The most beautiful chess set is?

I want to know what everyone thinks about diffenent types of chess sets. I personally love marble. How about you?

I prefer mine to be made of balsa wood, I have breadsticks for arms so can't lift anything too heavy.

I've got an old wooden set handed down from my Grandad, nothing special but it's got sentimental value now that he's passed away. If I had wads of spare cash though, I have seen some very tasty wooden sets on-line but we're talking thousands of pounds. Marble is nice but I prefer wooden.

I see a few outside my price range, but the Reykjavik II set that I bought two years ago is pretty nice. Wood, of course.


http://uscfsales.com/item.asp?cID=10&scID=38&PID=105

Here's one for the Yanks:

http://a-human-right.com/RKBA/chessboard2.jpg

Originally posted by Wulebgr
I see a few outside my price range, but the Reykjavik II set that I bought two years ago is pretty nice. Wood, of course.


http://uscfsales.com/item.asp?cID=10&scID=38&PID=105

Those are very nice indeedy, think it may have been the Jaques pieces that I saw on the web for thousands of pounds. Have you got a nice board to compliment the pieces?

I think there are three things that make a truly great set:

http://blueeyedrook.blogspot.com/2005/08/chess-set.html

1. The queens must be female.
2. The black and white pieces should be different (not just in color).
3. BONUS. No piece should be exactly a like. (i.e., one white rook should be distinguishable from the other white rook). (This feature is truly rare).

Originally posted by BlueEyedRook
I think there are three things that make a truly great set:

http://blueeyedrook.blogspot.com/2005/08/chess-set.html

1. The queens must be female.
2. The black and white pieces should be different (not just in color).
3. BONUS. No piece should be exactly a like. (i.e., one white rook should be distinguishable from the other white rook). (This feature is truly rare).

Depends whether you want to sit and look at it or if you prefer to play the game.
Some chess sets are ridiculously difficult to tell which piece is what.
I prefer the plain old black and white wooden ones.

Originally posted by pythagoras
I want to know what everyone thinks about diffenent types of chess sets. I personally love marble. How about you?

I just bought a gorgeous chess set, I think I paid almost 8 dollars in an upscale "Toys R Us" store.
Made of shiny durable black and white heavy duty plastic with a pressed wooden board. I think in 6 months time, it will be worth twice what I paid for it. I dont think anyone else on my block has one.

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/houseofjacques/hand.jpg

Originally posted by TheGambit
Those are very nice indeedy, think it may have been the Jaques pieces that I saw on the web for thousands of pounds. Have you got a nice board to compliment the pieces?

yep

The USCF no longer carries the wood board that I have, and I don't know who does. It was made in Spain, has beveled edges (rather than the more common square), and the playing area is surrounded by an inlaid strip of wood.

I have quite a few themed sets, but I think ultimately I like the Isle of Lewes design best of all - the pawns aside.

Originally posted by pythagoras
I want to know what everyone thinks about diffenent types of chess sets. I personally love marble. How about you?

I prefer the chess set that I own - The Cambridge Staunton set from Checkmate INternational! Triple weighted, leather bottoms, smooth silky wood gloss. Vintage ebony and boxwood. Ask for Cindy. lol I don't even play with the set, but I love to hold the knight every now and then just for the feeling. LOL My playing set is a tournament set, quad weighted, indestructible plastic, and an extra Queen in case of promotion just like the Cambridge set. I think every man needs to own one beautiful $200 set. It's well worth the price. 🙂 Oh, I did see a set on E-bay made out of gold, diamonds, silver and emeralds. It was retailing for about $500,000. I heard Morphy got one of those when he played those blindfold games in some tavern. They also hefted them up on their shoulders and carried him out of the bar. Can you imagine that type of thing ever happening in our time? No! Where did the good old days go?

Originally posted by powershaker
I love to hold the knight every now and then just for the feeling.

I hope you wash it afterwards.

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Depends whether you want to sit and look at it or if you prefer to play the game.
Some chess sets are ridiculously difficult to tell which piece is what.
I prefer the plain old black and white wooden ones.

I concur that is is easier to play with black and white wooden peices or plastic tournament-style peices, but I still love unusual chess sets!