The Chess on Stamp Study Unit (COSSU) is an active group of chess stamp collectors and enthusiasts. We are a not-for-profit, official affiliate of both the American Philatelic Society and the American Topical Association.
This site includes our latest auctions, the items in our Society Sales Service, checklists, as well as articles about collecting chess-on-stamps.
We have also added a slide show of rare and unusual chess stamp items. We hope that you enjoy it. In addition to rare chess stamps, the exhibit contains many of the earliest postmarks that feature chess.
We hope that you will consider joining our group. COSSU was established in 1979 and has been publishing the Chesstamp Review without interuption ever since. Members receive each issue and can place a free advertisement there and on this site. Members can also take part in the COSSU auction and receive discounts in the Society Sales Service.
Our members have expertise that they are willing to share at no cost. If you are thinking of getting started, perhaps you are offered a rare item, or perhaps you have a collection to sell, contact us. We are here to help all, from beginners to the most experienced collectors!
COSSU NEWS:
Our esteemed Secretary/Treasurer Jim McDevitt has drafted a new set of by-laws for COSSU. The existing by-laws were posted in the second issue and updoubtedly need updating. You can download Jim's draft right here. If you have comments, please post them in our interactive forum. Good chess, all...
Armenia has issued a stamp commemorating Genrikh Kasparian (1910-1995), one of the greatest composers of chess endgame studies. Kasparyan became an International Grandmaster of Chess Composition in 1972, the first composer to receive this title from FIDE.The stamp becomes the first to portray an endgame study. No doubt that the composer would be pleased that the stamp does not provide the solution. It is white to move and draw. Should white play Re7 or Re6?
Our wonderful news. Ours is now the award-winning Chessstamp Review! We won silver-bronze at the APS Stampshow. The judges were happy to share tips for improvement that may permit us to win silver or better next year.
Five COSSU members met at the APS StampShow in Richmond, on Saturday, August 14. From left to right, Allan Savage, Jim McDevitt, Jon Edwards, and Barry Keith. Not in the picture, Richard Benjamin, who was busy at the show auction.
An early collection of back issues is now available. The lucky buyer will receive a free 1 year subscription to Chessstamp Review (or a 1 year extension for members). For more information, check out the Back Issue/Joining COSSU tab.
New members will receive free chess covers! Check out the Join COSSU tab.
Lithuania has recently issued a commemorative stamp in honor of Vladas Mikenas (1910-1992), a well known IM and chess journalist. He is well remembered for the sharp Mikenas variation of the Modern Benoni, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.e5.
As many of you know, former World Champion Anatoly Karpov has a very large chess on stamp collection. As it turns out, he is writing a book on the subject! Says Karpov in Chess in translation: "I’ve got a very large collection of stamps and coins dedicated to chess. And I really am writing a book in which I describe not only the stamps and coins themselves, but the historical events they relate to. I think that in its way it’ll be a unique work. The book might have seen the light of day around two years ago. Unfortunately, the manuscript was stolen from me in Brussels, in broad daylight… One thief distracted my attention while the other attacked from behind and snatched the case. … I hope that the book will, after all, be published this year. It’s 300 pages long and has a print run of 1,000 copies. If there’s demand for this unusual encyclopedia then the circulation will increase."
Last October, Dennis Monokroussos gave a lecture on Playchess about the famous encounter between Botvinnik and Capablanca at AVRO, 1938. Why interesting to us? Because the advertising for the lecture made use of this stamp from the Central African Republic. You can check out the article about the lecture at this ChessBase site.
Joram Lubianiker, a member of our editorial board, exhibited his collection in early August with the aim of qualifying for a National Exhibit in Jerusalem in November. He reports that won a national Vermeil medal, the equivalent of an international Large Silver! Congratulations, Joram!
Toncho Demirev, a chess player and arbiter from Veliko Turnovo, exhibited items from his chess on stamp collection during the Kamsky - Topalov match in Sofia, Bulgaria. Several images from the collection are available here.
My Uncle Joe played correspondence chess during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Imagine my surprise when one of his postcards appeared on eBay! Check out It's a Small World under the articles tab.
The Nepal Postal Services Department has isssued a commemorative cover and postmark for the 1st Lalitpur Cup International Open Rating Chess Tournament. I believe that this is the very first chess postmark from Nepal. I now have the cover for sale ... autographed by the competitors (!)... for just $10. I also have covers autographed by the chief arbiter and another signed by the Youth and Sports Minister... $8 each. Want just the simple cancel? One available at $3.
COSSU Auction 138 is now posted under the auction tab. The auction includes several special items. Let me know if you are interested in seeing scans of any of the lots.
Issue #138 of the Chesstamp Review, our quarterly publication, was mailed around July 1. The issue contains the third and final article about the American Chess Bulletin, an article about chess in German censorship marks, and a long article about the Cuba 1962 Inder sports issue. Here's the cover.
