Thanks to Mike John Ladzinski for accepting our request. Being an avid chess collector, we have asked him a certain set of questions to whom he replied candidly.
1. When and from where did you get the inspiration for your chess-collecting journey?
When I started tournament and club play in the 70’s I played on and noticed many nice wood and plastic sets. These included the gorgeous lacquered wood French Lardy sets and the wonderful Windsor Castle and Drueke Player’s Choice plastic sets.
When I started tournament and club play in the 70’s I played on and noticed many nice wood and plastic sets. These included the gorgeous lacquered wood French Lardy sets and the wonderful Windsor Castle and Drueke Player’s Choice plastic sets.
2. Are you a chess player?
I play chess mainly on the internet but play speed/blitz chess with friends.
3. Which was the first set collected by you?
A black/natural 3.75″ Lardy set
4. How many sets you have in total in your collection? What have you decided to do with your collection in the future?
I’ve lost count but probably around 150 sets.
Related: My Journey as a Chess Collector by Stephen Kong (Chess Praxis)
5. Which is your favorite vintage set and why?
Tough question as I have so many vintage favorites. I have 3 sets that I would place at the top of my collection, a 1862 Jaques of London 4.4″ Club Set with original labeled box, an Ayres 4.4 Club Set and a 1890’s Russian Tournament Set.
6. Which is your favorite chessbazaar set?
Now that’s a really tough question as I have so many wonderful ChessBazaar sets and it’s impossible for me to pick one. So here are my favorites: The 1973-1979 Petropolis Interzonal set, The Richard Whitty set, The 1895 Ayres Club set, The 1950’s Bohemia set and the 1950’s Soviet Russian Tal Latvian set.
7. Who is your favorite chess player?
Paul Morphy and Paul Keres
8. How many chess clocks you have in your possession?
About 15 clocks
9. Your advice to the new collectors?
Buy vintage and premium quality reproduction set that fit your budget
Related: Start your chess collection now – Be a chess collector
10. Your comments regarding chessbazaar
ChessBazaar has become without question the leader in producing premium quality reproduction and collectible Staunton sets at the most affordable prices for collectors and tournament players. They listen to what collectors like myself want. At my suggestion, they have made so many superb historic reproductions in the past. I would be remiss if I did mention and give thanks to Gurpreet Singh Khokhar for his efforts on behalf of ChessBazaar in getting these many historic reproductions made for avid collectors like myself. And many thanks to the ChessBazaar team.
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