The CCI-USA NEWS, 2012 #1

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THE CCI – USA NEWSChess Collectors International Vol. 2012 Issue 1

IN THIS ISSUE

French Playing Sets of the 18th and 19th Centuries

Floyd and Bernice Sarisohn – A Lifetime of Fun and Games

40th Anniversary, Gift of State Chess Set, USA to Russia, May 1972

Chess Collectors International 15th Convention, Dresden Germany, June 11 – 17, 2012

“It’s Plastic”, “But It’s Very Old Plastic”

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THE CCI-USA NEWS 2

In CCI-USA NEWS, Volume 2011 Issue 1, page

31, Larry List states that the 2011- 2012 Cloistersexhibition in NYC was "the first, and only, timethat the Lewis Chessmen visited America."

Actually the first time was in year 2000, when theSmithsonian Institution hosted an exhibition onthe Vikings at the National Museum of Natural

History in Washington DC. However, I recall only3 pieces were on exhibit there.

--Allan Savage

http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/pdf/news00.pdf see page 3

It is also documented in this book http://www.norseamerica.com/catalog/item/4765859/5043695.htm

Here is the website for the Vikings exhibition,chessmen pictured on 1st pagehttp://www.mnh.si.edu/vikings/start.html

BOOK REVIEW

Art of Chess

9"x7", 28 pp. Softcover, on sale, limited time, $20

by Mark N. Taylor in Georgia Chess Magazine

We usually do not review self-published books, but

we are happy to make exceptions when somethingintriguing catches our attention. The unusual

panoramic format of this book neatly showcases 23

full-color chess-themed images by Atlanta artist

Lori Lejeune.

Lejeune brings a new angle to the old conundrum:is chess an art or science? Her art appears at theintersection of imagination and digital technology.Her glistening metallic or glass pieces are reflected

in shiny checkerboards, or glow with their own soft

unearthly light, while primordial clouds of galacticdust swirl in the background. Some boards are set

in western deserts. The four black-and-whiteimages at the end are some of the most striking,

capturing the textures and tones of chrome andmarble.

"I favor the use of 3-D software for my artwork,"Lejeune says. "Using software similar to the kind

used to create 3-D animated films, a composition or world is built and arranged within the virtualenvironment of the computer. The 3-D digital

process is a unique and time-intensive process that

can be thought of as a combination of sculpting and photography."

Lejeune does not simply use chess images in a

careless haphazard way, as is often the case in what passes for "chess art." Her works have titles such as

"Bad Bishop," "Nearly Surrounded," "Zugzwang,"

"Endgame: Lucena," and "Endgame:Philidor." Andthe images accurately illustrate these positions.Yet, Lejeune is not herself a chess player. "I'm

inspired by the game for representing life's choices

and challenges, victories and defeats."

Lejeune's artwork has been exhibited throughout

the US and collected by several corporate and private museums, such as the Museum of South

Texas, Mexic-Arte Museum, and the University of Texas Benson/Romo Collection. This December her work forms part of the invitation "1x1=One"

exhibit at HauStudio Gallery, NC. Also in

November, select pieces from her Body Languageseries will be on view at Swan Coach HouseGallery, Atlanta. Common Creative Magazine

named Lejeune one of "Atlanta's 50 Most Creative

People" for her work with digital art.

You can see more images of chess art and other series at her website, http://www.studiolejeune.net .Visit the link below to get your copy today! http://www.studiolejeune.net/artofchessbook.html

On The Cover:

GIFT OF STATE CHESS SET

USA to USSR, presented by President Richard Nixonon his State Visit to Russia, May 1972

Company: Cybis Porcelain

Material: Porcelain

Circa: 1972

Photo courtesy of The National Museum of American History,

The Smithsonian Institution

Do you have a picture you would like to see on the cover

of the Newsletter? If so, please send a high resolution,uncropped and clear photograph [email protected]. First priority will be given tothose pictures that accompany an article submitted for

publication - and used - within that particular issue. Everyeffort will be made to follow the principle of first come,first served, but the final decision will also depend onquality, subject matter, and other publication parametersthat may ultimately dictate what can best be used.

