There is a broad market of chess equipment out there. You are spoilt for choice and overrun with dozens of offers! So, sometimes you can get a really tough time choosing the perfect chess set with the right chess pieces that suit you best.
In the following article, we want to facilitate your choice of the right pieces and advise you equipment that perfectly fits the environment in which you are going to use it!
Hence, we want to concentrate on the following criteria to make a fully satisfactory choice on the right pieces for your purpose:
- Material
- Durability
- Seize and Weight
- Price
- Appearance
Dive into the numerous offerings and help you to find the most suitable one!
1.Material Of The Right Chess Pieces
There are chess pieces out there produced out of all materials you can dream of – wood, plastic, metals, glass, marble, camel bone or stone. However, wood and plastic are by far most commonly used nowadays.
Additionally, there are wooden pieces out of various kinds of wood like ebony and redwood, ivory, rosewood, sheesham, maple, palm or cheda. The most exquisite ones are out of ivory, ebony, and redwood which you can surely recognize at their prices if buying them.
Especially luxury chess pieces are wooden and handcrafted with a lot of loving attention to details.
Highly valuable wooden chess pieces are often used by real connoisseurs who love to enjoy their personal chess playing time with an enthralling book and an aromatic coffee. Also, wooden chess boards are often used for decorating a living room, a library or even a museum.
Plastic pieces are more practical for harsher and frequent use. Commonly, they are used for chess tournaments with a lot of participants or chess training with many students.
2. Durability Of Right Chess Pieces
The durability of the right chess pieces is very dependent on the material and the purpose you use them for!
- Material:
Wooden chess pieces are often pretty fragile. Scratches become visible rapidly. If you treat them too harshly, some small parts of the pieces might break off. Especially, when you possess luxury handcrafted wooden chess pieces, you should be really careful with them.
On the other side, plastic chess pieces are robust and do not break so easily. Scratches are not visible that fast on them so that they are far more durable if they are in constant use in contrast to wooden pieces.
- Purpose:
Exclusive high-quality chess pieces can be extremely durable and even a piece of heirloom when used for decoration. You can find antiquary chess pieces decorating adorable places.
When training children plastic chess pieces are recommendable. Even if they throw them around or play with them, plastic pieces often stay robust for a long time. For instance, scholastic chess is booming, so that schools which often have a limited budget, are in need of chess sets. So, plastic chess pieces are the perfect choice for them!
3. Size And Weight Of Right Chess Pieces
There are chess sets containing pieces of various sizes and weights. If you travel a lot, a small and handy set of chess pieces is perfect for you. Such traveler chess sets are particularly light so that they don’t make your luggage too heavy.
For blitz and rapid chess, light chess pieces are also recommended. Meanwhile, when you play long games of chess, it is more pleasant to use wooden pieces which are heavier and often bigger than the plastic ones.
For the training at home, the size and weight of standard tournament chess pieces are recommended, because you get used to the standard chess pieces which you will have to use playing tournaments.
4. Price Of Right Chess Pieces
Such a set of suiting, right pieces is usually not just given. High quality costs its price in chess just like in all other sports.
The prices vary depending on the material of the pieces and the number of the pieces. Many chess sets have 4 queens for the case of the promotion of the pawns. Surely, handcrafted chess pieces are also more expensive than simple one. Especially, the design and processing of the knights have a high impact on the price of the chess pieces.
However, a good wooden chess set is an eyecatcher for anyone. It is absolutely motivating and enjoyable to play on a luxury, beautiful chess board with the right chess pieces for it.
However, if you need plenty of chess sets for common tournaments, the plastic chess pieces are advisable, because you can use them over and over again and they are more affordable.
5. Appearance Of Right Chess Pieces
Beautiful chess pieces can be a fantastic decoration for any chess lover’s living room!
If you wish to have chess pieces only for decoration – not to play for them – maybe themed ones are the right chess pieces for you. There are lots of themes like Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, The Lord of the Rings, American History. Actually, there is any topic available on the market which you desire to have. For decoration or maybe as a present for a chess lover, such pieces can be perfect!
However, beautiful wooden chess pieces can create a pleasant atmosphere and make you enjoy using them over and over again! Surely, this luxury has its price, but it is absolutely worth it!
Conclusion
To put it in a nutshell, there is a high variety of offers for all preferences and purposes. There are right chess pieces for tournaments, for decoration, children and scholastic chess, personal training or traveling. Everything that a chess player’s heart desires if offered on the bright market of chess equipment.
We hope we could give you good advice to you and facilitate your decision of the right chess pieces for you!
Visit our shop on chess gambit and find the right chess pieces for your purpose!
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