Thank you for sharing. This Fisher Dubrovnik set is really quite lovely!! It's on my short list for a chess set this X-mas: 1. Fish. Dub. 2. Walter Grimshaw. 3. 4.4" 1851-52 Jaques copy. 4. B & Co 4.4" Staunton I love all these sets, but the Fish Dub simplified knight is my favourite. Much better than the weird ornate gaudy freehand gouged Staunton knights coming out of India 😞 The burnt Dubrovnik looks like unskilled freehand scrapings.
Stunning! I just ordered a 1950 Dubrovnik set from Chess Villa and also have a revised 1970 Dubrovnik on the way as well. Great review which makes me more anxious to get mine! Cheers!
Thank you! The burnt Dubrovnik I have looks more like the 1970s chess sets! I'd like to have the opportunity to see or own some of the original 1950's sets one day!
@@AlSuChess omfg especially the one that legendary Bobby Fischer owned! Just being able to handle a piece that once was moved by the legend! Insane thought!
Dubrovniks are truly beautiful sets, but this one really takes the cake. I absolutely agree with your assessment of the aesthetic elements that make these pieces so unique, well balanced, and beautiful.
Definitely in agreement,actually all the sets I have from Royal Chess Mall present the different designs at a remarkable quality. As to Knight design, I recently aquired a"Columbian Set" that I find exceptional. I would value your opion- equally would you consider compilling an " All Star Set " consisting of "Best Single Pieces" derived from your review experience?
i Just got an email from Ajay at Royal Chess Mall and they now have the 1950s' Fisher Dubrovnik Mahogany back in stock as of August 5th. I've ordered my set and it should be here in about 5 days in Alberta Canada. I'll let you explain to my wife why I needed to have this beautiful set. I always look forward to your great reviews. If you ever want to practice dentistry in Canada, let me know.
The set I received from Royal Chess Mall has one significant change from the set you show in this video. The Rooks are not tapered - but thick and straight up and down - just like the Guard Towers in Dubrovnik from which they are supposed to represent.
Fischer preferred them light weight so he could carry them around. But if you don't want to carry should you get them weighted? Or should they be light like Fischer experienced them?
Hello Al Su can you tell me what set does that Staunton knight come from that you are comparing the Dubrovniks knights to? It’s quite stunning. Thank you.
Great video as always! In my opinion, currently this might be the best knight replica for 1950 Dubrovnik. I would say the Staunton Castle replica might take the second place, and Noj from Slovenia third place. However, SC rook of this set is for sure more accurate than the tapered one from Royal chess mall. Tapered Dubrovnik rook came in existence with later Dubrovnik version, in the famous Fischer set. At this point I believe only 3 companies have the actual Fischer replica, it is Noj from Slovenia, Chessbazaar and House of Staunton. All 3 of these have tapered rook which is accurate to the set they are tributing. Dubrovnik sets are like a topic for itself, happy to see this is your favourite set. My favourite are Nathaniel Cooke 1849 Staunton Castle, both Dubrovnik versions (Staunton castle version for 1950, and Noj Minceta for Fischer version), and vintage French lardy knight set, i believe at this point you can only buy used lardy sets because what they make today and name as Lardy is really not as accurate or beautiful as the vintage ones. Do you own original Lardy set maybe? It would be great if you could make a video one day of it Edit: fun fact the Dubrovniks always have 5 cut rooks because it resembles the actual tower Minceta in city of Dubrovnik which has 5 cuts
Burnt vs Smooth - in my opinion takes the evaluation into ornate, highlighted coloring and decrative added carving vs traditional color and smooth design. The clarification on shaping and design combined with the enhanced proportion and "playing feel" was an excellent inceitfull highlight. Thank you.
Fantastic set!! This one is up there with the Zagreb as my favourites atm. Great job filming this set review in natural light. & Great camera work all round. Cheers!!
I’m very familiar with Mahogany as I’ve been a Piano Restorer for more than 35 years now. From what I can see in your video I would say that the ‘Black’ pieces are indeed actual Mahogany and not just stained. Mahogany is relatively light weight so I wouldn’t be surprised by weights in the pieces to help them be stabile.
