ChessMate Pocket/Travel sets - excellent

Hello All,

I just wanted to post some feedback on the ChessMate set I just received today. I wanted something I could carry in my pocket or fold up and toss on the coffee table. I wanted something small, light, magnetic, and the ability to leave the pieces in place so I could continue play/analysis at a later date. I decided to give ChessMate products a try. This is my first time doing business with them. I ordered the ChessMate Deluxe. There was a slight delay in delivery and I mean by only a few days (less than a week) but when I received my package, there was a hand written note from the owner Dave Weinstock. He upgraded my order to the ChessMate Ultima at no charge.

The pocket chess set is made in the USA and is top of the line quality from the pieces, to the board, to the outer cover..... very nice. Now I know there are cheaper sets out there - I had one. The magnets came loose, the paint on the board stuck to the magnets.... well cheap is good if it works but other than that it is a waste of money. You get what you pay for folks. If you are in the market for a chess wallet, travel set, magnetic set, etc. you should take a look at this company. First class product with first class customer service.

http://www.chessmate.com/

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Thanks for the write-up Donald.  I've see links to his site a couple of times but been leary since it seems to be a one man shop.  I'll keep them in mind.  BTW: Out of laziness, can you post the cost of the set you ordered?

Chesser777 -- while I guess it's well and good to be suspicious of a rencent member whose first post is "OMG, this product is great," a quick look at DonaldL's posts reveals that he seems to be your average Chess.com member who wants to share a positive experience with a product.  But hey, to each his own.

It is a one man shop, but a good one. I live close enough to David that he showed up to sell his fine products at my tournaments here in Portland. In this case, the one man running the shop is a detail oriented gentleman, with fabrication skills. The best vinyl rollup board I've seen came from him. The best magnetic sets ditto. If you have a source for chess goods that are as fine as what Mr. Weinstock provides, by all means describe them and provide a link!

Ishmael... the deluxe I ordered is $49. The upgrade I received is $59. Like I said in my 'advertisement' there are cheaper options and I wasted some $$$ on one of them. His Chess wallet is also endored by Jeremy Silman (http://www.chessmate.com/chessmate1.html#ChessWalletReview) and ChessMate has been around a while. I think you'll be more than satisfied with the Chessmate product(s). This little fold up pocket chess set is also very cool.  

Chesser, I don't know if your joking or not. If you are, I missed it. If not, I will correct you... it's not an advertisement and you are neither an admin nor a paying member.

Spammers don't typically go through the trouble of getting a diamond membership, playing numberous games and posting months worth of content unrelated to their product.  This review looks to me to be on the up-and-up.

I don't want to be a pain in the ass like u  think. I dont understand how one can judge one by there free membership nor his status (not admin). And maybe u think it isn't an avertisement, its just like making a commercial and even giving the site with it. Btw, correct me.

Ladies... Gentlemen... I hope you enjoyed my review. It is a personal opinion and experience with the only intention being to add something positive to the forum. I trust I did that much. Perhaps it may even save you some time, money, headaches, and heartaches. Chesser I think your own statement says it all "I don't want to be a pain in the ass". Usually this comment isn't made unless.... you're being a pain in the ass!!!!!

If anyone has any questions please just pm me... I am finished with this thread.

Thanks

 On the contrary, live with your new chess wallet for awhile then post a review here. That's what the vast majority--virtually all of us here--would like.

As I am seriously considering purchasing one of these, I for one would love to know how it's held up after almost a year.  Still around, Donald?

