[An About Chess guest article; March 2006.]
There are no shortages of chess sets for you to choose from out there. As a result BraRoe Chess would like to provide you this service to help make your experience the best that it can be.
When you look to purchase a chess set, you have two different options:
- Choose a combination of chess pieces and chess board that has been pre-selected for you;
- Choose individually the pieces and the board for your own chess set.
With both options, there are a couple of things that you want to keep in mind.
-
The first is price. Choose a chess set that is built to last. You are going to have many memories attached to your set, and one of the best things that you can do is to keep the set around for generation to enjoy. Always buy the highest quality set that you can afford.
-
The second is quality. The quality is something that you will be able to both see and feel. The pieces should have a good solid feel to them every time you pick one up. Next, pay attention to the crown of the King: the finer the details, the higher the quality. Lastly, the knight is the most noticeable piece that you will have on your board. Study its curves and details. True quality sets will have a finely hand-carved knight.
Choosing an existing chess set is much simpler.
Take the time to choose between the classic Staunton chess set or a theme that you like (i.e. Civil War, Mythology, etc.), purchase the set, and wait for it to arrive.
Choosing your own pieces and board takes a little more thought.
You need to match the pieces with the board.
Wood chess sets:
Ebony pieces match well with a basic black and white board or with an ebony / madrona board.
Rosewood pieces look great with boards that are also rosewood or those made from mahogany.
Sheesham woods fit best with walnut boards as well as with bubinga or hazelnut boards
Metal chess sets:
Metal sets match with wood boards, but also go well with brass boards as well as leatherette boards
Matching size:
The size of the chess board square is determined from the diameter of the chess King.
Take the diameter and multiply it by 1.33 (4/3).
If need be, you can go a little bigger, but you really don't want to go smaller.
•
For example: a 1.25 diameter base x 1.33 is a 1.66 inch square.
A board with 1.75 inch squares would be perfect.
After that, all you need is to order the chess pieces and board and start creating your own chess memories.
| 