...If you're that kind of believer in chess,

I have discovered the secret to long on-line games with a patient opponent.  I just keep my favorite set out and by the hamper and mimic the game on it, giving me a chance to study the situation every time I pass, and that's a lot in my house.  As such as the case it with me, I thourghly recomend figurative chess sets for this type of play.  Staunton designs are awesome and durrable for blitz and bullet.  Usually these types of English Broller Chessmen are what the sportsman brings out when a worthy apponent challenges him to a game.  I keep a weighted set of these prize fighters for that exact reason, as it get's used a lot.  I began following a trend where players that were a lot like me usually had a "trophy set" of sorts that would be a bit impractical for steady use or rough playing, but perfectly at ease with slow, leisurely play such as long online games.