For really nice sets, I prefer the House of Staunton sets. Check it out at http://www.houseofstaunton.com/
The styles and types of wood are a matter of personal preference and how fat your wallet is. :-)
They also sell on eBay; With a little luck and patience, you might get one on eBay at a nice price.
Good luck and happy hunting!
Originally posted by MerkI would say a good chess set depends on the purpose.
A few days ago I took my first chess lesson. The instructor has a very nice chess set. Suddenly my little wooden chunks are woefully insufficient. So I call on you to lead me in the right direction. Who sells a good chess set? Any members on here that sell them?
If you are going to use it to play a lot of games and read books etc... get a good old vinyl board with heavy plastic pieces. Shouldn't cost much.
If you want a wooden set for home use, special occasions and show then House of Staunton is the best but you can find many suitable ones anywhere.
Not trying to be rude here but you've only won 1 of the 6 games you've played so far, so I wouldn't really discount your own board with the 'chunky wooden pieces' just yet. A good chess board isn't going to make you a better a player. It all depends on your needs as a chess player, do you play many over the board games, is your chess study in the form of books or mainly computer based software. how much are you willing to spend etc etc
Good quality chess sets can set you back thousands of dollars. Maybe continue to use your cheap chess set and look to spend your cash on learning materials. You could maybe set yourself a goal, when you reach a certain ranking in chess you could treat yourself to a nice chess set.
Originally posted by AudaciousThat one doesn't really count. I got sick of looking at that silly skull and couldn't figure out how to get rid of the game without clicking on it. I do get what you're saying though. I think. I am normally the kind of person that will wait to see if I genuinely enjoy something before I spend any real money on it. Thing is though, I noticed I could see the moves better/easier on the bigger board so I am going to break my rules on this one.
Not trying to be rude here but you've only won 1 of the 6 games you've played so far, so I wouldn't really discount your own board with the 'chunky wooden pieces' just yet
Not trying to be rude, but I think your reasoning sucks as bad as I do at chess. If a bad player shouldn't buy a good board because it won't make them better, does that mean a good board makes only a good player better? How far does a good players rating drop when they don't play on a good board?
Originally posted by MerkOf course it does, I'm sure Gary Kasparov wouldn't be able to beat you on your little chunky wooden board because lets face it, when playing chess it's the board that counts, no skill is needed🙄
If a bad player shouldn't buy a good board because it won't make them better, does that mean a good board makes only a good player better? How far does a good players rating drop when they don't play on a good board?
One of my best friends comes off a lot like you do. He likes to tell people what they should do. Its not that he's a jerk, its that tact has never been his thing. A lot of people don't like him because of that. They don't seem to care that he's just trying to help. I think they can't get over that feeling of being insulted. They rightly feel that he needs to get over himself. I have noticed though, and come to appreciate him for this, that if you just get over yourself he can help you in a lot with his advice. It looks to me like you were genuinely offering advice. I perhaps enjoy a circle of insults a little too much. I apologize. I was serious about the question though.
At what skill level or rating does it make sense for someone to buy a good board and why?
Also, I do have to say that I think you're right about the money being spent elsewhere. At this point though, I am hesitant to buy books for fear that I will learn something from a book that is contradictory to what my instructor teaches. In the future I will talk to him about what books he would recommend and when he would say it would be right for me. A computer program would to doubt be a great tool, but the closest thing I own to a computer is a blackberry. Plus, long hours in front of a computer will never happen for me. I use them at work and the more I do, the more I realize that I am not the type of person that is built for sitting in front of computers. I don't think any human is.
Originally posted by MerkTo my way of thinking, the purchase of a good wooden board and set has absolutely nothing to do with skill level. (Well, OK, with one exception. If you're a complete beginner, you might have problems writing down the move notation if the wooden board doesn't have the coordinates printed on it like almost all vinyl boards do.)
At what skill level or rating does it make sense for someone to buy a good board and why?
I don't think a nice wooden set is going to make you play better; You'll just enjoy playing with it a little more. (The story goes that later in Capablanca's life when he had to give a chess lecture (the ones that became his Last Lectures book), he had to quickly run out and buy a chess set, because he didn't even own a set.) I believe it's a matter of aesthetics; A complete beginner can derive pleasure from the look and touch of a quality wood set just as much as a master can. I would be more concerned about the possibility of spending a large amount of money on an expensive set only to lose interest in chess a year or two later. You'd probably get only a small fraction of your original purchase price if you sold it off.
In over-the-board tournaments, I've played on all kinds of equipment. While I do admit that I enjoy playing more with nice wood sets and boards, I have to confess that the enjoyment is limited more to the beginning of the game and any post game analysis. During the game, it's a different matter. As long as the equipment doesn't have any major distractions, once my mind starts getting preoccupied with calculations, tactics, and strategy, I tend to not even be aware of the physical qualities of the pieces. In the heat of battle, I simply am not thinking about issues like plastic versus wood. The only exception to this is the major distractions that I mentioned. If the set isn't heavily weighted, I notice it every time I move a piece. IMHO, an unweighted set is nearly worthless. Another distraction is if the set or board uses harsh colors. A board with bright blue dark squares or a set that is bright red will drive me nuts. (I'll play with unweighted pieces, although I don't like to. And I'll do everything legally within my powers to avoid having to play with boards or sets with distracting colors.)
I will admit that for tournaments, like most people, I use a heavily weighted plastic set and a rollup vinyl board. It's just so much easier to carry a rollup than a big, bulky wooden board. For home use, I tend to alternate between my good wooden board and my vinyl rollup board, depending on my mood at the time. And sometimes I even use my smaller analysis set. And in all honesty, while I enjoy my nice wooden set, it IS an unnecessary luxury; I COULD live without it.
Yes, talk to your instructor about the possibility of also studying from books or DVDs. He may think it's a good idea. Also, Dan Heisman's web site has lots of free advice about training, learning, and books. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/danheisman/Main_Chess/chess.htm
Finally, if you do decide on getting a wood set, just remember that you have some decisions to make. Not only the style of the board and pieces, but also the size and type of wood. (The dark pieces typically are offered in ebony, rosewood, or ebonized boxwood.) And don't forget that wooden pieces should be periodically waxed. (The HOS FAQ gives some details on this topic.)