chess sets

Buying a chess set online can be a difficult job. There are now so many sites that sell them. Amazon and ebay are in on the act as well as a host of other independant sites as well.

There are pitfalls that you must be aware of. The web hides many bad sellers who advertise nice photos of awful chess sets. Or worse still, show a photo of the genuine article and retail you a cheap chinese copy!

Stay secure, buy from reputable online stores with an excellent returns policy. The market for online chess is very competitive indeed so seek out only the best looking retailers. If their site doesn't inspire confidence pass it by.

Check the weight and the country of origin of the chess set. Heavy sets from India will be a lot more satisfying than light ones from Taiwan.

Use your credit card and the protection is gives you, if the transaction goes wrong and the sellers return policy fails use your rights under the consumer credit Act (UK) to retrieve your money.

Buying a Luxury Chess Set will most probably be a once in a lifetime event for most people. Unless you are a keen collector of chess pieces it's likely that you will only get one shot at finding the right set. Many people are surprised at the prices of luxury chess sets. At the start of their search anyone could be forgiven for thinking that £100 will get you a really amazing chess set. Think again! Upwards of £300 is really what you need to spend to get true luxury, and if your budget is larger still there is still plenty of scope up into the £1000s.

Price however can't be seen as an accurate gauge to quality, there are some companies who are jumping on the bandwagon are taking advantage of peoples ignorance when it comes to quality expectation.

Buy carefully, know that there are good sets and bad sets and choose something you will be happy to live with for years to come. If you buy the right set it should outlast you in years!

Boxwood

Boxwood is a light colored wood that is used to make chess pieces and chess boards. It is not often used to make whole chessboards however. It is a dense wood that is robust and ages very well, seen on chess sets at opposite ends of the price and quality scale.

Ebonised Boxwood

Ebonised Boxwood is a black stained version of Boxwood. Because Boxwood is cheaper than Ebony it is used as an alternative to geniune Ebony. It is commonly used to make chess pieces, the black side that is. All in all a very convincing attempt at producing an Ebony effect. Makes for attractive deep black chess pieces.

Ebony

Ebony is classed as a luxury wood. Considered by many to be the black wood. It is in fact a chemical process that makes it completely black. In its natural state it is a dark brown with light streaks within the grain. This does actually look very attractive and indeed some chess boards are made using semi treated ebony to retain this effect. Commonly used in luxury chess pieces, Ebony is a fine, hard wood. Revered by musicians for it's tonal qualities, it is used extensively in high-end musical instruments.

Rosewood

Rosewood is another luxury wood. Another favourite of musical instrument makers, it has found it's way onto numbers of electric guitar fingerboards to excellent effect. Rosewood is a rich dark wood with a slightly red tinge to it. It is used in the production of medium to high-end chess pieces and is also found in some chess boards and folding wooden sets.

Bud Rosewood

Bud Rosewood is wood that has been sourced from the base of the Rosewood tree. It is considered to be of much higher quality than normal rosewood. Expect to find Bud Rosewood in high-end chess pieces only.

Redwood

Redwood is similar to Rosewood in many ways. It has an even stronger red tint to its grain and has the added benefit of being more durable than Rosewood. Much confusion lingers thanks to an adulteration of the term Redwood. Some will pass off Rosewood as Redwood. They are in fact different woods from a different tree. Redwood is seldom used to make chess boards and cabinets but is often used to make high quality chess pieces.

Red Sandalwood

Red Sandalwood is a highly valuable and versatile wood. Used as a traditional medicine and as a dye when powdered, it also makes for stunning and beautiful chess pieces. Only seen in high-end expensive chess sets, it has a lovely deep red colour and a fine dense grain. Prices of this wood are high, mainly due to its superb quality and high demand for its uses.

Maple

Maple is a hard light wood that in some cases can be almost white. Often used to create the white squares of a chess board, its light colour contrasts well with a deep black Ebony to create a striking chess board. A stable wood that is available in abundance in certain parts of the world. It's rare to see chess pieces made from Maple, mainly due to the popularity of Boxwood.

Padtal Wood

Padtal wood is a light coloured wood similar to pine. It is lightweight and quite soft compared to the other woods described here. It is not dense or hard enough to turn into chess pieces. It is however used to form the frames of folding chess cabinets on lower priced sets.

Sheesham Wood

Sheesham is a very common wood used in the making of chess sets. It's a medium brown colour and is reasonably dense. When polished or waxed it can develop very attractive figuring and grain. It is a stable wood that can be used to make chess pieces, chess boards and folding chess sets. It's not a hugely expensive wood and is available in large quantities. Some chess companies refer to this wood as 'Golden Rosewood' which is actually quite confusing. Rosewood is a different wood altogether.