Chess Sets GuideAnd bonus chess set buyers tips

This informative, photo-rich guide is packed with tips and knowledge to help you understand and clarify your interest in chess sets while offering advice and assistance along the way.

You’ll learn things you didn’t know about chess sets as you tap into experience and knowledge condensed into this 20 page quick-read guide. Explore answers to top questions asked by people just like you.

1. Who’s this guide for?

2. Information and advice guiding your choice of a chess set • Learn about standards and sizes to consider

• Valuable ideas for your first chess set

• How to choose a perfect size chess set

• Hit it big with giant chess at your party

• Ideas for Parents. Choose a chess set for home, school, and learning

• The ideal chess set for kids

• Tournament chess sets and what to consider

• Upgrading your chess set

• Fun ideas for home décor and anniversaries

• What types of wood pieces should I consider?

3. Answers to top questions • How do I care for my chess set?

• How to match a chess board for your pieces

• What are weighted pieces? When are they desirable?

• Is my chess set rare or valuable?

4. Bonus: 18 Tips to Choosing the Perfect Chess Set

Who’s this guide for?I write this guide to help you explore chess for the first time, reacquainting yourself with what’s new, or simply to answer your questions about chess sets for yourself, your friends, relatives, and especially your own children.

This guide is revised periodically (current 3rd Edition 7/18/2008) with the latest knowledge and helpful tips.

If you are a

…chess player…parent…grand parent…wedding planner …educator…teacher…busy professionalor…chessnut

You’ll benefit from reading or glancing through this guide!

Unless you’re a collector, you do not have to spend thousands of dollars on a chess set!

This guide gives you info you can consider to help make a good choice. Without this info, the variety of chess set styles and options could overwhelm you like OfficeMax’s pen and pencil isle.

I want this guide to HELP you... not sell something you don't need. When you buy a chess set, I want you to know you're getting what you want!

Writing this guide has been fun.

Tap into the expertise and insights I've compiled for you as you learn essentials and tips, exploring your first or fifth chess set!

I hope you find answers and enjoy this valuable knowledge. I trust this guide will ultimately help you save time and money in choosing a chess set you'll use for years.

Speaking of saving time and money, if you order anything from ChessHouse.com after reading this guide, you have my 100% guarantee.

let’s get started :-)

Information and advice to guide your choice of chess setStandards among chess sets have developed over the years. Official regulation standards of size and style are common to tournaments, clubs, scholastic chess, home-study, and personal use.

This means, that if you know these standards you can own a chess set that will be accepted ANYWHERE and be a long lasting chess set for at home.

Generally, the King is 3 ¾” tall and the chessboard square size is 2 ¼”, usually 20” square in all. Most often the pieces will be solid plastic, or with extra weight, and the chess board green and white.

This standard in the United Status is known as the “club” chess set.

As a home study chess set, it’s ideal for parents who want to jumpstart their child's chess enthusiasm with a solid, practical set.

In its all-purpose chess set role, thousands of scholastic players, club players, and high level tournament players rely on the club set for official US Chess Federation rated tournaments and non regulated chess instruction.

Sizes to consider

Chess sets vary in size from tiny to giant. Less than ½” tall to over 2 feet tall!

The chess set’s size is the dimensions of the chessboard and the height of the King piece. Both together help you estimate the size.

Here are the sizes and what they’re for

• Pocket chess sets (3-6” chessboard) are usually very flat, designed to fit in your shirt or pant pocket.

• Travel chess sets (5-12” chessboard) can easily be carried, fit inside luggage, and played while travelling.

• Folding chess sets (5-20” chessboard) Most pocket and travel sets fold to help you store pieces inside the board.

• Analysis chess sets (8-14” chessboard) are usually a miniature of the “club” chess set and help you study and review games when you don’t need a full size set.

• Tournament chess sets (20-22” chessboard) Usually 20”, these are comfortably sized for hours of concentration.

• Giant chess sets (12-25” King, 9 ft chessboard) these are for use indoors or outdoors and are fun for events, attractions, parks, backyards, etc. (more on giant chess later)

You’ll learn more about these different sizes and what they are for as you continue through this guide.

View chess sets online

Travel size chess sets

You can pack travel sets in a shirt pocket, purse, briefcase, or alongside your laptop.