Thanks for another informative video, pertaining to a chess set regarded as the favorite pieces of Bobby Fischer. I have never seen you as excited with the other pieces that you have reviewed, so you must really have felt some connection with the Dubrovnik pieces. My suggestion, from my point of view, is for you to include some facts so we can relate the pieces you are reviewing with our own pieces. For example, make mention of the King's height, base, and the total weight of all the pieces in grams or ounces.
I love this set! I’ve been looking at it a lot recently and have decided to upgrade my plastic set to this when I reach 1250 ELO rating online haha. I feel like I need to earn a set this beautiful. Thanks for the video Alex!
Thank you for your review. I got a copy of this particular set last week. It features an excellent combination of weight, size, and design, making it different and better from most chess sets. There is contradictory information on which set Fischer named his favorite; some say it is the 70s, while others say it was the 50s. In any case, the original design is better than the new, which is explained since the last was designed for mass production. In my view, the size is more balanced than other "standard" chess sets like the plastic HOS Marshall set. The weight is enough to be stable on the board and substantial when moving pieces. Finally, the superb design stands out easily from most others; here, the knight is the work-horse, yet the others are also great. For example, the queen's top with no sharp corners is a relief from those others with pointing crowns; the rooks, in my case, are chunkier and fattier than yours (just like the original Dubrovnik 50s) and look more balanced. The Royal Chess Mall's version is close to Staunton Castle's version, at a fraction of the cost. This RCM's 50s Dubrovnik would be the best of everything, and I found it to be my endgame set. Now I feel free to sell everything I have in my modest collection. Who needs any other chess set when having this that Fischer regretted did not? Some interesting links that may help those interested in comparing this with different similar sets are these two: www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/5-dubrovnik-sets-comparison bestchessmenever.com/blog/files/the-dubrovnik-chess-set.html
Your Boxwood king has a “lean” to it. In the video looking at your it’s to the left. As you fact the boxwood army it’s to the right. Subtle but it’s there. I’d ask for a replacement if that’s still possible. I have this same set stained in a dark Mahogany color but Staunton Castle was the manufacturer Mandeep Singh Saggu. I also have this set in Padaulk wood the only issue I had with either of these sets was the powdery white residue Padauk or Bud Rosewood pieces develop over time which is remedied with a Microsoft cloth towel. The knights seem identical in the carving aspect of both the Royal Chess Mall set and the Staunton Castle sets. FYI.
I really like the Dubrovnik bishops. They resemble the Zagreb set ones. That top sits nicely in a pinch grip. Overall, IMO the Dubrovnik knights are slightly less aesthetic but their sturdiness makes the set very durable. As to the material, I reckon mahogany is one of the best for black pieces after genuine ebony.
The most similar to this one is the Staunton castle reproduction, the biggest difference is the rook. Their rook is not tapered. The original rook top was tapered but in overall doesn't look as tiny as this one. The knight is stunning. All in all, beautiful set
great review. btw the rooks on this set are now sold with slightly different design. according to website: "Update: After feedback received from many chess collectors and players from the chess community, we have made revisions to the rook which has now a straight body and shank as compared to the tapered variant which was sold earlier." so now the rook looks the same as it did in the 50s design.
Apart from the Rooks RCM has done a great job with this set, the Knights are exceptional. If it weren't for the Rooks being too slim I'd get it, but that's just me. IMO Noj does the most accurate Dubrovnik reproductions but they are expensive and there is a very long waiting list. Next best would be Staunton Castles 1950 Dubrovnik.
Very nice, but King should have a cross on his crown. Just my opinion. Personally my favorite set is the Morphy sold by House of Staunton. I like the Marshall slightly better, but I could not afford it. I snagged the Morphy on sale a few years ago, and I could not be happier. I told my wife "It is heirloom quality".,
If the difference between "mahogany" and "mahogany stained" doesn't matter when buying chess sets, then I suppose the difference between "gold" and "gold colored" also doesn't matter when buying precious metals.
