubrovnik, the artisans that made this improved design improved is impressive. For example, a minor variation on the knights makes them look even better than the original. Yes, that's right, the originals had a dog face from the front (front-facing eyes), while the knights in this set look like horses' heads from any angle (side-facing eyes). On the historical side, there is some controversy on what Dubrovnik's version Mr. Fischer named his favorite. Listening to the recording, he was talking about the 1950s, which is why it was called Fischer Dubrovnik. In any case, the 1970s repros have cartoonish knights instead of classic-looking ones. This set is now my endgame, and my small collection will go on sale. I no longer need any other chess set; this Fischer Dubrovnik would be my companion and outlive me.

This set (Dubrovnik 1950) was out of stock but thanks to Ajay, I received an email when they became available again.
I ordered them on August 5th and they arrived in Alberta Canada on August 9th. Talk about speedy delivery!
It's no wonder that Bobby Fischer said they were his favourite pieces. Now I own the same pieces. I don't ever expect to be able to play like Fischer did but I can sure share his appreciation of them and my set is made of mahogany. They are beautiful pieces. I highly recommend them to any player and collector. I think Royal Chess Mall is the only seller that offers a set in mahogany.
Thanks for a beautiful chess set Royal Chess Mall, I will treasure these.

I receive the 1950 Dubrovnik today. The chess set is very nice and I like it very much.