A chessclock from prehistoric future. Make that 1980. Prepare to be awed.


I love Novag’s attention to design. They were always a step ahead above H&G or Fidelity or anybody else in *that* department. We are talking eighties and early nineties here, the golden era of dedicated chessbots. Until the engines wiped them out.

The designers were out of line on this one, though. Form over function, so much that it hurts. Ouch.

• Plastic.
• Breakable Hinged display.
• Fancy automatic power on. Ooh. Aah.
• Detachable buttons. Yes. Detachable.
• Star Trek communicator look and feel. Not in a good way.
• Membrane buttons.
• Aaaaaargh.

They tell me the clock can be hooked to a Novag Savant. Riiiiiiight, ...

-Izmet

Tags: clocks

My neighbour's Subozan size 3, a smallish portable set from a country that is no more, Yugoslavia.


Made around 1970. Not weighted, not felted. Never used, the neighbour is no chess player. A barebones, cheap as cheap can get, simple simplissimus chess set, derived from Austrian Coffeehouse designs. Unstable pieces, poor lacquer finish, painted bishop finials (!), all pieces turned from same diameter rod including king & queen. The box is flimsy, thin plywood painted board. A simple hook mechanism for closing the box that gets loose over time. Misaligned halves.





A thirld world chess set. Sux deeply, pardon my French. Lots of nostalgic power, though. This design was sold in millions behind the iron curtain, every household in Yugoslavia had one of these in the 70'. Repeat after me: Every. Household.

I love it.

-Izmet

Tags: Subozan

A closer look at the industry standard.

-Izmet

Tags: review

He. Larious.

-Izmet