Sure, I see your point. I guess it depends on whether that difference will be noted from a practical stand point. I often times see patients at work come to me with gold crowns in the front that have practically no gold at all in them but were at some point placed on the front tooth to imitate gold. I had one patient in particular that his fake gold crown that he had on his tooth since he was a kid developed a hole and needed to be replaced, the lab I called said that his gold was fake and real gold won't look that yellow, so he was unhappy when I told him this and even though real gold crown would be more authentic, it wouldn't look like his old one. Long story short, for his practical purposes, what he had was what he liked. Some of the stained chess sets I've seen look nice, and most importantly to play a decent game of chess on one set vs another, in my opinion won't matter much. If you are a chess collector and looking specifically for certain wood, then it might matter more.
It's Mahogany stained. When Mahogany has a finish on it, it will glisten. It is the only wood that will glisten with a finish. I am not seeing the glistening effect from these pieces. The height is not historically correct. Original Fischer Dubrovnik sets were 3.6 not 3.8. Also the eyes of the Knights should be forward and not on the sides. The Bishops head is too big and wrong shape. Rooks should be fatter. Other than that the set does look really good.
Thank you for sharing. This Fisher Dubrovnik set is really quite lovely!! It's on my short list for a chess set this X-mas:
1. Fish. Dub.
2. Walter Grimshaw.
3. 4.4" 1851-52 Jaques copy.
4. B & Co 4.4" Staunton
I love all these sets, but the Fish Dub simplified knight is my favourite. Much better than the weird ornate gaudy freehand gouged Staunton knights coming out of India 😞
The burnt Dubrovnik looks like unskilled freehand scrapings.
i would sign a petition just for FIDE to use Dubrovnik-style pieces in the WCC. its ergonomic, classy, and simply beautiful.
Better than the set used in WCC
Dubrovnik sets are always stunning, the Fischer set is the one I’d love to get my hands on.
Stunning! I just ordered a 1950 Dubrovnik set from Chess Villa and also have a revised 1970 Dubrovnik on the way as well. Great review which makes me more anxious to get mine! Cheers!
Thank you! The burnt Dubrovnik I have looks more like the 1970s chess sets! I'd like to have the opportunity to see or own some of the original 1950's sets one day!
@@AlSuChess omfg especially the one that legendary Bobby Fischer owned! Just being able to handle a piece that once was moved by the legend! Insane thought!
@@gilbertrios5283 Yeah absolutely! would be nice!
Excellent review as always. You go for the right aspects and you see them from different angles, which makes the review complete!
Now that is absolutely gorgeous. Nicely done! Thank you for sharing..
Dubrovniks are truly beautiful sets, but this one really takes the cake. I absolutely agree with your assessment of the aesthetic elements that make these pieces so unique, well balanced, and beautiful.
Definitely in agreement,actually all the sets I have from Royal Chess Mall present the different designs at a remarkable quality. As to Knight design, I recently aquired a"Columbian Set" that I find exceptional. I would value your opion- equally would you consider compilling an " All Star Set " consisting of "Best Single Pieces" derived from your review experience?
Another interesting video....and what a stunning Set.
I was eye balling that same set last week. They had two sets instock. The mohagany looks really good. I have a ebony 70's drubrovnik set.
i Just got an email from Ajay at Royal Chess Mall and they now have the 1950s' Fisher Dubrovnik Mahogany back in stock as of August 5th. I've ordered my set and it should be here in about 5 days in Alberta Canada. I'll let you explain to my wife why I needed to have this beautiful set. I always look forward to your great reviews. If you ever want to practice dentistry in Canada, let me know.
what wood is used? What is meant by Mahogony stained? Beautiful set
Hi I’m sure this has been asked. But what board is that. Thanks for all your videos. Gavin
The set I received from Royal Chess Mall has one significant change from the set you show in this video. The Rooks are not tapered - but thick and straight up and down - just like the Guard Towers in Dubrovnik from which they are supposed to represent.
Fischer preferred them light weight so he could carry them around. But if you don't want to carry should you get them weighted? Or should they be light like Fischer experienced them?
Hello Al Su can you tell me what set does that Staunton knight come from that you are comparing the Dubrovniks knights to? It’s quite stunning. Thank you.
staunton jaques
jaques i think 1850 version
Beautiful chess set!
