Do yourself a favor and check out http://www.chessmate.com/
I haven't received mine yet, but from what I see/hear, they crush anything else out there.
Need Help/Advice on Magnetic Chess Sets
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I already know of ChessMate's great reputation, but the cost is much too high for a poor person like me :(
I'm on a budget of ~$20 and their cheapest set comes at $40. In a perfect world, I would buy one and wouldn't even need to have this thread.
Thanks for the thought though. :)
Pikachulord6 wrote:
I already know of ChessMate's great reputation, but the cost is much too high for a poor person like me :(
I'm on a budget of ~$20 and their cheapest set comes at $40. In a perfect world, I would buy one and wouldn't even need to have this thread.
Thanks for the thought though. :)
Sorry about that. I didn't see that in your post.
It's all right. It was a very long post and besides, you were trying to help and I appreciate it. :)
I have some of the second type, the Magnetic Checkbook Chess Board. I had lots of these sets when I used to play postal chess but I also used them when travelling. I bought a couple more recently. Here's my opinion of them.
Good: As you say, very portable. You can easily have half a dozen sets distributed among your pockets. And very inexpensive, especially considering how durable they are. They last for decades. I lost most of my sets (or the pieces - see below) before they showed any signs of wearing out. They are also very easy to wipe clean.
Bad: The pieces do slide about when the set is closed. (Almost as if they continue to play a game when I'm not looking!) And they do occasionally fall out if the closed set is kept vertically in a pocket. My original sets each came in a see-through plastic pouch, which is essential to catch any pieces that fall out, but my newer sets didn't. If you don't keep the board clean then the pieces will pick up dirt and will lose their ability to stick, and having to clean all 32 pieces is a chore... however, I expect that this applies to all magnetic sets. Wrinkles were a problem in my older sets, but not with my latest ones - but perhaps that's only because they're still relatively new.
In summary, for a long-lasting very portable set that you want to take somewhere and then play a game, I would recommend this, especially at the price. But if you want to keep a position set up while you carry it then I would look for something else.
@Schachgeek: I'll look into that, but it's worth noting that I don't need uber-strong magnets or anything.
@1001Knights: Thanks for the input. One problem with the checkbook set is that I can't seem to find any on Amazon.com. Ideally, that is where I would like to buy my chess set, but I have also found another set that somewhat interests me, but I am not sure if it would be a great buy or not:
I think it's called Chess Pocket Play or something. It's a plastic pegged set that comes with a lid. Now obviously, plastic is not exactly durable stuff, but from the few reviews that there are on the product, it seems okay. The fact that it's probably marketed to little kids doesn't bother me either.
Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Family-Games-748PP-Chess/dp/B000F6RWU0/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1273366037&sr=1-11
Anyone know if it's any good?
@Pikachulord6
Ooh, I like the look of that plastic one. It looks fun! The only problem that I can see is that the black pieces look very black. I think that I'd have difficulty distinguishing them, but perhaps that's just my poor eyesight.
I found the wallet set on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Chess-Set-Magnetic-Specify/dp/B001R5PO9O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games
...and while I was searching for it I also found wallet Shogi and Go sets, which I never knew existed. Yippee!
@1001Knights: Well, I actually did see that before, but the real problem with that is that it's not really sold by Amazon if you know what I mean. It's really just a seller using Amazon to get customers. I know it sounds crazy but one reason that I like using Amazon.com is because of the "Super Saver Shipping" (free shipping on orders of >$25). Nonetheless, I appreciate your help. Chances are that I'll simply get the plastic set first (although I have to make sure that there's no serious issue with it first) and perhaps later I'll see if I can get the wallet one.
It may be too late, and if so I apologize, but I figured I'd offer my opinion anyway. I have all three of the travel sets you mention, plus two of the chessmates.
The aluminum set is decent, and great for the price. I have had no problems with either the hinges coming apart, or the magnets falling out, though I have had to push the hinge pins back in a few time as they have started working themselves out slowly. As long as you keep an eye on them, they should be fine. My biggest problem with this set is that it is larger than the average "checkbook" type set and, though it fits in your pocket, it doesn't fit very well. The other problem with it is that the magnets aren't very strong and the pieces will slide around as you carry the set. If you're trying to keep a position set up, you will be disappointed once in a while.
The checkbook sets are awesome awesome awesome. Excellent value for the price. So affordable that for $20 you can buy three or four of them and keep one on you, one in your backpack, one in your car. But yes, the pieces will fall out if you don't put them back into the little cutouts when you put it away. This makes setting up and taking down take forever. So no ongoing positions.
