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mattdw
play-chess-online.com chess
1/29/2006
10:26:43
play online chess |  Subject: A decent chess set?
Message:
I'm looking to get a board & pieces but I have no idea where to start. I think my only requirements would be that the board isn't really small and that the peices are weighted or at least capable of withstanding some of my inevitable clumsyness. I don't really want anything too ornate or fancy either, just a nice simple (but good-ish quality) chess set. Do these sound like reasonable things to look for, and if so, does anyone have any suggestions? Many thanks,
Matt
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bucklehead
play-chess-online.com chess
1/29/2006
10:48:55
play online chess | Spend a lot or a little
Message:
There are a lot of good chess stores out there on the web. The best, in my estimation, is the House of Staunton at -> www.houseofstaunton.com . Their stuff is expensive (though they have some less expensive, but still nice, wooden and plastic sets, but it will give you an idea of what's out there. Their boards are fairly expensive, however. I might recommend you look at their eBay auctions--HoS's seller id is "hstaunton."
A great site to check out if you're looking for good prices and broad selection is -> www.wholesalechess.com .
What you'll want to get will depend greatly on how you plan to use the set. I have a bunch of sets, but two in primary rotation: I bring out my heavy House of Staunton ebony/boxwood pieces (4" king) and an old onyx board from Mexico (2" squares) on those rare occasions when I have an actual opponent, but I also have a smaller plastic set with about a 2" king that shoulders most of the load for my analysis. Not that it helps much.
I think heavy is important, and I bet most people agree with me. Not so much for stability's sake, but because it's a real good feeling to thunk a solid piece down on a solid board. What we do has at least an element of art, so why should we not focus on the experiential nature of the game?
Try to make sure that your board's squares are appropriately proportioned to your pieces. The rule of thumb is that the base of the K should be about 75% the width of the squares. So a set with a 1.5" wide king calls for a board with squares about 2" wide. If you're in a store and lack a ruler, take four pawns and arrange them inside a square. If they fit snugly, you're in business.
Whatever you do, don't go out to Wal-Mart or wherever and buy the "Tournament Chess Set" or whatever else is boxed up and wrapped in plastic. Buy something nice. You deserve it.
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mattdw
play-chess-online.com chess
1/29/2006
15:56:38
play online chess |
Message:
Hey, thanks bucklehead! That was just the kind of info I was looking for! Whoa, it's kinda overwhelming the choice though isn't it? The compatibility of boards and pieces in terms of size is definitely important as I can imagine myself otherwise having just bought some ridiculously huge pieces and a microscopic board!
I like the look of the staunton pieces with the colours being subdued hues of brown and beige rather than sharp black and white. I think I will also go for a wooden set over plastic too, with weighted pieces being important (like you say). Thought I don't think I've ever seen any shops near by that might sell decent sets, I'll have a look in the phone directory tomorrow morning & have a wander around some of the shopping areas I've never really been to.
Thanks again for the help, hopefully I can get a set pretty soon!
Matt
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thunker
play-chess-online.com chess
1/29/2006
19:42:37
play online chess | Checkout a nice magnetic set
Message:
I've had good luck with a nice, functional magnetic set from chessexpress:
-> www.chessexpressstore.com
And I'll second bucklehead's vote for -> www.wholesalechess.com as I just placed and received an order with them and got it very promptly with no problems.... Ordered late Sunday, order confirmed and shipped on Monday received on Thursday. Not sure how much longer it would be to ship to the UK without paying higher shipping fees. But both companies are reputable.
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gfweiss
play-chess-online.com chess
1/29/2006
21:54:46
play online chess | My recommendation
Message:
My wife gave me a board, pieces and a box for the pieces for Christmas '04. She let me pick them out and I spent over $700 of "her" money. The pieces are 4" King Staunton, quad weighted, leather bottoms made of Boxwood and Ebony with four Queens. The Knights ears and mane stick up and the mouth is open with all the teeth showing. The board is beautiful, 2" squares made in Italy of inlaid Elm Root and Erable. It's well over an inch thick and must weigh close to twenty pounds. And a Mahogany box with felt and foam inside, with cutouts for the pieces to boot.
I bought it from TheChessStore.com and the people there (small business - just a couple of folks) were teriffic. I couldn't make up my mind which pieces I wanted. I was afraid the one I really wanted would be too big in the base for the board. Well, they sent me the board and all three sets of pieces I was considering. I kept the ones I wanted and shipped the other two back to them without a hitch. They were very friendly.
They have a great web site and lots of variety. You can get double and triple weighted 3 3/4" "ebonized" boxwood Staunton pieces with felt bottoms for around $100 and they have some nice $100 boards.
Matt - you should get at least double weighted pieces, triple is nicer. Also 3 1/2" to 4" King is nice and a board with at least 1 3/4" squares to 2", depending on the size of the King and Queen base. Some pieces have a champher at the bottom, giving them a narrower appearance to fit better on smaller squares.
Enjoy your shopping.
george
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mattdw
play-chess-online.com chess
1/31/2006
02:26:15
play online chess |
Message:
Thanks again for the advice, it's much appreciated. I've noted the details down and I've started looking for the right set. Hopefully I'll find it fairly soon! Cheer,
Matt
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spugmyers
play-chess-online.com chess
1/31/2006
03:46:29
play online chess |
Message:
I've had good experiences dealing with the following UK-based online shops:
-> www.chessdirect.co.uk
-> www.chesscenter.com
-> www.bcmchess.co.uk
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