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FRENCH PLAYING SETS OF THE 18TH

AND 19TH

CENTURIES from The Chess Collector , March 1989

Many collectors feel attracted by thedesign of these sets, but so far little

has been published about them.

Michael Mark has pointed out thatwhere the knights are abstract the

bishops and knights have often been

confused1. I shall try to provide

some more information about this.

In French the bishop is called the

“fou2. In figurative sets this jester is

easy to identify3. It is more difficult

to do so in playing sets. The problem

starts because in these playing sets theturned bishops are smaller than the

knights. This is contrary to whattoday’s players and collectors are

used to.

In addition, many illustrations of

chessmen in contemporary French books show the pieces in order of size, as in Illustration A.

Consequently, the taller knight is shown next tothe queen. This has misled people outside Francewhere the pieces were not identified in a caption.

1Mark, Chessmen Practical and Ornamental, Ch “France”, footnote

2. The footnote contains two errors: Diderot is referred to as “Didier”.And the illustration in Murray is at p. 772, not 272.2 See as to the history of Ie fou, Murray, A History of Chess, pp. 707,780.3 See for example Mark, illustration 19, and Wichmann, Schoch, plate

150.

Thus in an in English book published in 1797

French pieces which were illustrated wereincorrectly identified – see Illustration B.

The most reliable source to identify the bishop andknight is the French Encyclopedie of Diderot &

d’Alembert. This “giantshowcase of all branches of

intellectual activity”, to quote the Encyclopedia Britannica, was

published in 28 volumes between1751 and 1772, beingsupplemented in 1776-77 by 5

further volumes, and in 1780 by

2 volumes of indices.

In 1782 publication of a new,

enlarged edition was begun under the title Encyclopedie

Methodique ou par ordre dematieres. The work, which filled

201 volumes, continued throughthe French Revolution and was completed in 1832.

Illustration C is from the first edition. The Indexto this plate says:

14 + 15 Elevation & place d’un cavalier

16 + 17 Elevation & place d’un fou.

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French Playing Sets 4

In Illustration A, published in 1799, the pieces arenot identified by captions, but the piece next to the

queen is the knight, while the piece next to the

rook is the bishop. This positioning according to

size, with the bishop next to the rook can also beseen in Elemens Theorique et pratiques du leu des

Echets, published by Hocquart in 1810 – see

Illustration D4.

I now ask you to look at the photograph of sets on

the following page. Set 1, at the bottom left handside of the Illustration, is very similar to the sets inIllustration A and B, but the queen has its top disc

serrated to avoid confusion with the bishop, whichis to her left in the photo, or with the knight, which

is to the right of the king.

Set 2 is very similar, but the top of the queen is notserrated. Instead the top disc of the bishop has beencut to forma point to make it more easily

distinguishable. Set 3 is a set similar to that inIllustration C in its general design. Here again the

4 So far I have not succeeded in finding the illustration of Frenchchessmen in the 1792 edition of the Encyclapedie Methodique

reproduced by Murray at p. 772, and by several subsequent authors.

bishops have symmetrical cut

offs following the design inIllustration C and similar tothose in set 2.

In set 4, the tall knight iseasily identified by his plumed

helmet.

Looking at set 5, the firstimpression you get is of aclassical type of the so-called

Lyons set (I hope one of our French friends will give us

proof that these sets were in

fact produced in Lyons). Thiswooden set with bone

decoration probably datesfrom the 18th

century. Here itis obvious that the knight can

only be the piece with the

horse’s head.

But the reason it is obvious is probably that somebody tired

of the confusion caused bytwo abstract pieces and solved the problem by

replacing the top of one of them with a horse’shead. For if you look closely at the horse’s head,you can see that it is a little different in colour and

in the structure of the material itself compared withthe base parts of these chessmen. In this set it is not

possible to say with certainty whether the pieceswith the horses’ heads were originally the bishopsor the knights.

