How to Find a Quality Chess Set
Quality Chess Sets
What Should I Look for in a Good Quality Chess Set?
The short answer is materials and craftsmanship. Most good quality chess sets are crafted of exotic woods like Ebony, Rosewood, or Boxwood.
A Mid level quality chess set would generally be constructed of Maple or Walnut. Typically if the seller does not specify the make of wood that the piece uses then it is my experience that it will be a tropical hardwood of some type. These make fine chess sets but they are not as desirable as the other types of wood listed.
When it comes to the chess board itself, you need to determine whether the material is a solid wood or a wood veneer as well as whether the checkerboard pattern has been inlaid or is painted onto the surface.
The Chess Pieces
The true quality of a chess set is no more evident than in the look and feel of the Chess Pieces. This can be particularly difficult when buying online so you should stick to sellers that provide quality photographs and detailed descriptions. If they do not then they are not likely to be selling a quality chess set.
Tthe Knights are a piece that you want to pay particular attention to as a set of finely carved and detailed Knights can make up as much as 50% of the total cost of the chessmen. Here are a number of variations but there are literally thousands more.
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In addition, the level of detail, quality of the turnings, the finish, and uniformity also add to the quality of the pieces. Many inexpensive imported pieces will have burn and tear marks, burrs, poor finishes, or worse.
Does Size Matter?
The size of the pieces in relation to the board is mostly a matter of personal taste but for tournament play there are very clear specifications for the size of both the pieces and the boards. The U.S. Chess Federation standards specify that the King must measure 3-3/8" to 4-1/2" with a base diameter of 40-50% of the height.
If you are not interested in tournament play then a good general rule for determining the proper square size for a set of good Staunton chess pieces is that the width of the base of the King should be 75% of the width of a square on the board.
Why Is the Weight of the Pieces Important?
Cheaper chess sets have no weighting and fall over easily when nudged by a finger accidentally. Weighted pieces make the game more enjoyable, are more valuable and have a quality feel about them when held in the hand.
Chess piece weights are classified as Natural, Single, Double, and Triple.
Weighted Pieces - Approximate Weights:
- Single Weighted 15-25 grams
- Double weighted 30-50 grams
- Triple Weighted 50-115 grams
- Plastic- Very light, easy to knock over. Weighs approximately 15 grams or one-half of an ounce.
- Wood- Made out of a very light wood and are easy to knock over. Lighter than a single weighted piece. Weighs approximately 20 grams or ﾽ an ounce.
- Marble Resin-Natural weight is somewhere in between a single and double weighted piece. Heavier than wood, but lighter than stone. Weighs approximately 40 grams or 1.5 ounces.
- Metal- Natural weight is close to a double weighted piece and weighs approximately 30-50 grams or 1.5 ounces.
- Stone- Natural weight is on the heavy side weighing the same as a triple weighted piece. Approximate weight is 75 grams or 2.6 ounces.
Another option you might consider is to purchase a chess set that is designed for traveling. These travel chess sets feature pieces with a magnetized base which will keep the pieces in place on the board while moving. Even at rest they tend to feel like a nicely weighted chess set as the magnetism keeps the pieces in place.
No matter what kind of Chess Set you are looking for whether it be a Dragon Chess Set, Staunton Chess Set or RoseWood Chess Set or even something else. We can help you find the one that will make YOU happy.