Buying My First Chess Set

Hello,

I am about to order my first real chess set from House Of Staunton. I am getting it for tournament play so I have chosen weighted plastic pieces and a roll up silicone board. I just have a couple of questions for people who have previously bought such chess.

1. Are the triple weighted pieces (Fischer 3.75 to be exact) from HoS good pieces? And should I get Black adn Natural, or Black and White?

2. Are silicone boards better or worse in general to vinyl and or mousepad boards?

No idea

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2.

Look at the comparisons between silicone, vinyl and mousepad boards here in Forums and on a couple of videos on YouTube, none is perfect but people can prefer each of them...personally I never had silicone as the pieces can't slide; some mousepads are better for sliding some are worse, but vinyls are best in that respect. However silicone and mousepads have other advantages like they can be folded, vinyls need special care.

TYSM! Ill be sure to look into it and your insight is heavily appreciated!

I have numerous plastic sets from HOS, including the Fischer 3.75" set. I think this is a great set for the price, certainly in terms of aesthetics. It isn't that much inferior to the Collector Series set, which costs a lot more. It is heavily weighted and very stable on the board. You said that this set will be used for tournament play, where presumably aesthetics don't matter quite as much as durability. Although the Fischer set it very sturdy, there is still the slight potential for some details, like the king's finial, or the points on the queen's crown, to break off if a piece is dropped on a hard floor. This is possibly why the less attractive (to me at least) Triple Weighted Regulation Plastic Chess Pieces are so popular in clubs and tournaments. I don't have one of these sets, but I imagine they can take more abuse. Both are fairly affordable sets, but I'd still get the Fischer set, but that's just me.

Never encountered those pieces but recommend you use pieces you are comfortable being abused and have good durability or cheap to easily replace as needed. Also if you don’t have much experience with vinyl, mousepad or silicone boards it may be worth buying one of each and seeing which you prefer, each have their own pros and cons. Personally I’m a vinyl board person. I prefer weighted wood pieces because if I’m going to sit for hours playing chess I want to enjoy what I’m looking at. Also, at least in my experience, people generally treat wood pieces with more respect than plastic and almost everyone thanks me for letting us play with this.

I would highly recommend you get either mousepad or vinyl. Mosuepads are more easily stained than vinyl but are much easier to fold into a regular bookbag and travel with. Overall price/utility go with vinyl IMHO. Easy to wipe and clean. Just be sure to not leave it for weeks in the archer or they take forever to lay truly flat.

If you have the a healthy budget I would suggest the Bobby Fischer Ultimate Chess Set. You'll never have to worry about the weights coming loose and they can take a beating.

@YashTChess I have two mousepad boards; one from WE Games (here) and one from HoS (here), and I am more satisfied with the thicker, higher quality one from WE Games. Just a subjective, personal preference thing, obviously.

I would also look carefully that the numbers along the edge line up in the traditional way. I seem to remember a thread somewhere in which a factory misprint was discussed. In the end, I like both vinyl and mousepad boards over silicone. (Again, statement of opinion.) One of each is nice; depending on how messy your desired playing area is (drink & sauce spillage and/or grease comes to mind).

Agreed with the input on Fischer Ultimate V3 (from American Chess Equipment); nice feel, wide bases, less chance for rattling weights. Here is my Ultimate V3 on the WE Games mousepad board (2.25in squares):

GL in your purchases!

Silicone has the advantage of not getting creased but it can get sticky if you don't clean it

Vinyl can get creased easily and can be hard to clean

Never heard of mousepad chess boards so I cant offer advice on them

Mousepad, IMHO.

If I were you, I'd buy a Green Thin Mousepad on offer for $4 (so you can try mousepad for only few bucks) and a vinyl or PVC Tournament Chess Board as PVC keeps flat and have long life. It folds in two. If you get vinyl, always roll it board outwards, so it stays flat when unrolled.

2. I´d definitely chose a mouse pad board over a silicone one. Way nicer to play on.

1. I prefer the Hastings series or the Reykjavik over the Fischer. It is a matter of taste. They use Fischer’s name because it sells. The design has nothing to do with Fischer. The two mentioned, in the other hand, are iconic designs from the past with some history. Don’t be fooled on that. Natural is better than white to me (easy on the eyes).
2. I prefer vinyl to mousepad because of the feel during play. Pieces do not slide so well in the mousepad board.
Good luck in your choice!

@ferpesan - Is that the HOS plastic Marshall set in your photo? I have that set (as well as the Hastings, Fischer, Collector, and Reykjavik) and I think it's one of their best plastic sets.

Yes, it is the Marshall plastic set.
Agree with you. The best in my humble opinion too. Thanks for the sharp eye.

I have the HoS Collectors (4´´) set that I find a good match with their 2.25´´ square mousepad boards.