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The 1950 Dubrovnik pattern is one of the few Staunton derivatives that players recognise on sight, and it earned that recognition through use rather than ornament. This reproduction carries the full 34 piece roster on a 94mm king, offered in five timber pairings so you can pick the contrast that suits your board. It sits among the more considered options in our chess pieces collection.
Every piece is turned and carved by hand from solid timber. The knight is short and alert rather than elongated, the rook sits low and broad, and the bishop mitre is cut shallow. Those are marks of the original Dubrovnik carving rather than later reinterpretations, and grain and figure vary from piece to piece because the timber is real.
Two of the five options are ebonised, and they are not the same set. Ebonised Antiqued pairs ebonised dark pieces with antiqued boxwood mellowed to a warm, aged tone. Plain Ebonised pairs the same dark pieces with natural boxwood for a crisper, higher contrast board.
Most reproductions of mid century tournament sets are judged on two things: whether the proportions are right, and whether the timber is worth the carving. The Dubrovnik pattern is unforgiving on the first count, because the silhouette is distinctive enough that small errors in knight height or rook width read immediately as wrong.
These sit in the upper middle of the range. Hand carving and solid timber put them above pressed or machine finished reproductions, while the boxwood pairings keep them more accessible than the ebony sets above them. If you are weighing alternatives, the rest of our reproduction chess pieces are worth comparing on king height and base diameter as well as timber.
The five material options mean the decision is not only about budget. Sheesham, bud rosewood and lacquered burnt boxwood read warm under lamp light, while the two ebonised options give the flat, dark contrast most tournament players prefer.
Ebonised Antiqued is the softest of the five. The dark pieces are ebonised boxwood and the light pieces are antiqued boxwood, finished to look mellowed and handled rather than new. If you want a set that reads as though it has already had a life, this is the one.
Ebonised is the crisper pairing. The same ebonised dark pieces sit against natural boxwood, pale and even, so contrast across the board is higher and the set looks newer. It suits players who want clarity at a glance more than atmosphere. The two are easy to confuse by name and look quite different in person, so it is worth deciding which effect you are after before you order.
Sheesham gives a mid brown dark side with visible open grain against natural boxwood, so the two colours sit closer together and the whole board reads warmer. Bud rosewood is the deepest and most figured of the timbers, and it is also the heaviest of the five sets at roughly 1670 grams against 1210 grams for the others.
Lacquered burnt boxwood is the newest of the options and the least conventional. The dark pieces are boxwood darkened by controlled heat rather than by stain, then lacquered, which leaves a deep warm brown black with some grain still visible. Against natural boxwood it sits between the flat ebonised finishes and the openly grained sheesham, and it weighs the same 1210 grams as those two.
A 94mm king on a 39mm base wants squares between 50mm and 60mm. At 50mm the board looks full and the pieces sit close, which suits display and casual games. Between 55mm and 57mm the spacing is comfortable for serious play, and that is where most club players settle.
Go below 50mm and the bases crowd, which makes captures fiddly and photographs poorly. Every board in our chess boards collection lists its square size, so you can match before you commit. These pieces are sold on their own, so the board is a separate decision.
The pieces are hand weighted, so they settle when you place them rather than sliding on. A full set in the ebonised, antiqued, sheesham or lacquered burnt boxwood options runs to about 1210 grams, and the bud rosewood set to about 1670 grams. Total weight varies by roughly ten percent between sets because the weighting is done by hand.
Two spare queens are included, one per colour, which matters more than it sounds. Promoting with a proper queen instead of an upturned rook keeps a position readable, and it is the detail most standard sets leave out.
The proportions are the real strength here. A 94mm king on a 39mm base with a short, alert knight and a low rook is the Dubrovnik silhouette done properly, and that is where most reproductions fall down. The caveat is that these are hand turned and hand weighted, so grain, figure and total set weight vary by around ten percent and no two sets of the same option are identical, which suits a player or collector who wants character in a working tournament set rather than a buyer expecting machine uniformity.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
Club and tournament players who want a set they can use every week, and collectors who care about pattern accuracy. The 94mm king and the full 34 piece roster make them practical for real games rather than display only. They also work well as a gift, because the pattern carries a story with it.
Both share the same ebonised dark pieces, so the difference is entirely on the light side. Ebonised Antiqued uses antiqued boxwood, mellowed to a warm, aged tone. Plain Ebonised uses natural boxwood, pale and even, which gives a higher contrast, newer looking board.
Squares between 50mm and 60mm suit a 94mm king, and around 55mm is the most comfortable for serious play. Below 50mm the bases begin to crowd each other. Check the square size listed on any board before pairing it with these pieces.