Set 6 was treated in the same way. Here also thehorses’ heads are slightly different in colour and

material. A former owner of the set 056 in thecatalogue of the Jaeger collection

5has tried to

distinguish more easily between the bishops and theknights by making asymmetric cuts to the top discs

of the bishops to distinguish them from the knights.

In other sets, such as sets 2 and 3, such cuts werefrequently made by the turners making the sets.

Sets 7 and 8 are 19th

century with horses’ heads for knights. Set 9 is also a Lyons type set of the 19

th

century but with different bone decoration aroundthe bellies of the king and queen. Sets of this kind

have sometimes been said to originate from

5 Halvor und Astrid Jaeger, Schachspiele, 1988.

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THE CCI-USA NEWS 5

Herzogovina or Mexico, but without any goodreason. Copies of these sets may well have been

made in many different parts of the world, but the

original design is undoubtedly French.

Set 10 appears at first sight to be French, but the bishops and knights are typically of the old Englishstyle. The set was probably made for the English

market, or perhaps in England for the French

market.

To conclude, I want to draw your attention to theshape of the pawns in many French playing sets. It

is obvious that turners and craftsmena t this time

were interested in giving even their pawns soul and

expression. For collectors this in one more reasonto fall in love with these sets. I very much hope

that we will get more information in future from our

French friends about these sets and their history.~Franz Joseph Lang

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Floyd and Bernice Sarisohn – A Lifetime of Fun and GamesFrom Smithtown Matters, April 25, 2012 By Chad Kushins

Bernice & Floyd Sarisohn (photos by Jennifer M. Klei)

When Floyd Sarisohn expects company at his

home, he and wife Bernice raise the red flag.

It’s not a warning but, rather, a sign that visitorshave found the right house, the location of one of

the largest and most eclectic chess collections in

the country; the flag, once momentarily restedagainst the wind, vividly displays three chess

pieces, ushering the inquisitive into the Sarisohn’sconverted garage – the entrance to the makeshiftmuseum.

In anticipation of a visit, the Commack couplegreets their visitors with proper attire: Floyd, a

retired district court judge who still maintains his

private law practice, in a playful necktie showing,like the outside flag, chess pieces fitting into thedesign. Bernice wears both a light jacket with the

patterns of a checkered chessboard and a gracious

smile. They’re always proud to share their renowned private collection and the stories that

come with each set; the storytelling, according to

Floyd, is an important part of the collection itself,and the experience of being granted a by-invitationonly visit.

“Each set comes with a history all it’s own,” he

says, ushering guests through the converted foyer, adazzling introduction to the hundreds of chess sets

on display. “And every set that we’ve collectedcomes with our own story about how we got it.”The first thing that comes to mind, seeing the initial

three walls adorned, top to bottom, with all sizesand shapes of little chessmen, carefully arranged behind the shimmering glass of the professionaldisplay cases one would expect in a china shop – is

that when Floyd tells you for the first time, “We

have a pretty big collection,” he wasn’t kidding. In person, smiling with pride, he says, “Take a look

around first, then you can ask about any of the setsyou like – and please feel free to take photos.

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THE CCI-USA NEWS 8

“It’s Italian.” he says, smiling. “It’s made of

porcelain.”

“It’s ceramic, dear.” calls Bernice, who has beenwatching her husband’s excitement from across the

room.

Floyd, now playfully confused, says, “Are you

sure?”

“Well,” she says, goading him with a matching

smile, “porcelain is a type of ceramic, I think.”

In the living room, Floyd and Bernice are open to

any questions about their joint passion for collecting. This, too, is reflected by the motif of the room – paintings and framed prints of classical

images of chess and historical figures playing,

always a look on the subjects’ faces more serious

and pensive than that of the Sarisohns themselveswhen they get to talking about their married life

together, as they are decidedly playful in howthey’ve spent their decades of married life. “It all

started when she gave me my first chess set as an

engagement gift before the wedding.” he says, “in1957.”

“That was my mistake.” Bernice says, laughing.

