*SOLD* Comrade Staunzski (‘Soviet Staunton’); Grandmaster III (GM3) Tournament Chess Set, c.1965-1975

Comrade Staunzski; Soviet ‘Staunton’ GM3 Vintage Chessmen without board, light amber vs. deep chestnut red, all wooden, originally weighted pieces, artistically reimagined, c.1970

Height: King 11.5cm, weight 42g, base width 4.3cm; Queen 10.2cm, wt 38g, Bishop 8.4cm 25g, Knight 7.7cm 27g, Rook 6.4cm 23g, Pawns 6.2cm 17g.

W: Lush Prussian Blue felt pads; B: same 

 

As the name implies, this is the classic Soviet interpretation of the Staunton Chessmen of the mid-nineteenth century, and like the English tournament pattern, it is shamelessly devoid of any fragility and delicateness, which, for me, adds to the charming simplicity of the GM series of designs.

 

That being said, I have made a few delicate changes to this set. Normally, the dark knights would have been made of hard black plastic, but here I’ve chosen to use identical wooden pieces from an incomplete set of the same era (and in my opinion, from the same manufactory). As you may have noticed, the knight’s muzzles are more intricately carved and teeth have been added to the jaw. The mane and overall shape of the torso have also been fine-tuned, lending the pieces a much more sleek appearance overall.

 

The plastic finials of the royals and clerics have also been replaced with hand-carved wooden ones; the king’s finial is a replica of the earlier “GM Supreme” sets of the 50s. The more oversized, original plastic ball finials of the bishops I have chosen to downsize for this project and turned them in a more elegant fashion.

 

All weights are original and have been secured firmly in place. The dark side pieces have been matched to the stained wooden torso of the knights and have a faux-wood, deep chestnut finish, achieved using multiple thin layers of stains and varnishes. The final coat of all the pieces is a buffed wax coat. A stunning buffed wax coat, I might add!

 

Both kings carry the hand-painted 2023 IRIDESCENT PEARL ‘Power’ signature of the artist on their bases and are accompanied by our unique ‘Certificate of Artistry’ which are posted out separately, once we tally up how many pearl signature sets passed through our galleries in 2023.

 

 

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