Chess and Bobby Fischer on Stamps was the title of an exhibit by Paul Morton of Rio Rancho, NM at NewMexPex2009. We have sent a free issue of the Review and invitation to join to Paul. Happy to report that he will be our latest member! Paul reports that he will also be showing the exhibit at NewMexPex2010 and that he would be interested in acquiring material for the exhibit, especially commercial covers. You can reach him at p.morton@att.net
Many of you are aware of the 2007 passing of fellow chess stamp collector Gerhard Radosztics. His wonderful web site on chess postcards and autographs is still active and we hope that it long remains so. Just in case, I have archived the site. If his site disappears, we will honor our friend Gerhard's memory by hosting it here.
COSSU auction 137 ends on June 10. Be sure to check out the interesting first days covers and a beautiful and rare chess set.
The latest issue of Topical Time contains a spotlight on our Oct-Dec 2009 issue, specifically the article by Joram Lubianiker on the use of chess telegrams as postal stationary. The issue also highlights the new issue on Napolean, which also contains chess related items.
A French auction is making available proofs from the Courvoisier printer. See Nico van der Plas's article and some amazing, unique images!
Before COSSU's Chesstamp Review, there were several chess-on-stamp publications. Check out the back issues of Chess Arts and Chess 'n Stuff in our Back Issue tab.
David Burris, chess master, award winning editor, good friend, and COSSU member died in 2001. His family has forwarded his collection to COSSU for dispensation. Items from his collection will appear in our June and September auctions. In addition to stamps and covers, David left several nice sets , a collection of chess pins, and some beautiful chess art. If you are interested in any of these items, please contact the editor.
Chess Life has run, in the June issue, an article by your editor about an 1890 card sent by Chigoirin about his telegraph match against Steinitz. It's been a long time since an article related to chess philately appeared in our national chess magazine. We hope, of course, that the article will spur new interest in COSSU.
Chesstamp Review #137 is now out. Here's the cover. The issue contains an article about the Groningen cancel, postmarks with chess positions, part 2 of the article on the American Chess Bulletin, a postal card with a wonderful chess image from WW1, and much, much more. Subscribe now for 2010!
Here's the cover of the new Chesstamp Review #136 which is "in the mail!" The issue contains articles about Greetings Telegrams with a chess theme, stationary from the early chess clubs of Argentina, private postal cards sent from the Anderssen Chess Club of Frankfurt in 1894, the unissued designs of Germany, 1972, and postal cards associated with Hermann Helms' American Chess Bulletin.
Pose your questions in our new forum. Is the 2003 Ecuador chess stamp really a stamp? Where can I find the elusive 2000 Monaco chess stamp? Is this cover legitimate? We're here to help.
On the whole, I’d rather be playing chess: Rob Bijpost has produced a fascinating booklet on chess graves and headstones. The cost is two Euros (plus postage). If you are interested in a copy, contact him at Nanaalweg 22, 1775 AL Middenmeer, Netherlands. He would also appreciate receiving information about Harry Lyman’s headstone.
COSSU meetings: There will be a COSSU meeting during AmeriStamp EXPO 2010, the winter meeting of the American Philatelic Society, February 19-21, 2010, Riverside Convention Center, 3400 Market Street, Riverside, CA 92501. If you are thinking of attending, please write to Jim McDevitt at cwouscg@aol.com
Chess on Coins: Hans Albrecht has produced a comprehensive, German (with some English) 16-page glossy catalog of chess on coins and banknotes. Jon Edwards (jedwards@princeton.edu) has several copies available for members at cost... $8 each postpaid. Hans is also interested in obtaining more information about US Chess Medals. You can reach him directly at: cha-alb@gmx.de.
Armenia has issued a stamp commemorating Genrikh Kasparian (1910-1995), one of the greatest composers of chess endgame studies. Kasparyan became an International Grandmaster of Chess Composition in 1972, the first composer to receive this title from FIDE.The stamp becomes the first to portray an endgame study. No doubt that the composer would be pleased that the stamp does not provide the solution. It is white to move and draw. Should white play Re7 or Re6?
Five COSSU members met at the 
Lithuania has recently issued a commemorative stamp in honor of Vladas Mikenas (1910-1992), a well known IM and chess journalist. He is well remembered for the sharp Mikenas variation of the Modern Benoni, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.e5.
Last October, Dennis Monokroussos gave a lecture on Playchess about the famous encounter between Botvinnik and Capablanca at AVRO, 1938. Why interesting to us? Because the advertising for the lecture made use of this stamp from the Central African Republic. You can check out the article about the lecture at 
Toncho Demirev, a chess player and arbiter from Veliko Turnovo, exhibited items from his chess on stamp collection during the Kamsky - Topalov match in Sofia, Bulgaria. Several images from the collection are available 