I ordered a Chessmate years ago, not the delux model, the simple one with magnetic flat pieces.  to this day i have it next to my bed and it's great.  i was suspiciious of the flat pieces, but they are clear and very visible, like the symbols in a good chess book.  Nothing fancy, just utilitarian.  I only have two gripes:  1.  the damn pieces occasionaly drop if i manhandle the board and for some reason they hide in and under the bed.  2.  the folding board is annoying as it doesn't stay rigid if you're not using a flat surface.  solution:  #1:  I bought an extra set of pieces and told my wife to be on the lookout for the little black disks.  It saves a lot of cursing at night  #2  I bought one of those plastic folders that have a removable plastic spine.  I cut the spine to the length of the folding chessmate board and pushed it over one side, thus rendering it rigid and stable.  Oh, the other problem i have is that if you want to switch sides, you have to move the blacks over to white and vise versa otherwise you'll be looking at the pieces upside down.  I don't know what you can do about that unless you buy two sets and keep one for white, one for black.  I'm looking for a boxed set and went back to Chessmate to order one with 1" squares--not the top of the line (ultra).  One hundred bucks.  These sets aren't cheap, but if you're happy with it and it lasts for years, the price is ok.  This is not an advertisement.  I live in New Jersey and don't even know the guy who makes them, but i think people on this site should state their opinion about books, sets, etc. to help others.  We, the chessplayers, are the best judge of chess equipment, but we all, of course should use our own judgment too.

Thank you for the review. I had no idea these sets were out there. They're EXACTLY what I've been looking for!

I've since purchased two of the small folding sets.  I bought a deluxe, which was upgraded to an Ultima.  I was so pleased with it I also bought a slimpocket.  Now one rides in my pants or jacket pocket at all times and the other is in a pocket of my backpack.  I'm constantly ready to play or analyze.  I could not be more pleased with the quality, not to mention the service.  The owner is a real straight shooter.  Highly recommended.

I don't consider this an advertisement. I am glad people write about the stuff they bought it helps other to decide if to go for it or not. I was just trying to find reviews on this product  and found it straight here. Thanks

Ordered a ChessMate Ultima. Will report back with a review.

Three years ago I discovered Chessmate products, and my wife purchased a Chessmate Ultra wallet for me as a birthday present. I love it! These are elegant and very well-made products. My only quibble is that I wish the magnetic disks used for pieces were a bit more powerful. Drop it, and the pieces go everywhere. My wallet is a model that zips closed, so at least I rarely lose pieces...just lots of re-setting them in place.

I actually used my Chessmate as my regular wallet, keeping cash, credit cards, driver's license, etc in it. My sheer over use of it eventually wore out the zipper, so I am about ready to order a replacement.

I would like to ask, which one would be better? The Chessmate Wallet,  Chessmate Ultra Wallet or the Chessmate Ultima?
Looking for funtionality and sleekness 

I purchased a Chessmate "Ultima", which is basically the chess "wallet" without the "wallet" part - just the board and pieces.  I paid almost $75 for it, including shipping.  I have reviewed it briefly in a post in another thread, but I can't find it so I'll repeat what I wrote from memory and experience with the product.

Mine is good... but has a few problems.  The main "show stopper" for me is that on my particular Chessmate, the material over the "Captured Pieces Area" was applied in multiple strips, and applied too thickly.  This causes loss of magnetic "adhesion" of the pieces placed in this area, causing them to fall out the side of the fold if you are carrying the Ultima and ANY kind of slight bump or jiggle happens.  Lost 2 pieces this way, but I luckily found them after some searching.  Because of this problem, I have to carry my "Portable" chess set inside of a ziplock baggie, which is both a pain and a continued source of annoyance.

Overall, I like the board... but at $75 I expected MUCH more from the manufacturer than a portable board with built-in "PieceLose" (TM) functionality.

I am somewhat glad that I purchased mine, it makes a great backpacking and car set... but based on the problems I've had with mine losing pieces, I would definitely NOT buy it again, nor can I really recommend this product unless you can try it before buying.

The wallet is no improvement either. The slots are too narrow, especially the ID slot, making it extremely difficult to take it out when needed(it takes about a minute of focused efforts to accomplish that). And it simply starts to corrode, by itself, probably because it's a cheap imitation leather. And when I tell the manufacturer all this as facts, he goes ballistic, as if it's the customer's fault that he keeps producing one faulty product after another. Same problem with dropping pieces-this a universal fact, included in all the reviews of this product -I have lost many, many pieces that way. And it's not like impossible to solve this problem: just look at the Chess Federation's cheap set and try those pieces-basically they never drop. Granted it doesn't have a capture panel-although that can be easily built-in from another set, as I did-but just finding a solution for dropping of the pieces exists. If only someone could listen.

Without testing it, it's nothing but a headache.