Please recommend a beginner's chess set

I'm new to chess and this forum. I've purchased a few books for beginners but really need to obtain a full chess set to proceed further.

As much as I'd like a high-quality vintage wooden set and board, it seems to me I'd be better served at this stage by buying a nice quality plastic set with algebraic notation on the board for the ranks and files. I'm not seeking rock-bottom cheap pieces and a flimsy board. Nor do I think it wise for me to purchase an expensive set at this time.

Can the members provide some recommendations? Re: shipping concerns, I live in the USA.

Thanks in advance.

The first thing you might do is check out a reputable place to buy such a setup.

I would recommend The Chess House, www.chesshouse.com

They have some nice quality combos that would work well for you.

I recommend a weighted set, a Flexpad board and an entry level clock or even the DGT 3000.  Of course get a bag to carry it all.

Call them and they will take good care of you.

Wholesalechess.com and The Chess Store are also good for what you are looking for.  Good luck and let us know what you get.

Thank you for the recommendations. I'm debating between these sets:

https://www.wholesalechess.com/shop/chess-sets/tournament-chess-sets/heavy-tournament-chess-set-combo

https://www.chesshouse.com/collections/club-chess-sets/products/quality-club-flex-pad-chess-set-combo

https://thechessstore.com/master-series-carry-all-chess-set-package-black-tan-pieces-green/

Just a tip, black and white pieces on a black and white board are tough to see, I’d go with #2

I would recommend working out a budget of what you feel comfortable spending first. After that recommendations will better reflect best options at your price point. I also recently started acuiring nice chess equipment and found that helped me a lot.  

I have the set from your first link except for a green board.  I've had it for about a year now. It is a very playable set.  I liked it  enough that I bought a few more sets as backups and to use when we host chess friends.

An extra benefit is that it looks just like the sets used in OTB tournaments (except their sets generally don't have weights).  The weights are nice, feels good when moving he chessmen; but 2 of the weight have become loose (not fallen out, just loose under the felt), not a big deal.

The only issue with having this type of set as your only set is that it doesn't travel well.  You must have a 2x2ft table to play on.  If I can only buy 1 set, I'd get something like a 12" - 16" travel set.

Oh, another set that I like is wholesale chess's analysis set.  It looks just like their heavy tournament set except everything's 1/2 size (no weights).  It fits on my table better and also packs very small (smaller than even 10" travel sets).

Whatever set you buy, be sure to also buy a bag.  I made the mistake of ordering a few heavy tournament sets w/o any bags (think that they are just backups).  Turns out just storing them works a lot easier with bags.. so I had to put together another order just for bags.

 If it was my first set I'd pick your third choice. Great contrast vinyl rollup board, nice weight and design of chessmen, good bag and a 50 game score sheet pad. Can't go wrong with the pricing either. Shipping would increase it $4.95 more but still a good deal overall.

Just google tournament chess sets, the pieces and the board are the same that in normal tournaments and chess clubs and its cheap, like 10 dollars

Chess Sets for Club & Tournament Play....

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/chess-sets-for-club-tournament-play

also of possible interest...

Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...

hthttps://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-

 Here's a rather inexpensive wooden board with notation. It has 2.25 inch squares and is pretty good for the price. If you have Amazon prime, shipping is free.

https://www.amazon.com/Chess-Board-No-Professional-Tournament/dp/B001JK23FU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514948530&sr=8-1&keywords=wooden+chess+board+2.25+inch+squares

 Go with #2

Thanks for the recommendation. I'd prefer to purchase a full set with board at this time.

It also depends on what types of places you will play.

For tournaments you will also need a clock.  Even for casual or skittle play a clock is handy to use.  I would really consider the DGT North American (NA) as it is a good one at a beginner price.

I would also look more closely at the pieces.  There are some nicely designed weighted pieces and they are all less expensive than wood.  The Chess Store does have some nice sets. 

I like to speak with someone directly.  Raphael and Paul at The Chess House are Chess players themselves and their advice is good because of that.

Robin usually answers at Wholesale Chess and she is nice.  

When I call at The Chess Store they seem young but are also nice.

Retail is OK I suppose, but why not check out Ebay?  Yes it's a bit of a pain wading through all the junk theme sets, but real bargains can be had.  Of course you run the risk of becoming a set collector, but there are worse things you can do with your time and money.

No purchase made yet. I'm still gathering opinions.

The set you recommended is very nice, but >$40 is more within my budget.

Please keep in mind that I am an absolute beginner. I'm still at the stage where I need to recall how the pieces move. I'm nowhere near ready to play anyone, and I don't know how far I'll go with this nascent hobby, so I don't think it's wise to invest in an expensive set off the bat. If I become a more serious player, then I'll invest in a beautiful set along the lines of your recommendation.

At the moment, I'm leaning between #1 and #3 because the bag appears nicer. If I opted for #1, I'd definitely choose the green squares over black (good tip on not choosing black squares with black pieces). #3 is appealing because of the scorebook, although I wish they displayed the interior of the bag.

Are vinyl boards thin and crappy or fine for casual play? I don't want something flimsy that is worn out after a few months.

This is a good idea but I have the feeling I'd be searching a while.

A few weeks ago, I was at a thrift store and saw a nice wooden set with a wooden box that opened into a board. The interior was felted and had slots for holding each piece. Unfortunately, another guy saw this set just before I did and bought it. I have the feeling he was looking to resell it because he showed more interest in it after I saw it and asked if he was going to purchase it. The cost was only $7. If I had only arrived five minutes earlier.