Your thoughts on this chess set...

My 1st chess set broke today (it was a glass one), and I'm after a half decent wooden one.

I'm still at university (thus budget is quite tight).

What are your thoughts on this one:

http://www.regencychess.co.uk/fierce-knight-sheesham-chessmen-and-case-with-15in-walnut-board-p-220.html

Are there any other sets for around this budget?

Thanks and kind regards,

Gorgeous!  I'd spring for it.  :)

If budget is an issue, standard tourney sets (plastic pieces and roll-up vinyl boards) can be had for less than 20 USD (and I'm guessing the equivalent in pounds or euros). I've played for decades and don't yet own a set more expensive than the one I refer to.

Here's what they look like in US:

http://www.wholesalechess.com/shop/chess_sets/plastic_chess_set_combos

If a UK customer can turn the trick on a set like these two at the bottom of the page:

http://www.houseofstaunton.com/Store/category=House+of+Staunton+Chess+Set+and+Chess+Board+Combinations&exact_match=on

namely the Championship and Club combos, that'd be a good place to start.

I have the Club pieces and I think they are great for the money. Full size as opposed to the 3" set you cited, and no more money.

Maybe try UK ebay for good value for money? The original wood pieces and board look like just an average deal to me.

Post candidates as you refine your search.

The set will be placed in my Living Room or Study (at home not at uni) so it does have to look somewhat decent :)

I just wasn't too sure on the dark pieces, they look quite heavy grained (if that's the correct term).

Otherwise, I quite like the look of the Knight etc, and bang-for-buck a nice looking set IMO...

Is there anything I should look out for?

I thought I would treat myself to a HoS after I reach a certain level haha...

At them prices, I'd be quite silly not to go for it.

How do ebonised pieces fair? IIRC lacquered pieces are quite poor in appearance, how do they compare? As there is a choice between that, Rosewood and Golden Rosewood.

The ebonized pieces are fine. They are a decent approximation of ebony, quite acceptable to behold. As for rosewood/golden rosewood--It's hard to know what to expect as I've seen quite a range of looks to these woods.

Typical Indian rosewood usually can't claim to be such a premium wood to look at. If it were all reddish browns with that typical dark striping, then I'd say it's a keeper, but the examples I've seen are brown, pale, and even with some grey (yuck). So what kind of rosewood would you get? Spin the Wheel of fortune?

As for golden rosewood i.e. sheesham: It's a good budget wood, softer than rosewood and with some dark striping. I like my sheehsam set fine--it's a medium to fairly light brown, with the striping--but some examples are darker and less attractive to me.

The forgoing is one reason ebony and ebonized are "safe bets". You pretty much know what you're getting. It's a matter of taste in the end. Some people just prefer a brown set.

If you're interested in the HOS combo, check the shipping charges before deciding. Even domestically they charge more than average.

I like the style, don't like the wood. Sheesham is usually a somewhat excremental medium brown wood which makes for cheap looking pieces that tend to disappear in the dark squares of many boards. It rarely, if ever, looks as "rich" as in the photos on the page in your link.

The following similar set, in boxwood and ebony, is available on eBay (US), item number 320469628947. $45 US plus shipping. Pieces only -- no board or box. (Also available in Rosewood in a separate auction.)

I bought the more elegant 4 inch version for about twice the price, and I love it.

I loveed the look of this one:

http://houseofstaunton.com/Store/product_name=The+Grandmaster+Chess+Set+and+Board+Combination/exact_match=exact/user-id=/password=

I was planning to go for a Rosewood finish (added to my basket too!)

Then I came up to the shipping part.....

$200!!!!!!!! P&P costs more than the product. 

So, what I'm planning to do is, when I'm next in the US (I tend to go once a year), and the next trip should be in July, all being well, I'll get it then.

Bur Oak, is that a HoS? Lovely looking pieces.

The 4 inch version, for about $105 including FedEx shipping.

Goldendog, from my understanding HoS are one of the best manufacturers of chess equipment, so I was hoping it's Rosewood would be of decent quality...I prefer all wood looking sets, ebony sets look nice, but they always remind me of the pieces we used to have in primary school...(plastic).

No, the set(s) I posted were from a seller in India.

The HoS rosewood I have seen (and own -- four sets!) is all rather nice. The "golden rosewood," a.k.a. Sheesham, keeps getting buried in the cat box by mistake. Ebony really does not look like plastic, and is my usual preference.

I have (long story) three HoS Grandmaster sets. Two are from their most recent batch, and show a slight decline in workmanship. Still a nice set, but the knights and queens were not quite as nice as before, so my enthusiasm for the design is slightly tempered. I'm thinking of selling one Grandmaster set in rosewood and a HoS "Classic" (4 inch king) in sheesham, below HoS prices if I do.

Except for a few top level sets, HOS sets are made in India like all the others, with the difference being that HOS has established a long-time relationship with them as well as a certain level of quality that is probably usually met (I have a Collector that had a handful of problematic pieces--very bad quality assurance on the Indian end and HOS just reshipped w/out inspecting at all--but all pieces were replaced and I now have an excellent set).

I'd expect poorer workmanship from places that are not being held to high standards. I say this with some amusement as I saw firsthand a local guy get into the business of at first re-selling some Indian pieces and then having them make pieces to his design and finishing standards. It took a long time for them to come up to his standards, but from what I saw they did. I didn't care for his designs so much but the finishing was even better than what I was seeing from HOS at the time. I also have some mediocre sets not from any retailer of distinction and the sets have problems.

The quality of the rosewood--i.e. materials--I would not expect to be good, just average in HOS budget sets. I have lots of pics of HOS sets from which I derive this opinion. So, not much different in this respect from any other Indian supplier.

I once asked Frank C. of HOS if I ordered a Collector in rosewood would it look like this picture [pretty rich looking rosewood Collector] and he categorically said he would not promise this, and I inferred that there was quite some variance in the quality of rosewood even in their better sets.

I've never liked sheesham wood. It has too "busy" an appearance. I like the design though.

My boyfriend bought me this exact board for Christmas except the numbers and letters are not on the edge. i absolutely loved it and was surprised by how much more fun chess is when playing on a nice, new board. I would recommended paying for it, playing on it made me feel a lot classier.