When choosing a Travel chess set, good features to consider are strong magnets and a case that can close for storage with your chess position still in place on the board. This way you can continue playing where you left off.

Three dimensional pieces are usually preferred over flat magnet style because they are easier to grasp and move. Also most people find real pieces are less confusing then small printed pieces. It depends on your taste.

Here is an example of a mini 8" x 8" chess set with small 3D pieces and strong magnets, the Drueke Travel Chess Set. It incorporates all the above mentioned benefits… you can save and continue playing your game later, it’s plastic case is tough enough to stand on, and it’s many chess player’s first choice.

3/7/2008

OK, my wife got me one of your Drueke Magnetic Chess Sets as a gift. When I got it I was amazed! I expected this kind of cardboard box like I had in the early 1970's (also a Drueke) but this one was made of hard plastic and much better stability for the pieces. Thank you very much. I am using it as a study chess set. Yes, at the age of 57, I am still studying and learning! Great set. Thanks.

RogerVancouver, WA

Getting even smaller, One of the SMALLEST practical chess sets is the "Checkbook" size magnetic set. The pieces are flat, pictured, magnetic pieces. Overall it's a clever design that basically looks and feels like a checkbook.

Hit it big with giant chess at your party

There’s nothing quite like giant chess to entertain your guests at the party! There are so many creative uses. It’s completely up to your imagination!

25 inches tall is the perfect size to be super fun, manageable, and easy to store.

For a fun project, design and lay checkered tiles in your backyard or paint squares on your patio.

Or… keep it completely portable with a nylon quick-fold chess mat that’s 9 foot square.

Valuable ideas for your first chess setAs a minimum, everyone should own an unbreakable, solid plastic, basic club chess set. They are all-purpose, very inexpensive, and ideal for all ages. You’ll appreciate it’s rugged durability.

Everyone recognizes the club chess set . It’s ideal for learning or practice, and it’s the building-block of chess learning and competition. Plus, if you get solid plastic quality pieces, they will last for 10+ years.

Oddly, these sets just aren’t sold by your big chain stores or even local game store. You pretty much have to shop online to find these.

AND, if you ever lose a piece from the club chess set, you can just ask ChessHouse to mail you a free piece replacement.

It’s easy to accessorize, and while you really only need the club chess set, its 20” size and 3 ¾” pieces make it standard for easy storage in travel chess bags.

I also recommend that you spend the extra couple dollars for the club chess set with the US made vinyl chess board. This cloth backed vinyl is slightly thicker and resists curling better.

The only reason curling is a factor is that vinyl chessboards are almost always “rolled up” for storage. Obviously you need a good quality vinyl to ensure that after a few months in storage it will uncurl and lay flat.

Thoughts for parentsChoose a chess set for home, school, and learning

The club chess set explained above is central to the huge chess for education movement in our homes and schools.

Home chess education is fun and sharpens young minds, as parents encourage their children to study chess, and experience the active, exercising, and transforming benefits chess has on the mind.

ChessHouse knows that parents desire a better way to help their children learn chess, with good materials, and with a minimum of required hands on assistance.

Because education is about our kids future and quality of life, ChessHouse supports Chess4Life, LLC in developing character centered education materials designed to teach life skills through chess.

With thousands of hours of teaching instruction and a passion for helping kids, Elliott Neff is uniquely qualified to pass on values through chess – and his love for helping kids is clearly evident.

The Youth Home Chess Learning Kit incorporates the quality club chess set with Chess4Life’s character-building education tools on DVD. Included are carefully selected, easy to follow, printed Rules for Students, Checkmate Ideas for Students, and Tactics for Students.

I wanted to write you and thank you for the chess kit we received from you. My seven year old and I have literally been playing non-stop since. It is amazing to see a seven year old grasp chess so quickly and to see the development as he learns the pieces and their allowed moves. You can see his mind working as strategy beings to formulate, which is fun to see. Soon he will be beating dear ol’ dad! With so much of our world today, including DVD’s, video games and the internet pulling our families into isolation, we believe in the power of family games. Our family has made it a priority to spend time playing games together and have even set up our Tuesday evenings as a no-technology family night. Chess is becoming part of that tradition and the resulting quality time with my son and family is irreplaceable.

