4" 1960s Soviet Championship Tal Chess Pieces - Antiqued Boxwood - Reproduction

A reproduction of the set used at Soviet chess championships in the 1960s; serious players and collectors will know it from the book The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal. Our artisans spent two and a half months developing it after a collector brought them the design. Very broad, chunky bases make the pieces unusually stable in play.

Details

• Wood: ebonised boxwood and antiqued boxwood
• King: 4.0 in (102 mm) tall, 1.5 in (39 mm) base
• Set weight: about 3.3 lb (1.5 kg)
• Board to match: 2.16–2.36-inch (55–60 mm) squares
• Included: 34 pieces; board sold separately

Piece sizes

Good to know

Also available as a complete set with a 21-inch board and box.

A wooden board and boxwood pieces will outlast you if you keep two things away from them: water and extremes. Everything below follows from that.

The board

Keep it dry. Water lifts veneer and swells solid wood; a spilled glass should be wiped at once. Keep it out of direct sun and away from radiators, air conditioners and fans: heat and dry air make wood shrink, humidity makes it swell, and a board that lives next to a heater will eventually gap at the joints.

Dust it with a dry, soft cloth. Smudges and fingerprints come off with a cloth that is barely damp. If the surface feels sticky, wipe it dry. Once a month or so, a little beeswax or a furniture polish such as 3M keeps the lacquered boards looking new; our boards have a melamine lacquer that takes polish well.

The pieces

Boxwood wants the same thing as the board: no damp, no heat. Store the set in its box or pouch, not on a windowsill. Do not use polish on the pieces; a dry cloth is all they need. A piece that has taken a knock can be re-felted; write to us.

Folding and travel boards

Close them with the pieces inside their compartment, not loose on the board. Magnets do not mind temperature, but the felt does mind damp, so dry a travel set that has been in the rain before it goes back in the bag.

If something has gone wrong with a set, see the warranty or write to shop@worldchess.com.

Orders over $300 ship free to the US, UK and EU. Return any order within 14 days of delivery.

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