No. This is a pieces only listing, so neither a chess board nor a storage box ships with it. Both need to be sourced separately.
Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from heaters, since both dry the timber and can lead to cracking. Wipe them with a dry, soft cloth and avoid household cleaners and water. Storing them somewhere with stable humidity is the single most useful habit.
The Dubrovnik pattern is a Staunton derivative with a distinctly short knight, a low rook and a shallow bishop mitre. If you prefer the more familiar silhouette, our Staunton chess pieces are the closer match.
Spec |
Detail |
King height |
94 mm (3.70 in) |
King base diameter |
39 mm (1.53 in) |
Queen height |
79 mm (3.11 in) |
Bishop height |
73 mm (2.87 in) |
Knight height |
64 mm (2.51 in) |
Rook height |
52 mm (2.04 in) |
Pawn height |
47 mm (1.85 in) |
Pawn base diameter |
32 mm (1.25 in) |
Piece count |
34 pieces, including two spare queens |
Light pieces |
Boxwood, natural or antiqued depending on the option chosen |
Dark pieces |
Ebonised boxwood, sheesham, bud rosewood or lacquered burnt boxwood depending on the option chosen |
Set weight |
Approximately 1210 g for Ebonised Antiqued, Ebonised, Sheesham and Lacquered Burnt Boxwood; approximately 1670 g for Bud Rosewood |
Recommended square size |
50 mm to 60 mm |
Pattern |
1950 Dubrovnik reproduction, version 3.0 |
34 chess pieces in the material option selected
2 spare queens, one per colour
Chess board not included
Storage box not included
All products sold by Sterling Chess are backed by a 12 month limited manufacturer warranty. This covers manufacturing defects and cracking, and ensures every product is 100% genuine. If you need assistance, our team is only a call or email away.
Is shipping really free?
Yes — we offer free standard shipping on all orders across Australia, with no minimum spend. The price you see at checkout is the price you pay.
Are there any exceptions to free shipping?
No exceptions. Every order ships free, regardless of size, weight, or order value.
How long will my order take to arrive?
Orders are typically dispatched within 1–2 business days, with delivery times depending on your location. You'll receive tracking details by email once your order is on its way.
Do you ship to all areas of Australia?
Yes, we deliver Australia-wide, including regional and remote areas — all at no shipping cost to you.
Can I track my order?
Absolutely. As soon as your order ships, we'll email you a tracking number so you can follow its journey to your door.
What if I need my order quickly?
Get in touch before ordering and we'll do our best to help. Standard shipping is free, and we'll advise on the fastest available option for your area. To contact us, simply email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au, call (03) 7037 0931 or open the live chat.
Changed your mind? You can return unused, unopened items within 100 days of your order date, provided they’re in original packaging and resaleable condition. Sterling Chess will cover the cost of shipping return items under our 100-day free returns policy.
All Sterling Chess products are backed by Australian Consumer Law and include a minimum 12-month Australian warranty. If there’s an issue with your product, our team is here to help and will work to make it right.
Click here to view our full returns policy.
If you're shopping for a new chess set, you're in the right place—and here's why.
1. We know chess inside and out
At Sterling Chess, we're not just another online store. We’re chess lovers, players, collectors, and game night fanatics.
That means we care about quality, balance, and feel—and we only stock sets we’d use ourselves. From tournament-grade boards to handcrafted wooden pieces, we’ve got what real players want.
2. Unmatched variety for every player
Whether you're just learning or a lifelong grandmaster, we have something for you.
Looking for a folding set for travel? A stunning showpiece for your home? A kid-friendly set for your budding chess champion? We’ve got it all—and more.
3. Fast and FREE shipping on all orders
Shipping is FREE on all Sterling Chess orders.
We ship quickly from local and international warehouses, so you’re not waiting weeks to get your game on.
Most orders are packed and sent within 24–48 hours. Plus, you’ll get tracking updates every step of the way.
4. Customer support that actually helps
Have a question? Need help choosing a set? Our friendly team is ready to help—no scripts, no bots, just real people who care about your experience.
You can call our team anytime between business hours on (03) 7037 0931 or email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au. Alternatively, you can use our live chat during business hours to contact our helpful support team.
5. Thousands of happy customers
Don't just take our word for it—our reviews speak for themselves. Sterling Chess is trusted by thousands of players who keep coming back for more. Great products. Great service. No hassle.
6. Classic games, too
We're all about chess—but we also carry backgammon, checkers, poker and other timeless strategy games. If you love the classics, you’ll feel right at home.
Ready to make your move?
Choose a chess set that fits your style, skill level, and space—and enjoy the Sterling Chess difference. You’ll love how it looks. You’ll love how it plays. And you’ll love buying from a team that loves the game just as much as you do.