Travis H., CPAWashington

The ideal chess set for kids

Once again, it’s the club chess set. It’s ideal for chess class, practicing with fellow students, and competing at the club or scholastic meet.

Children easily become familiar with this set, so it’s a good idea to introduce them to the set they will use if they ever play in a scholastic chess tournament.

Even if you never plan to send your kids to chess class, this style chess set is still what you should consider for at home.

It’s basically indestructible. And.. if you ever lose or break a piece, just ask and we’ll replace it for free.

We recommend at least getting a carrying case for your chess set. The case will keep all 32 pieces zipped up for storage and the rolled up board with the set together. See chess equipment for more ideas

Tournament chess sets and what to consider

Stating the obvious, the club chess set is again what’s most common, and may I say, what you really should be using in a tournament.

Most tournaments will have the chess sets already set up and ready to play. After you complete your match, you just set up the game for the next round.

But you should always bring your chess set anyway so you can practice or review between matches. Clubs usually have chess sets provided, but not always. So be sure to bring your set.

ALWAYS use a traditional style chess set – no themed pieces, red or black pieces, or anything non-standard, unusual, etc. Players expect the standard set and you’ll stand out as a newbie if you come with something weird or unusual.

3/11/2008

I got my 2 items so quickly and I live in Japan. The packing was well done and the items fit the description from your pictures really well. Thank you. I really appreciate your international shipping function and it is very well priced.

JoeJapan

You MAY, however, bring a nice set of traditional, correctly sized (3 ¾” or 4”) wood chessmen and offer to play with wood instead! No one has a right to make fun of you, and many times your opponent will jump at the opportunity to play on your nice wooden chess pieces.

Just keep in mind, that in real competition, a chess game may get fast and furious near the end if players times are running low :) so your set must be able to take the heat of battle!

Chess set upgrades to impress yourself and your friends

Many chess players, young and old, like to upgrade their club chess set to a heavier or more stylish variety.

By the way, each one of these chess sets works great on the same chessboard as the club chess set.

Several interesting possibilities exist. Here are a few and the reasons to consider each one.

• Hastings – High detail, fierce looking knight (horse), very stylish yet traditional. Heavily weighted. A wild upgrade and great looking chessmen. Includes two extra queens

• Collector – High-end plastic pieces with distinct styling by House of Staunton. Heavily weighted with collector drawstring bag. Includes two extra queens

• Executive Staunton – mid-grade quality, large, heavy, and robust. Heavy weighted, massive set for low cost – fun for blitz chess. Includes two extra queens.

• Ultimate – distinctly suitable for Blitz chess, or “speed” chess. Low center of gravity, heavy weights, and great, smooth feel that’s easy to grasp and slide. Match it with a wood board for the ultimate experience. Extra queens not available.

• Paladin – Rugged, nicely weighted and balanced for tournament play. Styled after a popular chess set from the 70’s. Not quite as durable as some. Also comes with two extra queens.

• Heavy Tournament Chess Pieces – the club chess pieces with extra weight. Low cost, easy way to increase the weight and feel of your chessmen. With two extra queens

(keep in mind - plastic “mold lines” are normal, yet generally the more expensive the set, the less noticeable.) Also, “Staunton” refers to the most common style, including all the above.

(Hastings)

(Executive)

(Ultimate)

(Paladin)

(Heavy Tournament Pieces)

Soon, we’ll cover wooden chess sets, but first, let’s talk about…

Theme chess sets – fun for home décor and gift-giving

Theme chess sets are fun and interesting, and can make exciting birthday gifts, anniversary gifts, and Christmas presents.

Most theme sets are made of polystone. Polystone is a compound made up largely of polyurethane resin mixed with powdered stone additives that give it added weight and the porcelain or "stone-like" feel that resulted in the materials name itself. Polystone is durable and highly effective at maintaining a sharp paint finish. Unlike porcelain which is fired in an oven, Polystone is a cold-cast material in which no heat is used in the manufacturing process, resulting in much greater variations of paint finish. Therefore polystone lends to a cleaner, more detailed set of chess pieces.

At ChessHouse you will fin a great variety of interesting theme chess sets.

