The original Dubrovnik chess set, made in the Fifties and Sixties in Zagreb in the renowned master Jakopović's workshop. These are the pieces that Bobby Fischer proclaimed his favourite, this is the chess set that we can see him analyze with in various documentaries and photographs. This is the chess set that everybody wants to copy, but usually fails.

This set is a bit different from the original 1950 Dubrovnik chess set that was apparently used only once in the 1950 Olympiad and then never again, while this one was reissued shorly after that with some changes in design and used most notably in 1958 Interzonal in Portorož and in 1959 Candidates tournament in Bled, Yugoslavia. Note a bit bigger king, the fat rook, the bishop that looks a bit like a small child pacifier, and the differently but still superbly carved knight. These sets was very expensive at the time, costing about one average socialist worker's month pay.

The pieces are not weighted, just the way Bobby Fischer liked them, and were made from maple and beautifilly colored on the black side, note how the color has nicely faded with use and old age.

This is it, this is the Fifties Dubrovnik no. II, this is the Fischer set.

-Izmet

Tags: Dubrovnik

This is how we do it in Tolmin, Slovenia, hometown of GM Jure Škoberne. Here's him sticking a black pawn up my wazoo:

-Izmet