Howdy Neighbor,
About boards: Typical for us here in the states is green/buff or cream for the vinyl roll-ups. Sometimes the dark squares are black or brown. These are sold by the USCF and by other online retailers. Quality can be not so good sometimes when you go cheap on these. The vinyl can be imperfectly formed (i.e. pitting that shows the underlying color of the vinyl through dark squares) and dots and specks of the opposite color on the light squares. I haven't bought from USCF in more than 10 years but I never had that problem with their (more expensive) vinyl roll-ups.
Also sold are boards with blue or other odd colored squares. Don't like 'em myself and prefer to not play on them.
I also don't like the cream or buff colors of most of these boards. Too light for
me as they seem bright to me under good lighting, causing eyestrain over the
course of a few hours. Most people can get along though, even me.
I just bought a folding vinyl board because the light squares in the pic seemed either gray or yellowish, depending on which monitor I was using.
When it arrived, they actually were a color hard to describe. Dirty white with
a green cast--but not bright in any case so good for me. I need to post a review in
the reviews section I think. Easy on the eyes and it always lays flat :)
For a plastic set, the Marshall from HOS is excellent. I have their plastic
Collector (3.75") and it is the best plastic set I've seen. The Marshall should be
about the same. If you wanted to hazard an inexpensive but capable wood set
in a tournament, the set I got from Cajun Chess might fill the bill.
It's a wooden knock off of the solid plastic USCF special cheapo sets we've used
for years and years and years. I got it because it is very standard for US players,
sturdy, goes well on a green-squared board (black pieces show well on green--brown ones show on black), acceptably weighted, and cheap
enough so that I wouldn't be worrying about it during any time-trouble/blitz
chess.
P.S. Cajun also has the Marshall. Same price as the wood set.
I want to buy a tournament chess set for use on Monday nights at the local chess gathering. I’d like to compare preferences with you before I make my buy.
Money isn’t a big factor. $60 is fine.
My biggest indecision is on colors for the vinyl board. The black and white squares seems stark. I would probably prefer gray and white. Or maybe brown and white. I haven’t seen gray and white for sale anywhere though, and haven’t seen brown and white in the more expensive sets. I don’t want blue or red. Probably not green either.
Pieces triple weighted of course. I like the crème color for white pieces. I think I’d like the full size case so that the board fits entirely inside the case.
Questions
At official tournaments, are black and white boards always used?
Which set do you like best and why?
Here’s my top picks so far.
Crown Series, The Chess Store
House of Staunton No picture of board or pieces, though. Out of stock on Marshall 3.75" Plastic - Black/Natural pieces.