Beautiful and highly detailed Studio Anne Carlton chess sets originate in the United Kingdom. SAC created a wonderful array of theme chess sets from the Isle of Lewis, to Lord of the Rings, Winnie the Pooh, Civil War, famous battles, and of course Sherlock Homes among many others.

Lighthearted and fun Whitetail Deer Hunters vs. Elk Hunters set captures the American outdoors. Look close and you’ll notice our Minnesota designer has a fresh sense of humor and wonderful talent in characterizing these animals and their hunters.

To remember loved ones serving in the armed forces, various military chess sets feature the marines, air force, army, and navy.

Surprising a loved one or completing a décor becomes possible with so many unique, weird, original or fun chess sets from around the world.

Here are some ideas to spark your imagination

• Medieval• Civil War• Revolutionary War• Cops and Robbers• Pirates• Cowboys and Indians• African wild animals• Cats and dogs• Dinosaurs• Endangered Species• Bears• Seabirds• Jazz Band• Police and Firemen• Aborigines• Teddy Bears• Barnyard animals• Alamo• Crusades• Napoleon and Wellington• British and French• Battle of Troy• Robin Hood• Joan of Arc• World War II• Football • Hockey• Golf• Basketball• Oriental• Egyptian• Roman• Native America• Fantasy• Historical• Nautical• European

And now, let’s begin exploring…

3/24/2008

Krista, I wanted to let you know that I did get my order – right on time and just when you said I would – and I love the set! It’s beautiful… so detailed and intricately formed. It’s exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much!

ClaireFountain Hills, AZ

Wooden Chess Sets

The variety of wooden chess sets available can become overwhelming. With this in mind, I will keep this section very brief, just covering the essentials. Beyond this, you are invited to explore for yourself.

There are several great reasons to own wood chess sets, besides their traditional desirability

• Enhancing playing experience• Customize “your” style• Expand choice with wood varieties and hues• Value and collectability

Choosing a wooden chess set you can also feel comfortable playing

Rosewood (dark reddish brown) and Boxwood (very light wood) sets are perfect for both display and use.

Many of them will come at a price that’s affordable enough to warrant playing with the set ($75-200)

Drueke is an American based manufacturer of wood chess boards and games. They create some of the most affordable wood chess sets that are a pleasure to play and put on display in the home.

Sometimes you can even get a matching combination of wood chess board, pieces, and storage box.

Any board 15” or larger up to 23” will be comfortable to play any time. The pieces for these will range from 2 ½” tall to 4 ¼” tall.

More types of chess set woods

Some common woods from which chess sets are carved are

• Ebony – a very dark, dense, and expensive black wood, sometimes with a dark brown tinge. Ebony chess sets are sought after by collectors and they’re readily available from companies like ChessHouse. But they do demand a premium.

• Ebonized – Since ebony is so desirable as a classic deep black finish, Ebonized chess sets were developed which are made out of different woods and therefore less expensive. However they are lacquered, painted, or varnished to appear like Ebony.

• Boxwood – an inexpensive, yet colorful lightwood. Many light color chess pieces are made of boxwood for it’s hardness and sandy-yellow contrasting color.

• Shishamwood – This light wood (not pictured) is very typical for less expensive chess sets since the wood is abundantly available in India, one of the world’s major producers of chess sets. The wood is very suitable for chess pieces since it comes in a variety of shades suitable for both the light and dark pieces.

Answers to top QuestionsHow do I care for my Chess Set or board?

That really depends on which set you own.

Generally, plastic sets don’t need extra care, but they do need a pouch, case, or bag to keep all 32 or 34 pieces together

Wood sets should be kept away from small pets. They will chew on them like a bone. And getting replacement pieces can be possible, but a real hassle. Be sure to store them in a case, or box out of reach of toddlers and of course your puppy.

Glass, marble, stone, onyx sets are mostly for display. But you can play a game now and then. Be sure to protect your set or place out of reach when you’re not playing.

Rollup style chess boards, should be rolled with the board's squares to the outside! This will prevent the board curling upwards and tipping your pieces when in use again.

What makes a chess set valuable?

Topping the list, Jaques chess sets are the most expensive at several thousand dollars each. Both rarity and design detail are factors that influence value.