Seated beside her husband on an adjacent couch,she is wholly aware of how cinematic-looking and

all encompassing their home truly is. Of their

children, long grown and moved-out, she admitsthat it took an immense amount of patience for their unorthodox parents. “We’ve met so many

collectors – not just of chess sets – but of all kinds

of things,” she says. “It’s a common thing – thechildren of collectors always have more tolerancethan genuine interest.” As she says this, Floyd

returns to the living room with a photograph of himand Bernice on Halloween many years ago; as in

real life, he is the king and she is the queen - but

here, dressed as actual, life-size chess pieces. Heimmediately laughs again. “That was actually for work – an office function.”

It’s difficult not to join in Floyd’s laughter at this.He is a founding member of his firm. A graduate

of St. John’s University School of Law, and was

elected as one of the first District Court Judges inSuffolk County; later, he served as Special Counselto the New York State Assembly. Among his other

impressive legal credentials are tenures as Law

Chair for the Suffolk County Democratic

Committee and as Town Leader for the Smithtown

Democratic Party.

But, that’s just his day job. Chess collecting issomething different, something special in its own

way.

Floyd, answering the first real question that comes

to mind, says, “Well, we play chess – sort of.” It’sreally about the sets themselves . . . However, we

both love the game and I really believe that it’s a positive thing that chess is taught in schools,

particularly in the inner cities where they’veestablished after-school clubs and things like that.

It’s a teaching tool and a great way to get kids to

think and strategize.” A long-standing member of the Boy Scouts of America, Floyd was an advocate

for getting chess recognition as a merit badgewithin that organization, another point of pride tohim and Bernice both.

But among the genuine wonders of their home,

what – with so many sets to choose from – are their favorites?

“We have three favorites,” he says, “I have a personal favorite, so does Bernice. Then, we have

one that I think we both love.”

Bernice says, “My favorite one is the set we got inVenice. We were on vacation and it was our last

day there. Whenever we get back from vacation,we’re always asked, ‘How many chess sets didyou get while you were there?’ But this time, it

was our last day there and we found it – I had to

convince Floyd.” That set, made of genuineVenetian glass, dates back to the 1700s.

“I think that was 1986 or 1988.” says Floyd,“Something like that.”

“You had to talk the man down in price.” saysBernice.

“In the antiques store?”

“That’s right.” She says, and laughs.With a sincere appreciation for tongue-in-cheek humor, Floyd’s personal favorite is his “Clinton

versus Dole” set, another of the entries in thehistorical section of his study. A close second, headmits, is the one-of-a kind set of the Clinton

household, which was supposed to be given, as a

gift, to the then-Clinton White House. The problem? “Hilary apparently hates caricatures!”

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Floyd and Bernice Sarisohn – A Lifetime of Fun and Games 9

says Floyd, still amused at how close thecommissioned piece came to landing in a sitting

President’s hands.

“Our shared favorite, though,” says Floyd, “is the

large one downstairs – the one in the middle of theroom.” Indeed, once entering the basement, anyvisitor would first see an antique chess table, the

board itself under glass, an air of an actual artifact

in their midst. This set, the Sarisohns’ most beloved piece in the collection, one made of Danish porcelain and made in Copenhagen, depicts the

Moors against the Saracens. “It may be spelled

differently,” Floyd says, “but I can’t help lovingthat it has our name.”

Over the years, the Sarisohns’ collection has drawnthem tons of accolades and admirers, particularlywithin the chess world and among fellow

collectors. Always looking to add new additions to

their home, they’ve sold and traded certain sets for new ones. “The internet literally opened up a new

world of possibilities,” says Floyd. Currently, the

Sarisohns’ home contains approximately 900 setson display; all told, they’ve acquired just under

2,000 sets total. “It may not be the biggest in the

world,” he adds, “but it’s definitely one of the

biggest in the country.”At one time, the couple even investigated the

possibility of having their home declared as a

recognized museum – something that may very

well happen in the future. For now, however, theystill enjoy the chance to have visitors from all over the world come and see the shared passion that has

added so much fun to their marriage for so many

years.

And not all museums have the personal touch of

being formally walked out and back to your car once the visit is over – and a sincere thank you for your interest.

“Oh,” says Floyd, before returning back inside, “Ialmost forgot.”