Great video as always! In my opinion, currently this might be the best knight replica for 1950 Dubrovnik. I would say the Staunton Castle replica might take the second place, and Noj from Slovenia third place. However, SC rook of this set is for sure more accurate than the tapered one from Royal chess mall. Tapered Dubrovnik rook came in existence with later Dubrovnik version, in the famous Fischer set. At this point I believe only 3 companies have the actual Fischer replica, it is Noj from Slovenia, Chessbazaar and House of Staunton. All 3 of these have tapered rook which is accurate to the set they are tributing. Dubrovnik sets are like a topic for itself, happy to see this is your favourite set. My favourite are Nathaniel Cooke 1849 Staunton Castle, both Dubrovnik versions (Staunton castle version for 1950, and Noj Minceta for Fischer version), and vintage French lardy knight set, i believe at this point you can only buy used lardy sets because what they make today and name as Lardy is really not as accurate or beautiful as the vintage ones. Do you own original Lardy set maybe? It would be great if you could make a video one day of it
Edit: fun fact the Dubrovniks always have 5 cut rooks because it resembles the actual tower Minceta in city of Dubrovnik which has 5 cuts
Burnt vs Smooth - in my opinion takes the evaluation into ornate, highlighted coloring and decrative added carving vs traditional color and smooth design. The clarification on shaping and design combined with the enhanced proportion and "playing feel" was an excellent inceitfull highlight. Thank you.
RCM listened to the community and changed the rook design back to the original. Needless to say i just picked it up
Fantastic set!!
This one is up there with the Zagreb as my favourites atm.
Great job filming this set review in natural light.
& Great camera work all round. Cheers!!
What are your 5 best chess sets in ranking order 1 through 5?
I’m very familiar with Mahogany as I’ve been a Piano Restorer for more than 35 years now. From what I can see in your video I would say that the ‘Black’ pieces are indeed actual Mahogany and not just stained. Mahogany is relatively light weight so I wouldn’t be surprised by weights in the pieces to help them be stabile.
Its stained not mahogany its on there website.
Thanks for another informative video, pertaining to a chess set regarded as the favorite pieces of Bobby Fischer. I have never seen you as excited with the other pieces that you have reviewed, so you must really have felt some connection with the Dubrovnik pieces. My suggestion, from my point of view, is for you to include some facts so we can relate the pieces you are reviewing with our own pieces. For example, make mention of the King's height, base, and the total weight of all the pieces in grams or ounces.
I love this set! I’ve been looking at it a lot recently and have decided to upgrade my plastic set to this when I reach 1250 ELO rating online haha.
I feel like I need to earn a set this beautiful. Thanks for the video Alex!
Thank you for your review. I got a copy of this particular set last week. It features an excellent combination of weight, size, and design, making it different and better from most chess sets. There is contradictory information on which set Fischer named his favorite; some say it is the 70s, while others say it was the 50s. In any case, the original design is better than the new, which is explained since the last was designed for mass production. In my view, the size is more balanced than other "standard" chess sets like the plastic HOS Marshall set. The weight is enough to be stable on the board and substantial when moving pieces. Finally, the superb design stands out easily from most others; here, the knight is the work-horse, yet the others are also great. For example, the queen's top with no sharp corners is a relief from those others with pointing crowns; the rooks, in my case, are chunkier and fattier than yours (just like the original Dubrovnik 50s) and look more balanced. The Royal Chess Mall's version is close to Staunton Castle's version, at a fraction of the cost. This RCM's 50s Dubrovnik would be the best of everything, and I found it to be my endgame set. Now I feel free to sell everything I have in my modest collection. Who needs any other chess set when having this that Fischer regretted did not? Some interesting links that may help those interested in comparing this with different similar sets are these two:
www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/5-dubrovnik-sets-comparison
bestchessmenever.com/blog/files/the-dubrovnik-chess-set.html
Excellent video. Which of those sets has the most weight?
nice chess set! but that Staunton looks very nice can we see a review ?
Just purchased these Chessmen from RCM based on this recommendation. Can't wait until they get here. Thanks!
How did your set turn out? Just put in an order for mine
Nice that the King doesn't tower over the others. In some sets it is hard to teach over it to move shorter pieces.