In generally however, a chess set’s workmanship can be seen in the knights (horses) on the chess set. It is a great indicator of the level of detail. Pay attention to the mane, eyes, and head. Some knights are "bridled" This refers to a hand carved bridle - a rare, exquisite detail that lends to extra detail and desirability. Search "bridled"

Of course, the wood's rarity and richness also influences the value of the set. Remember Ebony, one of the fine woods.

How to match a chess board for your pieces

Chess set experts agree that the base of the King should be 3/4 of the square size. Yes, it's really that simple!! If this particular size can't be found, feel free to err on the side of enlarging the board square by 1/8". Just don't choose a smaller square size than recommended or you risk crowding the pieces.

It's important to know the King's "base size" to match a chessboard with the set.

Here's a more detailed explanation. The accepted standard is that the chess set King's base diameter be 78% of the chessboard square width.

Visualize this example. You have a chessboard with 2" Squares. The King's base should be about 1 1/2" (about 75% of 2").

Here's another example. You have chess pieces with a 1.75" King base. 1.75" divided by .78 = approximately 2 1/4". Applying the +1/8" rule, the 2 1/2" square chessboard will also be an acceptable choice.

piece base = 75% board square(approximate)

What are weighted pieces? When are they desirable?

The trouble with many run-of-the-mill plastic chess sets is that they’re hollow! There's virtually no weight to them at all so any breeze will upset your game in an instant.

Fortunately when you buy from a chess store those sets aren't even available. Most everything, especially the plastic "club chess sets" are molded from solid plastic - and therefore weighted by default.

What about extra weight?

Any time a chess set mentions "weighted" or "extra weighted", you can be sure that the set will be quite a bit heavier since every piece will have extra weights added to the solid plastic.

Weighted chess sets are sought after by club and tournament players since they offer a much better feel and have greater stability on the board.

Is my chess set rare or valuable?

That’s a common question – sometimes hard to answer. If the set is obsolete or one-of-a-kind, the only way to know for sure is to test the market demand.

One clever way to research this is by searching active auctions on Ebay.

If you have an Ebay account, you can also do a “completed” auctions search – possibly revealing much more data or even a similar item to yours and how much the market was willing to pay.

Otherwise, the only way to know the value would be to sell it or auction it off.

18 Tips to Choosing the Perfect Chess Set*** TIP #1 ***If you plan to study the game of chess, use a board with Algebraic Coordinates to help you record moves or play recorded chess moves on the chessboard. That’s the A-H on the front and 1-8 on the side. Good chess players visualize and instantly know which square is e7, f3, e8, etc, but especially when you’re starting out, you should have a board with Coordinates.

*** Tip #2 ***

If you love fast chess (Blitz chess), we tried and tested many sets and discovered what is in our opinion, the perfect blitz set. The Ultimate Chess Set won out for it’s center of gravity test (outstanding anti-tip resilience), superior touch, and weighting. It also has thick, easy-sliding felts, ideal for vinyl (and especially wood chessboards).

*** TIP #3 ***If in doubt, go GREEN! 97% of chess players accept green/white as the standard, acceptable chessboard color. Why is this? It's much easier to concentrate for hours looking at green, then red or blue!

*** TIP #4 ***When choosing a chessboard for your chess pieces, the general rule is to make sure base diameter the King (or largest piece) is no more than 75% of the chessboard’s single square size.

*** TIP #5 ***

Some chess sets are available with extra queens. It adds to the desirability of a set of chessmen. The reasoning is that it lets you “promote” a pawn to another queen without having to borrow from another set or improvise a piece to be queen.

*** TIP #6 ***Steer clear of cheap, lightweight, “dollar store” chess sets. They are usually hollow plastic with a flimsy board, ready to be whisked away by any breeze, or laid flat when little Carl brushes past the game table.

4/17/2008

Thank you for supporting the men and women in uniforms.

Rick, US Military

5/15/2008

Krista,

Thanks for the initial heads-up and the quick responses. I definitely appreciate the attention.

Felix

Mountain View, CA

*** TIP #7 ***Any chess set marked as "weighted" will feel better when you play. Don't worry too much about exactly how heavy they are as long as they are "weighted". Single, Double, and Triple-weight doesn’t mean all that much, as long as it says weighted.

