An Opening Word

This chess set was influenced and commissioned by World Chess Champion Grandmaster Garry Kasparov. According to its appearance in USCF Catalogs, it seems this set was available only for a limited time in 1994.

I didn't purchase my set when I first saw it in Chess Life – but I should have. By the time I got around to thinking about buying one, several years had passed and they were nowhere to be found. After months and months of watching eBay, I finally saw one. Fortunately I won that auction.

Details about the Kasparov Signature Chess Set

The Kings are 3.75” tall (basic tournament regulation height), and the set is weighted rather heavily. Mr. Kasaparov requested that the Rooks be made larger than normal to better match their greater value among other pieces. The Knights, whose pattern is based on what is known as the “German Knight”, are stout and a bit more broad above the base than most other German Knight-styled sets. The set came in three versions: boxwood and ebony, boxwood and dark-brown stained boxwood, then a glossy red and black lacquered finish. The red and black lacquered version came with a matching board. For the other sets, a different, more traditionally colored board was available. I have the dark-brown stained set, which came in a black leather-covered box.