At that, he lowers the red flag

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THE CCI-USA NEWS 10

40TH

ANNIVERSARY, GIFT OF STATE CHESS SET,

USA TO RUSSIA, MAY 1972-by Duncan Pohl

If one were to ask any chess collector about

American chess sets, their answers could probably be easily summed up with a few simple words -

mass-produced, cheap, and plastic. In fact, sincereleasing a publication on American chess sets I

have found myself being referred to as the “Plastic

Man”. Not a problem for me, but rather ironic,

since the publication identifies a number of other chess sets made of materials other than plastic.

In truth, arguably one of the most beautiful, ornate,

and most rare of designs in chess sets is American,

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Gift of State, USA to Russia – May 1972 11

is anything but mass-produced, and definitely not

plastic! Rather, it is likely one of the most limitedchess designs ever produced, and its sets weremade of porcelain, a very traditional and respected

material. Many collectors probably already realize

the chess set I must be talking about is the Gift of

State chess set made by Cybis Porcelain and presented to the USSR as a gift from the USA byPresident Nixon on his state visit in May 1972.Therefore, May of this year marks the 40th

Anniversary of the set’s presentation to Russia, so

it seemed fitting for this article to now mark thatoccasion.

As mentioned, the set may very well be one of themost limited editions of a chess design ever. Of theoriginal production, the original was presented to

Russia, the second was given to the Smithsonian

Institution, and only ten other sets were produced – and sold. It is known that at least one of those tensets has had pieces lost and/or damaged. The fate

of the other nine is currently unknown.

In April, 1973, seemingly timed for the issue to

appear in subscribers’ mailboxes on or near the

first year anniversary of its original presentation toRussia, Chess Review and Life magazine containedan article on the chess set and described it in detail.

The article is shown above in its entirety.

Interestingly, for some unknown reason, the bishopwas never pictured.

As noted in the Chess Review article, the colors

chosen for both the set intended for Russia and theset going to the Smithsonian were turquoise and

burgundy. While the article notes that another ten

sets were made to sell, it makes no mention of thecolors used when making those sets. However,Floyd Sarisohn owned set number 5 of the ten

made and its colors were blue and green, whichwould seem to indicate only the first two original

sets were done using the turquoise and burgundy

colors.

Years later, Cybis released a Hall of Fame editionof the set. The colors of that edition also appear to

have been blue and green. According to Floyd

Sarisohn, this second edition came with gold and platinum painting rather than the coloration found

on the original sets. It has not yet been possible toestablish the number of sets that were made as part

of the Hall of Fame edition. I have tried contacting

Cybis several times in an effort to get some kind of

confirmation on the colors used and the number of sets released, but so far the company has beentotally unresponsive.

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THE CCI-USA NEWS 12

Photo above is of one of the original news releases announcing the presentation of the Gift of State chess

set to Russia. Note the date on the Newswire showing when it was released to the news media and below,

the stamped date on strip evidently used to log the date the story and picture were actually used in this

particular newspaper. (from the collection of Duncan Pohl)

However, The National Museum of American

History, The Smithsonian Institution has been kind

enough to provide pictures of the set originally presented to the Institution by Cybis forty years ago

and which still holds a place within the Institution’s

collections. On this 40th Anniversary, it seems

appropriate to present those pictures on the

following pages.

(Quotes describing pictures are from the April 1973

Chess Life & Review article referred to above)

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Close up of Plaque attached to top of lid (photos courtesy of The National Museum of American History)

“The chessmen are housed in a handcrafted, double-tiered chest, of beautifully grained American black walnut, lined in brown velvet”

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THE CCI-USA NEWS 14

(photos courtesy of The National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian Institution)

“Inside the lid is amedallion of the Presidential Seal, of almost transparent porcelain, with

the American Eagle and itsaccompanying mottocameo-ed in the center.”

“Either singly or en masse, the medievalelegance of these small figures carry thedrama of old museum pieces.”

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“Their inspiration was the 14thcentury Hero Tapestries in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in

New York. The figures are eachmounted on golden pedestals,which are encrusted with jewels.”

