Mabellene (1997-03-24)

This is Mabellene, my chess set. I bought the case for about $75 in 1989 when I bought a Life Membership in the U.S. Chess Federation. I've had the pieces since 1972, when I first became a member.

When folded and zippered, the black rip-stop nylon case looks like the kind of case a pool player uses for the pieces of their cue ... such a Worthy Tool deserves a Name, and I chose Mabellene. (Not that I'm a Chess Hustler. :-) Lyrics by Chuck Berry!

In front, you can see the rolled up board ... beige with green squares and algebraic notation on all sides. This is a regulation tournament board, with 2¼ inch squares. It's the second rollable board I've owned, the first begining to show its age as the plastic becomes less plyable.

The double-face chess clock is still in the USCF catalogs, at only 50% more than I paid for it in 1972. The individual pockets on either side of it hold the pieces. They are weighted and felt-bottomed, with a Really Nice heft to them. I paid about $30 for them in 1972, and they are no longer listed in the catalog.

This is the set that I use for private games, not tournament games ... it's too easy to get pieces from sets mixed up. I have a tournament set in a bag, and I think that a black pawn and a white bishop are from other sets ... sometimes you can find the person and exchange pieces, but often you don't notice until the next weekend.

The green thing to the right is my score book for recording my games, and the gold thing attached to the roof of the case is my USCF Life Membership card.

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