Advice in Buying A Good Chess Set

Hello,

I'm planning to buy a good chess piece/board for me and my family and am in need of some suggestions. Here is some information that you can use when making a recommendation.

1. I myself already own a Staunton plastic chess piece with a mousepad chessboard, so this chess set will be for house use only.
2. Price really doesn't matter too much, but I don't want those "$2k chess pieces with gold plating that you will only use for display". Weighted wooden pieces will be preferred.
3. I know the standard king height for practical chess play/practice is around 3.75", but lots of good-looking chess pieces easily go over 4". This is where I am in dilemma - my family is more lying towards fancy-looking pieces that look good on the eyes (it's a gift after all, and not all of my family plays chess, so this is understandable) as well as decently playable. How important are the chess piece heights in general?
4. Extension to the previous question - What aspects make your pieces feel great in the long-term? Wood type/color, as some chess pieces were black, while some were red? Being fancy vs. Standard, classic? (e.g. FIDE Tournament)
5. Does DGT matter? I know my family members mainly use books from time to time, I use chess analysis and books when in need, but for me seeking a chess set that will last for at least a few years, I'm questioning whether it is worth it to seek this feature. In a word, does it help you study chess, or have any benefits?

I'm always up for specific set recommendations or any stories you all have about buying something semi-permanent for your house! Thank you beforehand!

If you ask the question in the Chess Books and Equipment section you’ll likely get more input. There many collectors/buyers there willing to give you their thoughts. Enjoy the journey!

@MCH818 Does that Morphy Cooke work on a 2" board, or are the bases a bit big?

I'd say 3,75" (96 mm) King is right for the 2 1/4" (56 mm) squares. Pieces of that size also fit on 2" (50 mm) squares, but that makes it a little more crowded and sliding the pieces (Bishops, Rooks, Queens) across the board without the bases touching other pieces bases will be somewhat difficult, if not impossible.

The most important thing is the relation between square size and the piece size and I'd say going with the tournament sizes at least guarantees comfortable play. If you want larger pieces, you should (in my opinion) also get a larger board and at some point it becomes a little pointless to make the board larger.

That is why I would prefer classical Staunton pieces of high quality instead of some fancy decorative ones. The Staunton ones will be timeless, and if they are of good quality, also beautiful.

I think it says King base diameter is 41 mm, so I would say it works just fine, even though 41 mm is 1 mm more than 40 mm, which would be 80% of 50 mm. The limit that some hold as a guideline is that the King base diameter would be 75%-80% of square size.

I don't think 1 mm is too much more though, at least if you are not going to play competitive tournament games with that set.

It also says pawn base diameter is 29 mm so you will not be able to fit 4 pawns on 1 square, which is another guideline, but still I think it would work OK.

Sorry, hope it does not bother you I replied, even though I was not the one you asked.

Price really doesn't matter too much  sciencejiho

also take into account the price of a good chess board to go with the set & a box . For a modern day design the Sinquefield chess set is one of the best that's around at a good price .

Thank you for your input, everyone! I'd like to know what the major difference is between modern and sophisticated pieces. Here are some pieces I've seen:

• Official FIDE World Championship Chess Set - Looks very classic and modern. Clarity is very nice (obviously since it's used for the World Championship, after all), but I also heard some stories of it being overpriced.
•  The Arabian Knight Series Artisan Staunton Chess Pieces in Ebony & Box Wood - 4.2" King - Like the look of the King (Personally not a big fan of giant, dull cross on King), but also very pricey and big at the same time. Saw some reviews saying the quality control isn't really the best.
• The Mayfield Ebonized Triple Weighted Chess Pieces - Knight looks very fancy, but maybe too fancy that it doesn't blend well with other pieces. Also, the size is big.

My sister, a non-chess player, recommended me the Austin Cox Alcoa Chess pieces from John Wick, but no way in hell anyone will recognize which pieces are which... maybe it's good as an art piece, but not the best for occasional usage.

These actually look like decent pieces. Do you ever find your chess pieces to be "bland" when used long-term? To be fair, any kind of piece will feel bland in long-term usage, but the dilemma I have is that as this is not only a chess piece that people can play with but also a gift I hope to be a good look piece in the room. In my case, plastic Staunton pieces served more than well enough for "playing chess", so this is a rather new experience for me - viewing chess pieces more than just regular pieces that is.

Do you ever find your chess pieces to be "bland" when used long-term? To be fair, any kind of piece will feel bland in long-term usage, sciencejiho

I think bland is the wrong word ? maybe familiar in time / but then this is with any object or item . All i can say the Sinquefield chess set is a really nice modern day set for the price . i swap my set's over when it's getting to familiar . In the end you buy it because you like it & it's down to your own taste ? As all in you are looking at say around $700 pending on what type of chess board + box for the set .

Might I recommend a very nice 'not just for show' set that's on sale right now for $25. Looks like there's 8 sets left and they seem to be going fast. Note that everyone here that has posted what they received are all getting the same style as my picture here, and not what's pictured in the listing (look at the rook). Still a very nice set for the price. Here's the link.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLRQZYYR?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Here's a 3.75" King set my son and I played on this morning. 2.25" squares. The overall size of the board is 23". Table is 32". There's enough room on the table edges for a clock, captured pieces and a small scorepad if we're noting moves. It's pretty much our permanent chess spot in the house.

