Offered for Sale is this Vintage 1977 - 1978 Scaccomatto (Checkmate) Chess Set Sculpture by Artist Franco Rocco (Spanish 1939 - ), in Anodized Silver & Gold Colors in Good Used Condition, with a New Contemporary Bound Disassembly Guide, Numbered & Signed by Engraving. Please refer to the above for the item's description & condition, and please refer to my photos.
  
    Each cube is comprised of sixteen chess pieces, a removable locking cylinder, and a removable support piece for the cylinder, bringing the total pieces in each cube to eighteen.  The approximate dimensions are 3" x 3" x 3" with an approximate weight each of seven pounds. There are four pieces with a movable shield that acts as a lock, and the two cylinders have a lever that pivots on a pin. Not all the surfaces are anodized in a color, which is why there are some surfaces in color and some a dull brass color, the underlying material.
   
    Some sources claim the silver finish is "chrome plated"; however, the gold is not gold plated, and color anodizing, a thin ceramic coating applied to a base metal surface, really caught on in the 1970's, especially for high end bicycle components. Moreover, the wear to the color on the surfaces suggests anodizing more than plating. There are two years given for creation - 1977 and 1978. Given the machining of the brass these would have had to take a while to create.
   
    I purchased this without any kind of instruction manual, so what I did was take photos of each step of the disassembly method I used to take this apart, one photo per step, with some shots a different angle to give a better prospective. Assembly is just the opposite of disassembly. Remove the cylinder holder, pivot and adjust the cylinder, allow the queen (I think it's the queen, as other sources have the king as being the signed piece) to fall out, remove the cylinder, and pull the cube apart into two sections.  With practice and deliberate thought it can be disassembled in under five minutes.
   
    The construction of this set is pure genius. Looking at it you'd never guess it turns into a chess set. None of the pieces have to be forced into position - usage has made the pieces easier to fit together. (Some of the gold pieces are a bit snug in fit; if two pieces seem a bit harder to fit together, try the same combination with other similar pieces and the fit is smooth). Mechanical inclination helps but if you take your time and study my manual disassembly becomes intuitive. If you are very uncomfortable with things mechanical carefully consider a purchase - this is not being sold damaged; this rare set demands patience,.
    This will be sent via UPS with insurance against the declared value. The declared value will not be lowered.  Duty and customs fees are the sole responsibility of the buyer. This will be shipped double boxed with appropriate bubble wrap and packing peanuts.  The manual is sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard and wrapped in tissue.
   
    If you have any questions please ask in advance of any purchase - all sales are final.

(If you have this set already and would like a copy of my manual email me here as I can provide additional copies).


PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU BID AND/OR BUY

 

Please ask any questions IN ADVANCE of a bid and/or purchase. 

Payment is due within three days of an auctions end, or immediately on a Buy-It-Now purchase.

The item is being offered in the condition stated, “As-Is”, unless otherwise stated in the item description.

What is listed in the description is what is included.  If it is not in the photo and not in the description, then it is not included, and incidental background items are never included.

Requests for special handling, buyer-supplied invoicing, special notifications of shipping or any other requests will not be honored unless asked for IN ADVANCE, and seller reserves the right to refuse any such request.

ALL SALES ARE FINAL – THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.

THE ITEM WILL BE SHIPPED WITHIN TEN BUSINESS DAYS OF MY RECEIVING CLEARED PAYMENT.  REQUESTS FOR FASTER SHIPPING MUST BE ASKED FOR IN ADVANCE, AND SELLER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY SUCH REQUEST.

Seller reserves the right to change the shipping method if the shipping method offered is incorrect and/or not possible because of size limitations.

Parcel Post and Media Mail delivery take longer than Priority Mail, and International delivery may take longer due to customs.  Seller is not responsible for the length of delivery time, nor is the seller responsible for the customs practices of other countries.  Seller may provide a delivery confirmation and/or customs document number; it is the buyer’s responsibility to retain this number for reference. If you do not understand this, or cannot wait for an item, then please consider an item offered by another seller.

An item will ONLY be shipped to a verified address; requests for shipping to a non-verified address may be denied. If you are MOVING, or anticipate a change of address, please do NOT make a purchase until you have a secure, VERIFIED address.  Multiple items may NOT be sent to any address that is not verified at my discretion.

Seller does not offer “changes” to the stated terms.

Any claim of damage MUST be accompanied by clear photos of the mailing container and the claimed damage.  The seller cannot foresee or control damage caused by any mishandling of the item by a delivery service or damage caused as a result of where a shipped item was left at, be it the buyer’s home address, place of work, or a stop used by the delivery company. Any such damage is the result of negligence by the shipper and is not represented in the accurate description of the sold item; such damage is OUTSIDE the accurate description of the sold item.

As the United States Postal Services constantly changes the methods of shipping with subsequent changes in shipping rates, every attempt is made to price shipping charges fairly.  I DO NOT SHIP “PARCEL SELECT”. If any shipping charge paid exceeds the amount charged by more than the handling fee added to every item, then any “overcharge” MAY be refunded back to the buyer through their Paypal account.  ANY oversized item may be subject to a “balloon” charge (dimensional NOT actual weight), and the shipping charge will be adjusted upwards accordingly. Please see the USPS website for what constitutes standard and non-standard shipping dimensions.

 

BY BIDDING AND/OR PURCHASING YOU THE BUYER STATE THAT YOU HAVE READ THE ABOVE AND AGREE TO THE ABOVE STATED.