At ChessUSA, we have an amazong assortment of products – from chess sets and chess boards to chess computers and other games, such as backgammon, dominos, and mah-jong.
Sometimes, that makes it just a little bit difficult to find the perfect gift. Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to buy a chess set for a friend or loved one and find that there are over a hundred different options. It certainly does not help when the person buying the chess set has little or no knowledge about chess or chess sets.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help making your chess game (or other game) purchase a little bit easier. We have created a list of many of the types of chess sets, chess equipment, or other games that people are often looking for. Not only do we give some background in to how to start your search for the perfect gift, but we also give tips on how to find the perfect chess gift.
If you're looking for a chess board, we have a full guide for helping you choose the right one. You can see the whole guide here:
Staunton Chess Sets come in a large variety of shapes and sizes. While they often come as a flat chess board and chess pieces, they also sometimes come as a folding chess set that includes storage. Both of these are popular options, but you will often find the quality of the pieces are better in flat sets. You can find out more about the folding staunton sets further down on this page, but we have included a few that have more unique or high quality chess pieces in this section of our guide.
Still, buying a Staunton chess set may still seem confusing and overwhelming. Chess pieces come in a variety of sizes and woods, with prices ranging from thirty dollars to several hundred dollars. To this end we have created a number of introductory Staunton chess sets – they are the same weighted, hand-carved chess pieces that we sell, but already matched up with a suitable chess board for one price.
One of our most popular magnetic chess sets is the Best Magnetic Chess Set. What makes this chess set special is that not only do the magnetic chess pieces hold particularly well, they have individual slot storage to carefully save each of the pieces during play. Many chess sets are folding, meaning that if you wish to pause your game, you may have to take all of the chess pieces off the chess board. The compartments mean you're much less likely to lose a chess piece during the game.
Additionally, these sets come in mutilpe sizes and wood options. It ranges from a miniature version (only 6") up to a large size that is nearly 12". Personally, we find the 'small' (8") and 'medium' (10") to be the most useful; not too small to see the pieces while still small enough to easily transport. The small and medium size best magnetic chess sets are excellent to take on a plane or bus. Overall, it is a great all-rounder for magnetic chess sets.
Folding chess sets come in a large variety of sizes, usually from as small as 10” to as large as 21”. They also come in a number of woods and styles. Due to their variety we recommend you browse our complete selection if you are interested in a folding chess set, however, we have chosen some of our more popular and unique folding chess sets to highlight.
The Senator is a popular folding chess set due to its nice size added to its unique styling. Unlike many folding chess sets with relatively simple style chess pieces, the Senator has a unique eastern European style in the design of both of the chess pieces and the chess board itself. If you are looking for a folding chess set that is also a bit unusal or unique, the Senator may be for you.
Alternatively, there are 'elite' versions of these folding sets that have a more traditional design if you're less inclined to the rustic flair. We also have several options that come with bags - perfect for if you want to bring your folding chess set to a friends house or on vacatiton.
Instead, proper tournament supplies consist of a roll-up chess board and plastic chess pieces. The roll up boads are traditionally vinyl but also some in silicone and mousepad styles; the boards (as well as chess bags) are options you can often add to a set to customize to your exact needs. Our most popular chess set for tournament use is our professional tournament combination set. This is an affordable chess set that includes solid plastic chess pieces and a roll-up vinyl chessboard that is available in several colors. Our second most popular chess set is our weighted professional combination set. This chess set looks exactly the same but the chess pieces have metal weights in their bases for a heavier feel.
There are several other tournament sets available. These sets may be slightly larger, or have a different mold to have more of the look and feel of an expensive chess set while still being affordable. You can also buy the parts individually if you just need a board, bag, or pieces and not a full set.
If the new chess player is younger, you may want to consider options like "Once a pawn a time". This chess set includes a visual description of how the pieces move with a work storybook combination to keep children engaged. In addition, it comes with a chess book that colorfully explains the game and how the pieces move.
If the new chess player is older, the Bobby Fischer: Learn to Play Chess may be right for you. This chess set is larger, with no written out descriptions. However, it has all the moves shown directly on the board as a quick reference guide. It is a good reference for players who are aware of the rules for chess but need a reminder on what chess piece does what.
Another consideration is the material. Most figurine chess pieces are made out of polystone, which is a stone and resin mix. However, there are also figurine chess pieces made from pewter, crushed marble, alloy metals, and occasionally even wood. While metal chess sets will be the most durable, the popular polystone chess pieces are generally affordable and extremely well detailed that hold up to handling remarkably well. Polystone is a bit more fragile and is best as a 'display' set, while pewter and metal pieces can stand up to the rigors of regular play.