The plastic ones with the lids are great, and also a good value, but the lid does not snap on in any way. They just sit on top and come off very easily.
Of the three you mention, for portability and at least some ability to store an ongoing game, I recommend the aluminum one.
That being said, if you can spend $20, scrounge another $15 and buy the chessmate slimpocket. It's $35 and worth every penny. You really do get what you pay for.
I have found that visualizing positions on a tiny board doesn`t help me see things better on a real board compared to visualizing on a computer, pocket PC, laptop or even a modern large display cell-phone. If you have a good portable mobile/technology device you might want to consider just getting a decent cell-phone app for chess on the cheap. It will let you carry around positions, play two-player games, play against a computer, and avoids all the setup of pocket size chess. Modern cellphones even have enough memory to potentially shove a decent opening or tactical DB into such a program.
If this isn't an option for you for various reasons lots of the other advice is good.
@sdimartino: Thanks for your input. I might not be buying a magnetic set in quite a while, due to some complications in my life that have pushed chess into the background, but I really appreciate the advice.
@LordTC: I suppose you're right in a sense; there is no good substitute for using a standard board in OTB play. Nonetheless, I think that a pocket chess set is my best bet considering that the technology is something I am a little skeptical about (it's expensive too!).
I am currently looking for a magnetic chess board that is “pocket-sized”. I have looked through just about every chess website I know of, I have searched Google, and I have looked through every magnetic chess board-related thread here on chess.com, but I’m still very unsure of what I should get and what I shouldn’t. I have narrowed down my options to about 4 kinds. If you own a chess set that is or is similar to one of these, please let me know what you think of it.
Foldable Aluminum Magnetic Chess Board Example:http://www.chesshouse.com/7_1_4_Metal_Travel_Chess_Set_p/xtr01.htm
There are quite a few different kinds of these, but they are all very similar. They come in a metallic silver color and can open and close at the hinges. The pieces are of the button magnet variety.
Good: It’s ultra-portable and usually comes in a size from 6” to 7.5” with a width of just half an inch.
Bad: Some reviewers have complained of the hinges breaking, making the whole thing fall apart. Most have also complained about a problem with the magnets: some of the pieces come with the magnets detached. (Feedback on these problems is greatly appreciated!) A few problems others have mentioned, but isn’t of top priority to me are that some of the boards are made with the colors inverted and when the colors ARE right, the colors are kind of hard to tell apart (one is light gray, the other dark gray).
Magnetic Checkbook Chess Board
Example: http://www.chesshouse.com/6_Ultimate_Magnetic_Chess_Checkbook_size_p/e101.htm
Again, there are at least two kinds of these. They come in green or blue and when opened, reveal a board which covers two “folds” while the pieces can be found in the third fold. The pieces are of the flat disc variety.
Good: It’s even more portable than the one above as it can fit in one’s pocket.
Bad: People have complained about the “wrinkles” that show up on the board close to the fold as it makes the pieces harder to place. I have also heard that you must store the pieces in the original position since they will fall out if you don’t (Can someone confirm this?).
Magnetic Chess Board with Lid
Example: http://www.chesshouse.com/5_3_4_Magnetic_Travel_Chess_p/e110.htm
These come in three sizes, the largest of which is too big for what I plan on using a magnetic chess board for (quick games and analysis). It comes with a lid and the pieces are of the button magnet variety.
Good: It’s nice and small.
Bad: People say that the lid doesn’t fit on very tightly, which would not be good for me, since I plan on carrying it around a lot. If it was foldable, this would not be a problem for me.
There is also the standard type magnetic chessboard with standard figurine pieces. I have also considered it, but since there are so many kinds, I will not list it here.
If you do not own any of the chess sets listed above, you can also help me by recommending a magnetic chess set that you or someone you know own. Here are some basic guidelines as to what I want:
Size: Not too big. 8 inches on each side is already borderline big for me. Don’t worry about small. I don’t think anyone has every made a chessboard too small for my taste.
Cost: Unfortunately, I do have a budget. If I didn’t, I would not be asking what to get because I would buy the ChessMate Wallet for $99.99. However, I want to keep the cost under $20, preferably under $15.
Quality: I don’t care at all about luxurious handcrafted wooden pieces or any of that. However, I want a functioning chess set with no defects. Problems with magnets, lids, hinges, etc. are not OK.
Pieces: I don’t care too much, but I do prefer flat pieces (button, disc, square, etc.) to 3D ones (figurine). Not high on my list of priorities though.
Color: Really don’t care. Some people care about the color of the squares; I could care less as long as they are two different colors or shades of the same color.
Thank you for at least reading to the bottom of this post. All help is greatly appreciated.