The 1950 Dubrovnik pattern is one of the few Staunton derivatives that players recognise on sight, and it earned that recognition through use rather than ornament. This reproduction carries the full 34 piece roster on a 94mm king, offered in five timber pairings so you can pick the contrast that suits your board. It sits among the more considered options in our chess pieces collection.
Every piece is turned and carved by hand from solid timber. The knight is short and alert rather than elongated, the rook sits low and broad, and the bishop mitre is cut shallow. Those are marks of the original Dubrovnik carving rather than later reinterpretations, and grain and figure vary from piece to piece because the timber is real.
Two of the five options are ebonised, and they are not the same set. Ebonised Antiqued pairs ebonised dark pieces with antiqued boxwood mellowed to a warm, aged tone. Plain Ebonised pairs the same dark pieces with natural boxwood for a crisper, higher contrast board.
Most reproductions of mid century tournament sets are judged on two things: whether the proportions are right, and whether the timber is worth the carving. The Dubrovnik pattern is unforgiving on the first count, because the silhouette is distinctive enough that small errors in knight height or rook width read immediately as wrong.
These sit in the upper middle of the range. Hand carving and solid timber put them above pressed or machine finished reproductions, while the boxwood pairings keep them more accessible than the ebony sets above them. If you are weighing alternatives, the rest of our reproduction chess pieces are worth comparing on king height and base diameter as well as timber.
The five material options mean the decision is not only about budget. Sheesham, bud rosewood and lacquered burnt boxwood read warm under lamp light, while the two ebonised options give the flat, dark contrast most tournament players prefer.
Ebonised Antiqued is the softest of the five. The dark pieces are ebonised boxwood and the light pieces are antiqued boxwood, finished to look mellowed and handled rather than new. If you want a set that reads as though it has already had a life, this is the one.
Ebonised is the crisper pairing. The same ebonised dark pieces sit against natural boxwood, pale and even, so contrast across the board is higher and the set looks newer. It suits players who want clarity at a glance more than atmosphere. The two are easy to confuse by name and look quite different in person, so it is worth deciding which effect you are after before you order.
Sheesham gives a mid brown dark side with visible open grain against natural boxwood, so the two colours sit closer together and the whole board reads warmer. Bud rosewood is the deepest and most figured of the timbers, and it is also the heaviest of the five sets at roughly 1670 grams against 1210 grams for the others.
Lacquered burnt boxwood is the newest of the options and the least conventional. The dark pieces are boxwood darkened by controlled heat rather than by stain, then lacquered, which leaves a deep warm brown black with some grain still visible. Against natural boxwood it sits between the flat ebonised finishes and the openly grained sheesham, and it weighs the same 1210 grams as those two.
A 94mm king on a 39mm base wants squares between 50mm and 60mm. At 50mm the board looks full and the pieces sit close, which suits display and casual games. Between 55mm and 57mm the spacing is comfortable for serious play, and that is where most club players settle.
Go below 50mm and the bases crowd, which makes captures fiddly and photographs poorly. Every board in our chess boards collection lists its square size, so you can match before you commit. These pieces are sold on their own, so the board is a separate decision.
The pieces are hand weighted, so they settle when you place them rather than sliding on. A full set in the ebonised, antiqued, sheesham or lacquered burnt boxwood options runs to about 1210 grams, and the bud rosewood set to about 1670 grams. Total weight varies by roughly ten percent between sets because the weighting is done by hand.
Two spare queens are included, one per colour, which matters more than it sounds. Promoting with a proper queen instead of an upturned rook keeps a position readable, and it is the detail most standard sets leave out.
The proportions are the real strength here. A 94mm king on a 39mm base with a short, alert knight and a low rook is the Dubrovnik silhouette done properly, and that is where most reproductions fall down. The caveat is that these are hand turned and hand weighted, so grain, figure and total set weight vary by around ten percent and no two sets of the same option are identical, which suits a player or collector who wants character in a working tournament set rather than a buyer expecting machine uniformity.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
Club and tournament players who want a set they can use every week, and collectors who care about pattern accuracy. The 94mm king and the full 34 piece roster make them practical for real games rather than display only. They also work well as a gift, because the pattern carries a story with it.
Both share the same ebonised dark pieces, so the difference is entirely on the light side. Ebonised Antiqued uses antiqued boxwood, mellowed to a warm, aged tone. Plain Ebonised uses natural boxwood, pale and even, which gives a higher contrast, newer looking board.
Squares between 50mm and 60mm suit a 94mm king, and around 55mm is the most comfortable for serious play. Below 50mm the bases begin to crowd each other. Check the square size listed on any board before pairing it with these pieces.