If you do not know what theme chess set to go with, t/hink about the interests of the person outside of chess. Do they like Animals? History? Fantasy? Sports ? We have categorized our theme chess sets to make the hunt a little bit easier.
Alternately, sometimes people are looking at theme chess pieces to accurately represent traditional chess pieces but in a figurine form. The most popular option for this would be the medieval theme chess pieces. Here you will find knights, crusaders, and more, where the king is a king, the bishop is a bishop, and the knight is a knight.
There are two types of tabletop electronic chess sets. The most common are pressure sensory chess computers. In these chess computers, in order to move your chess pieces you push down on the piece you are moving, and then push down again on the square you are moving to. A display screen will show your computer opponents move, which you will carry out in the same manner as how you move your own.
The second type of tabletop electronic chess set are autosensory chess computers. These are much less common and generally more expensive than pressure sensory models. Instead of pushing the chess piece down, you can simply lift up your piece and put it down on the square you would like to move it to. A sensor records the move automatically, so no pushing is necessary. Just be careful not to slide the chess pieces across the chessboard!
While there are a number of minor differences between different models, In general, the rule of thumb is to get the strongest and fastest chess computer for your budget. If you get a chess computer that is too weak, you may find that you will outgrow it and that it is no longer able to challenge you in a game that takes a reasonable amount of time. The more powerful the chess computer, the more room there is for you to continue to be challenged as you improve.
There are many other chess computers available with a number of specialized features, such as additional display screen, the ability to play checkers as well as chess, oversized chess pieces, and more. You can see all of the chess computers but we recommend the DGT Centaur because it feaures nice, easy to see squares with big pieces - it offers hints on possible moves, and adapts to your ability so it always plays a challenging game.
A final note about chess computers - there used to be many hand-held models from peg machines to calculator style hand-helds. These have largely disappeared as you can use your own personal smart phone with an inexpensive (or free) app for this purpose. LIkewise, software is now almost entirely downloaded so we no longer carry the physical DVDs of chess teaching and training programs.
There are two types of chess timers. Analog Chess Clocks are the traditional style that have been used for decades. These clocks have two faces with a standard 12 hour clock on them. You simply divide the total playing time in half between the two players. As the time runs towards the hour, a red flag will raise. When time is up, the red flag falls, and you have lost on time. These chess clocks can be either wind-up or battery operated. These are not used often anymore as they cannot accommodate important features such as delay or bonus time.
Digital Chess clocks have been growing in popularity. They offer all the advantages of the analog clocks, but allow for many more different timing options. In addition, digital chess timers have large LCD displays that make it easier to see the amount of time remaining. If you plan to play a lot of fast-paced games, a digital chess clock is a must. While some digital chess clocks can be very expensive, many are not much more than the cost of the older analog chess timers. It ultimately depends on what features you need for your clock.
If you are looking for a digital chess clock, the DGT North American Chess Clock is a good choice. This electronic timer gives you everything you need in a sturdy design. It is ideal for both tournaments and blitz games and a host of both built in a customizable time controls.
These games are mixed within their respective game categories. The most common are chess and checker sets, as checkers uses the same board as chess. For chess, checkers, and backgammon it is likewise quite easy - the backgammon checkers can be used on the chessboard to play traditional western checkers. If you're looking for a chess set that includes backgammon, it will be available in both our chess set and backgammon category. Of course, some of the multigame chess sets have many more games such as checkers, dominos, cards, poker dice, and cribbage and are 3 in 1, 5 in 1, or even 7 in 1 game sets.
Thereare many multi-game chess sets as well as multigame chess tables, with a wide variety of game combinations.
Many backgammon sets are made of vinyl, but we also carry several other materials. Popular among them are backgammon sets made from suede, leather, wood, and so on. The most popular is wood, because unlike vinyl, suede, or leather there is no stitching involved. This also has a unique sound as the backgammon dice hits the field. Professionally in the USA, backgammon sets with a cork playing surface are preferred. This is the traditional playing surface for tournament backgammon. Our nicest backgammon sets usually come from the mediterranian - Greece and Turkey. They have some fantastic designs that are as elegant as a chess set and suitable for display in your home.
Of couse, there are so many different sets it ultimately becomes a choice of personal preference. We also carry an assortment of backgammon accessories such as dice and checkers in various sizes.
