This set is a specific reproduction of the iconic 1962 Varna Chess Olympiad design, manufactured in Bulgaria without the traditional cross. Rather than a later modification, these pieces were produced at the source to be symbol-neutral. They were brought to Turkey by Turkish immigrants from Bulgaria and quickly became a staple of the Istanbul Chess Association (İSD) after 1965. This Bulgarian-produced, crossless design eventually served as the blueprint for the famous “Gambit” sets, becoming the most recognizable and widely used chess set in modern Turkish history.
A frequent visitor at the Istanbul Chess Association, FIDE Arbiter and immigrant from Bulgaria, İsmet Arvit, making a move with Gambit model chess pieces during a simultaneous exhibition in Istanbul.