A larger 4-4.25" King display set would fit as well. Maybe on a boarderless board to save on tabletop space. I wouldn't go much larger depending on your area. In my opinion, the usability of the chess set declines with the increase in size (and weight), especially when young kids hands are small.

I would recommend Staunton Castle for a nice high quality set which won't break the bank

@Habanababananero, @MCH818. Thanks both.

For me, 3.75” king is the right size. Pieces and board larger than that start to feel ridiculous to me. I like decent quality weighted wooden pieces, with more or less Staunton looks. Acceptable for play in any tournament, and look good on your table at home. Color scheme is a personal choice, so whatever you think looks best.

Life is short. Get something nice :)

Here's the way I'd do it. Go to etsy.com and search for chess pieces with a 3.75" to 4" king. There are a million options. Put everything that looks awesome into your cart or add them to a favorites list. Wait a few days. Manufactures will give you 20 to 35% off discounts.

For example this Derby Knight in rosewood set is $299 but only $199 with 35% off. ABAN35 code for chessbazaar.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1287714481/derby-knight-staunton-weighted-chess

Then I'd go to HouseOfStaunton.com and find a board. I'd get one with 2.25" squares. During US holidays you can expect to get a 20% coupon. They are usually listed at the top of the homepage. Spend at least a hundred dollars to get free shipping. This is not difficult to do at HOS!

I like this one. Regular price is $199. With 20% off chessday coupon it's $159.20.
https://www.houseofstaunton.com/black-anegre-birds-eye-maple-macassar-ebony-standard-traditional-chess-board-satin-finish.html

For under $400 you'll have a stunning and functional chess set. Please note that the shipping from India for many of the etsy chess vendors can take many weeks.

For home use - friendly games with no time control, analyzing etc - I prefer a smaller board, say 40 mm squares. As for the pieces if you can fit in two pawns diagonally in a square that´s about right. The pieces shall be nice but not (too) fancy.

2/3. Since this is a home/family set, I'd suggest 3.5" to 4" kings. A literal middleground is the recommended FIDE/USCF height of 3.75", but to me, piece-to-board proportions are the most important factor. For example, my 4" HoS Liberty and Latvian (Mordovian) pieces are MUCH less crowded and easier for me to analyze with on a 2.25" square board than the 3.75" Bobby Fischer Ultimates.

4. The aspects that make my pieces feel great in the long term are the way they look, handle, wear, inspire, and make me feel. Historical, cultural, and sentimental significance are also big factors for me. One of my absolute favorite sets that checks all of the above is the aforementioned Latvian (Mordovian) reproduction I purchased from RetroMaximum (Etsy) in the midst of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2022. I think I can speak for many of the CB&E regulars when I say there's a certain "je ne sais quoi" about finding a set that feels special and speaks to you. I've continuously chased this feeling since I dove into chess in May of 2022, which is a direct result of all the passionate contributors to this forum section. A special thanks to all of you.

5. I have no personal experience, but I hear DGT can be fun for online games, or useful for storing local games to review/analyze/study. However, you don't necessarilly need DGT to enjoy online games, as there's now open source software that accomplishes this via webcam.

Below are non-exhaustive suggestions based on personal ownership, research, and opinion (in no particular order):

Romanian/Hungarian:
- Sandór Bíro's national set via birosandor64@yahoo.com (I own two)

Brazilian:
- Dirk Dagobert's offerings via personal website (I own one vintage Braganca. These aren't official national sets, but they're the highest regarded Brazilian sets amongst chess clubs/players in Brazil)

Croatian (Dubrovnik) Designs:
- Gregor Novak's offerings via Noj Slovenia (waitlist full until 2025, but considered the crème de la crème of pieces by many here)
- Oldset's offerings via Etsy
- Mandeep Saggu's 1950 offerings via Staunton Castle

Soviet Designs:
- RetroMaximum's offerings via Etsy (I own one)
- Oldset's offerings via Etsy
- ERWoodLeatherShop's offerings via Etsy
(All exceptional carvers based in Ukraine)
- Gregor Novak's offerings via Noj Slovenia (waitlist info noted above)

German Designs:
- DGT's offerings (I own one non-electronic)
- Dener Mejía's offerings via Incaisa (specifically the stunning Alpha Sumo collaborative redesign by Pawnerai, who's one of the great contributors to CB&E).

French Design:
- Improved French Lardy via Royal Chess Mall

English Designs:
- Mandeep Saggu's offerings via Staunton Castle

Boards:
- Rechepado Ferrer's offerings via multiple vendors
- ColoradoWoodWorker's offerings via Etsy
- SakisTsiogkasWood's offerings via Etsy

@VTVXIV - thanks for excellent guidance and context. And noting the extracts above …yep…I couldn’t have said it better myself since I dove in to the playing and collecting pool at the start of the pandemic. 👍

I might add another point too… even though we might think we are buying ‘the one’ set …in the end, if it is not quite right for our needs we can move it on, trade it, gift it… the actually experience of seeing the sets and their difference helps to evolve our individual thoughts - what we like, what we don’t and how that changes over time.

Wow. a great list @VTVXIV