“Burgundy and turquoise were chosenas the colors for the two groupings.”

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“We see a plumed knight in armor with visored helmet, golden sword and full-panoplied horse. The rook is a crenelated stone tower with a page peering from the top and a court lady

in cowled headdress framed in a turret below.”

“The dignity of the bishop is personified by a psalter in his right hand and in his left a golden crozier. The pawn is a medieval bowman. He wears a falconembroidered on his jerkin and carries a bow and aquiver of arrows slung around his hips.”

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(photos courtesy of The National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian Institution)

“The king and queen are robed in Byzantine splendor. The queen holds a hooded falcon’ the folds of her gown gently caress her figure as she sits with her head bowed in shy repose. Theearded king is attentively erect as though aware of some ambush that might befall him ahead.”

“American curly maple and curly black walnut alternate in the squares of the nearly three foot square board. The maple is from a tree more than 200 years old, from Montgomery County,

Pennsylvania. The black walnut came from adjoining Bucks County.”

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CHESS COLLECTORS INTERNATIONAL 15TH

CONVENTION

DRESDEN GERMANY, JUNE 11 – 17, 2012

The particulars and dates of our 15th

Convention in

Dresden, Germany have already been reported in“The Chess Collector” to enable you to plan your

attendance with sufficient time. The venue is thenewly built INNSIDE Hotel Dresden, centrally

located next to the Cultural Centre of town andwithin a short walking distance to all the important

points of interest.

Highlights of the meeting will be a number of chessexhibitions, chess related events, an auction and

papers on the subject of chess collecting, thehistory of chess and the origins of the game.

1. CityDresden was once called Florence of the River

Elbe with its magnificent buildings and museums.We look forward to seeing the amazing

reconstruction of the city after its devastatingdestruction during the last days of World War II,this alone could be worth the trip.

2. Exhibitions

Three exciting exhibitions of chess sets are

confirmed to date and another small display isunder consideration. We shall open or view allthese exhibitions during our convention.

3. Sightseeing

A short sightseeing walk is planned that will

include the most important places of interest in the

old part of the city. In addition to the Museumsincluded in the program, you will have theopportunity to visit the Royal Old Masters Painting

Gallery, The New Masters Gallery, The Porcelain

Collection, and other museums.

A bus tour will take attendees to Moritzburg, an

August II Hunting Palace and continue to Meissento visit the world famous porcelain manufacturing

plant. Dinner will be in Meissen. To attend theopening of one of the exhibitions attendees willtake a bus to Pillnitz and the return trip will be by

embarking on a boat tour of the river Elbe. Dinner

will be served on board.

4. Opera

An optional event will be the attending of an opera performance on Thursday, June 14

th, in the famous

“Semper Opera House”. The perfourmance will be

of Mozart’s most famous opera Figaro.

5. Chess Market

A Chess Market is planned for Saturday, June 16th

,

for collectors, local craftsmen, dealers and artists tooffer chess related items. The traditionalsimultaneous chess match this time, by

Grandmaster Elisabeth Pahtz, will be held in

parallel in the afternoon. Members and guests(room permitting) are invited to test their skills

against this young and attractive Grandmaster.

6. Auction

On Saturday, June 16th, at 11:00 AM, a ChessAuction will take place. It is arranged by the

prestigious auction house “Klittich and Pfankuch”

from Braunschweig, well known for their chess book and chess set auctions.

Members and friends who wish to enter items for the auction must make sure the items reach the

auction house before the end of April, 2012. Please

contact: Mr. Roger Klittich (speaks English)

Antiquariat Klittich-Pfankuch

Theater wall 17

D-38001 Braunschweig

Tel: +49 531 242880

Fax: +49531 13505

Email:[email protected]

Alternatively, you may contact Thomas Thomsenfor questions or advice (address is on the invitaton

letter).

Advantageous business terms have been negotiated

for our members and friends. The seller’scommission is 20%, and includes all charges

usually charged separately, like texts and

photographs. For major and expensive objects, youshould contact Mr. Klittich to obtain adjusted

terms. The buyers’ premium is 20%, including all

charges and taxes.