No. This is a pieces only listing, so neither a chess board nor a storage box ships with it. Both need to be sourced separately.
Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from heaters, since both dry the timber and can lead to cracking. Wipe them with a dry, soft cloth and avoid household cleaners and water. Storing them somewhere with stable humidity is the single most useful habit.
The Dubrovnik pattern is a Staunton derivative with a distinctly short knight, a low rook and a shallow bishop mitre. If you prefer the more familiar silhouette, our Staunton chess pieces are the closer match.
Spec |
Detail |
King height |
94 mm (3.70 in) |
King base diameter |
39 mm (1.53 in) |
Queen height |
79 mm (3.11 in) |
Bishop height |
73 mm (2.87 in) |
Knight height |
64 mm (2.51 in) |
Rook height |
52 mm (2.04 in) |
Pawn height |
47 mm (1.85 in) |
Pawn base diameter |
32 mm (1.25 in) |
Piece count |
34 pieces, including two spare queens |
Light pieces |
Boxwood, natural or antiqued depending on the option chosen |
Dark pieces |
Ebonised boxwood, sheesham, bud rosewood or lacquered burnt boxwood depending on the option chosen |
Set weight |
Approximately 1210 g for Ebonised Antiqued, Ebonised, Sheesham and Lacquered Burnt Boxwood; approximately 1670 g for Bud Rosewood |
Recommended square size |
50 mm to 60 mm |
Pattern |
1950 Dubrovnik reproduction, version 3.0 |
34 chess pieces in the material option selected
2 spare queens, one per colour
Chess board not included
Storage box not included
All products sold by Sterling Chess are backed by a 12 month limited manufacturer warranty. This covers manufacturing defects and cracking, and ensures every product is 100% genuine. If you need assistance, our team is only a call or email away.
Is shipping really free?
Yes — we offer free standard shipping on all orders across Australia, with no minimum spend. The price you see at checkout is the price you pay.
Are there any exceptions to free shipping?
No exceptions. Every order ships free, regardless of size, weight, or order value.
How long will my order take to arrive?
Orders are typically dispatched within 1–2 business days, with delivery times depending on your location. You'll receive tracking details by email once your order is on its way.
Do you ship to all areas of Australia?
Yes, we deliver Australia-wide, including regional and remote areas — all at no shipping cost to you.
Can I track my order?
Absolutely. As soon as your order ships, we'll email you a tracking number so you can follow its journey to your door.
What if I need my order quickly?
Get in touch before ordering and we'll do our best to help. Standard shipping is free, and we'll advise on the fastest available option for your area. To contact us, simply email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au, call (03) 7037 0931 or open the live chat.
Changed your mind? You can return unused, unopened items within 100 days of your order date, provided they’re in original packaging and resaleable condition. Sterling Chess will cover the cost of shipping return items under our 100-day free returns policy.
All Sterling Chess products are backed by Australian Consumer Law and include a minimum 12-month Australian warranty. If there’s an issue with your product, our team is here to help and will work to make it right.
Click here to view our full returns policy.
If you're shopping for a new chess set, you're in the right place—and here's why.
1. We know chess inside and out
At Sterling Chess, we're not just another online store. We’re chess lovers, players, collectors, and game night fanatics.
That means we care about quality, balance, and feel—and we only stock sets we’d use ourselves. From tournament-grade boards to handcrafted wooden pieces, we’ve got what real players want.
2. Unmatched variety for every player
Whether you're just learning or a lifelong grandmaster, we have something for you.
Looking for a folding set for travel? A stunning showpiece for your home? A kid-friendly set for your budding chess champion? We’ve got it all—and more.
3. Fast and FREE shipping on all orders
Shipping is FREE on all Sterling Chess orders.
We ship quickly from local and international warehouses, so you’re not waiting weeks to get your game on.
Most orders are packed and sent within 24–48 hours. Plus, you’ll get tracking updates every step of the way.
4. Customer support that actually helps
Have a question? Need help choosing a set? Our friendly team is ready to help—no scripts, no bots, just real people who care about your experience.
You can call our team anytime between business hours on (03) 7037 0931 or email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au. Alternatively, you can use our live chat during business hours to contact our helpful support team.
5. Thousands of happy customers
Don't just take our word for it—our reviews speak for themselves. Sterling Chess is trusted by thousands of players who keep coming back for more. Great products. Great service. No hassle.
6. Classic games, too
We're all about chess—but we also carry backgammon, checkers, poker and other timeless strategy games. If you love the classics, you’ll feel right at home.
Ready to make your move?
Choose a chess set that fits your style, skill level, and space—and enjoy the Sterling Chess difference. You’ll love how it looks. You’ll love how it plays. And you’ll love buying from a team that loves the game just as much as you do.