Your Boxwood king has a “lean” to it. In the video looking at your it’s to the left. As you fact the boxwood army it’s to the right. Subtle but it’s there. I’d ask for a replacement if that’s still possible. I have this same set stained in a dark Mahogany color but Staunton Castle was the manufacturer Mandeep Singh Saggu. I also have this set in Padaulk wood the only issue I had with either of these sets was the powdery white residue Padauk or Bud Rosewood pieces develop over time which is remedied with a Microsoft cloth towel. The knights seem identical in the carving aspect of both the Royal Chess Mall set and the Staunton Castle sets. FYI.
I really like the Dubrovnik bishops. They resemble the Zagreb set ones. That top sits nicely in a pinch grip. Overall, IMO the Dubrovnik knights are slightly less aesthetic but their sturdiness makes the set very durable. As to the material, I reckon mahogany is one of the best for black pieces after genuine ebony.
What is the size of the chess board ?
The most similar to this one is the Staunton castle reproduction, the biggest difference is the rook. Their rook is not tapered. The original rook top was tapered but in overall doesn't look as tiny as this one. The knight is stunning. All in all, beautiful set
Agree
Do you know if these are weighted?
I think the reason for those bishops having differing myter lengths / shapes is that they are based on Dubrovnik sets of different years.
great review. btw the rooks on this set are now sold with slightly different design.
according to website: "Update: After feedback received from many chess collectors and players from the chess community, we have made revisions to the rook which has now a straight body and shank as compared to the tapered variant which was sold earlier."
so now the rook looks the same as it did in the 50s design.
Apart from the Rooks RCM has done a great job with this set, the Knights are exceptional. If it weren't for the Rooks being too slim I'd get it, but that's just me. IMO Noj does the most accurate Dubrovnik reproductions but they are expensive and there is a very long waiting list. Next best would be Staunton Castles 1950 Dubrovnik.
they changed the rooks back to the straight design now you can see on their website
Really wish the bishops had that miter's cut, though
I still have a soft spot for the old Regence set... 😁
Nice review man. I got the ones from chessbazaar on my channel. Love them so far!
Very nice, but King should have a cross on his crown. Just my opinion. Personally my favorite set is the Morphy sold by House of Staunton. I like the Marshall slightly better, but I could not afford it. I snagged the Morphy on sale a few years ago, and I could not be happier. I told my wife "It is heirloom quality".,
Beautiful.
And still currently sold out. :)
The wood is pronounced mah hogany
If the difference between "mahogany" and "mahogany stained" doesn't matter when buying chess sets, then I suppose the difference between "gold" and "gold colored" also doesn't matter when buying precious metals.
Sure, I see your point. I guess it depends on whether that difference will be noted from a practical stand point. I often times see patients at work come to me with gold crowns in the front that have practically no gold at all in them but were at some point placed on the front tooth to imitate gold. I had one patient in particular that his fake gold crown that he had on his tooth since he was a kid developed a hole and needed to be replaced, the lab I called said that his gold was fake and real gold won't look that yellow, so he was unhappy when I told him this and even though real gold crown would be more authentic, it wouldn't look like his old one. Long story short, for his practical purposes, what he had was what he liked. Some of the stained chess sets I've seen look nice, and most importantly to play a decent game of chess on one set vs another, in my opinion won't matter much. If you are a chess collector and looking specifically for certain wood, then it might matter more.
👍😊
The knights are an acquired taste. Also, it's "ma-HOG-ony", not "mo-HAG-ony"! 🙂
The Rooks have been corrected
Want
I think Dubrovnik are a very serious chess set..... not sure about Zagreb
Mahogany......not mohagany 👀
It's Mahogany stained. When Mahogany has a finish on it, it will glisten. It is the only wood that will glisten with a finish. I am not seeing the glistening effect from these pieces. The height is not historically correct. Original Fischer Dubrovnik sets were 3.6 not 3.8. Also the eyes of the Knights should be forward and not on the sides. The Bishops head is too big and wrong shape. Rooks should be fatter. Other than that the set does look really good.
Horses for courses, I guess...
Always buy the railways when you land on them.
Muh-HAW-guh-nee not mo-HAG-a-nee