The Ukrainian Grandmaster Series Chess Pieces - 5.2" King

The House of Staunton is proud to offer the Ukrainian Grandmaster Series Chess Set. This chess set is a modern reproduction of the most common Ukrainian wood chess set and was used in regional but not high level tournaments. Sometimes called the Ukrainian Grandmaster pieces, these sets are notable for their verticality, proportionately large crowns, and their towering height relative to the other pieces. The structure it brings to my mind is the famous Kyiv Television Tower, erected in 1973 in the image of an immense rocket.

Like the royals’ crowns, the bishops’ miters also are proportionately oversized. The knights are simply cut and the rooks are very odd, like chimneys. They feature slender, tapered towers, with relatively small, ringed turrets. The pawns are immense, typically Soviet homage to the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. Because of the large bases, this is not a problem for any pieces other than the royals, whose great height to base width leaves them too easily toppled.

As with all of our Chess sets, the Ukrainian Grandmaster Wood Chess Set exemplifies a perfect combination of distinct beauty and functionality. It has been designed to withstand the rigors of practical play while maintaining an elegance which has become the hallmark of a House of Staunton chess set. The design, quality and craftsmanship of this set is UNMATCHED by any set of Chessmen in its price range. Nothing even comes close!

The Chessmen are new and each set consists of 34 Chessmen, including four Queens, a standard that was introduced by The House of Staunton in 1993.

Note: Information above was provided by Mr. Charles W. Grau who is an expert and avid collector of Soviet and late Tsarist Chess Sets. These chess pieces are an exact reproduction of the original set in Mr. Grau's collection.