(November 2005) Looking for a gift idea for a chess player? Under the PriceGrabber links below you'll find chess sets, boards, and specialty items. These should give you lots of ideas plus a feel for prices. The merchants listed here are generally well known online retailers who are not specialists in chess. If you don't find exactly what you want, use the Products & Shopping link at the left of the page, where you'll find merchants specializing in chess and related products.
Have you always wanted to learn chess but find the explanations too complicated? This chess set is a learning tool for beginners, with each of the molded plastic pieces showing how it moves. • Note: A chess set with the instructions on the pieces is like a bicycle with training wheels. It helps at first, but you quickly outgrow it. Have a regular chess set available when that moment arrives. Then give your beginner set to someone else who wants to learn the world's greatest game!
Our second pick is also a set for beginners. 'With this revolutionary chess teacher, you'll be playing chess in no time at all! Teaches you how to play using illustrated cards and an illustrated two-sided game board.' • The board has a learning side, showing where the pieces start the game, and a standard side. The cards tell you what piece to move and how. When you no longer need the cards, you're a real chess player!
Disney heroes battle villains in this collector's chess set starring characters from six Disney Movies. The Beast, Belle, Genie, Hercules, Simba, and eight dalmatians face Captain Hook, Cruella DeVil, Jafar, Hades, Scar, and eight hyenas. The characters are represented by hand-painted resin figurines and are packed in a collectible tin that includes a custom Disney-style chess board. For children of all ages.
There are several varieties of this game available. The standard has 32 one-ounce clear and frosted shot glasses with the chess pieces printed on each glass. You fill the shot glasses with two beverages, then make your moves. Whenever you capture an opponent's piece you have to drink it. • When alcoholic beverages are used, the game is for adults only (and after a few blitz games, rank amateurs can take on grandmasters).
USAopoly sells specialized versions of popular board games, with a big line of chess products. The Disney chess set we mentioned above is one of their sets. Other cartoon characters licensed for their brand are Peanuts, Scooby Doo, and Shrek. Their sports line includes classic rivalries like baseball's Giants, Dodgers, and Oakland A's sets; or Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets. They also have collector sets for the NFL and NHL, plus Coca Cola. The sets come in a collectible tin.
Italfama is an Italian company located near Florence in the Tuscan region. They make theme chess sets with brass and nickel plated pieces. Many sets display period costumes with themes like Camelot, Lanzichenecchi, Golf, and Michelangelo. They also have sets on variations of the Staunton pattern with names like Arabescato, Oriental, and Persian, plus (almost) standard Staunton pieces.
Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, alone or in company, chess is a great way to pass the idle moments while you're waiting for the next big activity. Travel chess sets include specially made sets -- pegged, magnetic, or wallet -- to hold the pieces securely, folding sets to store the pieces easily, and electronic handheld sets to play against the computer.
If you're a dog lover, you'll find several specialty sets featuring just dogs. You'll also find cat and dog sets built around the classic feline / canine rivalry. If you're a cat lover, click the link and change the search term from dog to cat. Woof!
This chess keychain is a board plus 32 miniature magnetic pieces. We have no idea how large it is, but if you're at all hamhanded, we bet you'll need tweezers to play. Its size and price make it ideal for a stocking stuffer!
Men who may have second thoughts about wearing a chess tie, should have no problem with chess cufflinks. They're discreet and elegant, and they sure beat sewing buttons back on shirt sleeves.
Join the discussion in our forum and let us know what you think. If you are not yet a member of the About Chess forum, a join screen will open before you can post.
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