chess sets

GetI got a 1mm thick 20W x 20L vinyl board with solid plastic pieces the king is 4" 2.5 ounces. It came with a canvas bag. It cost me about 30 bucks. The question is for you experienced touney players... is this comparable to a standard tournament chess board and pieces? I want to get used to the feel and visualisation.

That sounds like the ones in common use in clubs in the UK.

My understanding was that in the US players took their own sets and clocks to matches over there so if that is still the case then you are practicing with a set that you are likely to use in play.

Certainly the US players I have met visiting us over here have always turned up at the club with their set and often been surprised that the equipment we use is owned by the clubs.

I expect there are rules, as there are here, about what is deemed a suitable set for match play.

Originally posted by tomtom232
GetI got a 1mm thick 20W x 20L vinyl board with solid plastic pieces the king is 4" 2.5 ounces. It came with a canvas bag. It cost me about 30 bucks. The question is for you experienced touney players... is this comparable to a standard tournament chess board and pieces? I want to get used to the feel and visualisation.

That sounds about right for tournament play. You didn't mention the colors. The usual plastic piece colors are black and white (or ivory). Most adults tend to go with green/buff white for the rollup board, while many of the scholastic kiddies go for blue/buff white boards. Other colors may raise occasional objections from your opponents.

Don't forget that you'd also need a chess clock for tournaments. (And maybe scoresheets and a pencil.)

Originally posted by Mad Rook
That sounds about right for tournament play. You didn't mention the colors. The usual plastic piece colors are black and white (or ivory). Most adults tend to go with green/buff white for the rollup board, while many of the scholastic kiddies go for blue/buff white boards. Other colors may raise occasional objections from your opponents.

Don't forget that you'd also need a chess clock for tournaments. (And maybe scoresheets and a pencil.)

Yes the pieces are black and white and the board is a green a white vinyl. I'm still looking for a nice cheap clock so any suggestions on that would be nice too.

Originally posted by tomtom232
Yes the pieces are black and white and the board is a green a white vinyl. I'm still looking for a nice cheap clock so any suggestions on that would be nice too.

Sorry, I don't keep up with all the latest clock models, so I can't give a detailed opinion. But I normally use an Excalibur Game Timer II. It's not too expensive, and it's relatively easy to set (it has a lot of time presets). The plastic plungers can be a little noisy, though.

There are also DGT, Saitek, and Chronos. Some people love the Chronos models; They're quiet and built like a tank. The downsides are cost (expensive), and many complain it's hard to program.

Something like the DGT Easy Game Timer is really inexpensive, but it can only handle one time control. If you think you might play games with multiple time controls, then this isn't the one to pick.