*** TIP #8 ***

Theme chess sets are fun, and decorative and generally don’t “play” as well as traditional style sets. How do you know if a Pomeranian puppy or Siamese kitty is the bishop or pawn? The owner of a theme set can play an occasional game, but most often they are intended for display. One can shop for hundreds of sets themed after dogs, cats, sports, military, etc.

*** TIP #9 ***There's no need to overspend on a wood chess set! Like the finest wines, the truly expensive sets are for the elite collectors, and often come in limited edition.

*** TIP #10 ***

Most Fine wood chess sets range in price from $100-$400. For most of us, a very nice wood chess set can be purchased for $100 or less. At this price range you’ll feel better about actually using it

*** TIP #11 ***If you're your thinking about teaching chess to an entire classroom, you need a "demonstration" chessboard. They are oversize chess sets designed to be easily seen at a distance while mounted vertically on the wall.

*** TIP #12 ***Most black wood chess sets are Ebonized wood, a staining or painting process that gives the appearance of Real Bony. Real Ebony is a black wood, sometimes very dark brown, nearly black and it’s relatively expensive. While many sets are actually ebonized to appear like Ebony, chess players make a personal choice between the real or ebonized appearance, largely based on cost or prestige.

5/5/2008

Every company claims to have both great customer service and return policy. The Chess house actually does. Recently you helped me choose two chess sets. After they arrived I realized I had not adequately explained what I was looking for in a chess set. My first thought was I would be stuck with a chess set I did not want. I was wrong!

The return was fast and easy. You have a customer for life and I plan to tell all my chess playing and non-playing friends about Chess house.

Greg, Wisconsin

*** TIP #13 ***Consider Shishamwood (light-medium brown), or Rosewood (medium to dark brown) woods for a chess set you can feel good about both using and displaying. Many players are starting to bring their Rosewood and Boxwood (dark/light) sets to club or competitions.

*** Tip #14 ***

In the event you wish to use a wood chess set in club or competition play, you’ll need to make sure it’s approximately 3 ¾” tall +/- ¼” and that it’s of a traditional Staunton appearance (most plastic club chess sets are a good representation of traditional Staunton style)

*** Tip #15 ***Club chess sets are all purpose. If you need something that will work for every occasion, choose a club chess set.

*** TIP #16 ***Analysis chess sets are miniaturized club style chess sets suitable for analyzing games while travelling or in limited space, for example smaller classroom desks.

*** TIP #17 ***

Don’t be confused by the terminology “chess set”. This phrase is often used interchangeably to mean “both the chess pieces and board” or just an “entire set of chessmen without a board”.

*** TIP #18 ***If you like the experience of playing on a traditional, full-size chess board, green vinyl surface, full size piece, etc, but you ALSO like the idea of playing against a chess computer, Excalibur has a Grandmaster Chess Computer that uniquely combines a great looking chess set with chess electronics at almost 2200 rated playing strength (that’s Master level).

4/14/2008

Hi Just to let you know that the chess set I ordered has arrived (brown and black marble) It arrived quicker than I ever expected and packaged extremely well. Best of all it is a fantastic chess set. I'm only a novice and don't get to play much so the set was bought to look nice too and it looks fantastic. Really really pleased with it.

Thank you.

Regards,

JoLincolnshire, UK

Buying a chess set will become more of a hassle free experience for you now that you have taken the time to educate yourself further! You could also save yourself a small fortune buying the right one the first time.

The internet is becoming an intense resource for all of us on a daily basis and the number of products available online is growing. Since we specialize in chess, we test and offer only the best merchandise on the market or merchandise we're sure you will enjoy.

If you choose to order from ChessHouse.com I want your experience to be pleasant and hassle free! If at any time when ordering your chess sets you need help or assistance, I have in place a team of friendly and helpful professionals that are ready to answers your questions.

I hope you enjoyed this guide. If you found it helpful, feel free to forward it to friends.

PLEASE Let me know how you found this guide helpful or if I didn't answer all your questions… or what you would like more information about! Email me at

contact@chesshouse.com

Raphael NeffChessHouse.com

Copyright 2007, 2008 The Chess House, LLC