7. Lectures and Seminars

In line with previous conferences, the papers presented will be of a high standard. The

conference language is English. Presenters that

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THE CCI-USA NEWS 19

wish to speak in another language are requested todistribute an English translation, or at least an

abstract in sufficient numbers, prior to their talk.

8. Gala Dinner

On Saturday, June 16th, we will have our traditionalGala Dinner in the Hotel, this time to include a

special and lively Dresden related entertainment

program. As usual, black tie or alternative dark suit is requested.

9. “Goodbye” Breakfast

Sunday morning, a joint breakfast has been

arranged in the hotel.

10. Visit to Fleamarket

Following the “Goodbye” Breakfast, a visit tovarious Fleamarkets is possible or, of course, to the

various Museums open on Sundays.

Please contact Floyd Sarisohn if you desire moreinformation on attending.

“IT’S PLASTIC”, “ BUT IT’S VERY OLD PLASTIC” from “Sotheby’s Scores A Triumph With Its New York Sale of Russian Space Artifacts”

CCI-USA , January 12, 1994

In an auction sale on December 11, 1993,

Sotheby’s New York sold hardware, clothing,documents and other space artifacts; the property of

industries, cosmonauts and engineers of the

Russian Space Program.

Included in the sale of documents, watches,spacesuits, space items on which Cosmonaut

Alexei Leonov was trained for the world’s firstspacewalk or extra-vehicular activity, was Lot 52, a

specially-designed mechanical (non-magnetic)

chess set for use in spaceflight, flown on board

Soyuz 3 (1968) with George Bergovoy and Soyuz4 (1969) with other cosmonauts.

The chess board is 9” x 7” x 1 3/8” excluding thecover and is constructed of yellow acrylic, partly

covered black aluminum fittings. The 32 white-and-black plastic pieces are mounted on aluminum

posts with cork washers over flat circular bases,

sliding in grooves set into the board with original

translucent white plastic cover.

Estimate: $1.500-$2,000

At the first exhibition of the sale items, including

the chess set, I met a friend who collects chessephemera. We both decided we were not going to

bid on a plastic chess set “that doesn’t have achance of selling at the Sotheby’s estimate.”

Although we thought of putting in a $500-$700 bid,

we decided to withdraw. We were amazed at thecrowds attending the presentation, but thereappeared to be little interest in the chess set. He

and I joked that if it sold, we would start selling

land on Mars for future delivery.

I spoke with a more sensible CCI member whoattended the sale. In the excitement of bidding, he

raised his paddle right up to $10,000 as the bidscontinued to rise. Finally a bid of $30,000 took the

set home. Our CCI colleague had stopped bidding

when he was unsure as to why he bid $10,000. The proceeds from the Sotheby’s Russian space

artifacts sale totaled $6,817,198.

Sometime ago, another CCI colleague and I wereshown a plastic Staunton set at Alexandra’s Palace,a sort of mini-Portabello in London. “It’s plastic,”

I said to the vendor who replied, “But it’s very old plastic.” ~ Author unknown

7/31/2019 The CCI-USA NEWS, 2012 #1


THE CCI-USA NEWS 20

Next Chess Collectors International Convention is scheduled for June, 2012

in Dresden, Saxonia, Germany

Bonham’s Chess Auction was held May 1, 2012

Results of the auction can be found on the Bonham website.

AVAILABLE TO CCI MEMBERS

History Through Chess 304 Page Soft Cover Book

by Nikolai Timoshuk (CCI Member from Russia)$25.00 plus postage

Contact: Floyd Sarisohn at [email protected] or

PO Box 166, Commack NY 11725

CCI-USA NEWS

Editor Co-Editor Publisher Duncan Pohl Frank Camaretta Floyd Sarisohn

1391 Parkview Dr PO Box 166

Woodland CA 95776 Commack NY 11725

Voice: 530.383.5750 Voice: 631.543.1330

[email protected] [email protected] Fax: [email protected]

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The CCI-USA NEWS, 2012 #1

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