Modern game of chess

What are members opinions of a more modern set, a set totally re-designed to represent the 21st century, Nexchess. The Next Generation Of Chess. This set includes Presidents / Generals / Jet Fighters / Helicopters / Tanks / Marines. All rules of chess remain the same. More information is available at www.nexchess.co.uk 

Perhaps I am the first one to answer : " NO " to sets other than "normally" accepted and used.

All deviating figures and sets are nice for a coffee table show or glass show-wndow, but absolutely not to play chess.

Chess itself is already very difficult, so why bother about recognition of figures on the board.

Hi RomyGer, thank you for your reply, to the very staunch senior chess players, lm presuming such as yourself your answer is totally expected, l have been researching the prospect of a more modern set for over 5 years now, the response has been unbelievable, under the age of 16yrs would disagree with you entirely, as this age group supports Nexchess 100% and would prefer to play Nexchess as against Staunton, for over 50yrs age this group tends not to prefer change. This is entirely normal. Nexchess has been developed to attract those younger individuals who would wish to learn the great game of chess, but do not see the relevance learning a game which represents 18th-19th centuries. Why is there not a chess set that represents the 21st century ?, perhaps this would encourage more of our youngsters to play. 

Thank you again for your response.

This is a quote from the nexchess website :"Chess as we know it has become completely out of touch with reality"

Chess is a board game, it has nothing to do with reality. Novelty chess sets have been around for ages. They are amusing to look at, but but I would not want to play with one.

What a bunch of pretentious hogwash (the post here and the drivel on the website). This is just another themed set, nothing more. Fair enough if you want to sell a themed chess set. Plenty of people like them. But don't pretened that this is anything more than just another themed set. 

I prefer this one

I bet Benjamin Bunny could see off one of those Jet Fighters any day of the week.

With what material are the helicopter blades made? They look very breakable.

Also, I'd put a finial on the pres...Maybe a dunce cap or a propellor beanie.

Well, I don´t like the idea. I rather prefer traditional chess figures.

However, there is public for almost everything in this modern age. Good luck to the entrepreneurs !

Go, Corinthians !

Thank you for your comments, l will answer each one as received.

Lagomorph : l have not described Nexchess as a replacement for Staunton,at this present moment in time l would describe it currently as a character set, when the Staunton set was developed it was in touch with reality, 1849 ! but not anymore. l hope you have hours of fun playing with your Benjamin Bunny set. Another point l would like to make is that there are certain organisations out there that would prefer to describe chess as a " sport " not a board game, would you agree with that ?

Escherehcs : The whole set is made from poly-resin with a cement mixture added to achieve weight, most players prefer this. The helicopter blades in the prototypes did break on occasions, but this is the whole point of developing a prototype, final specs have been approved and the blades no longer break. Nexchess has been sold to over 100 customers and none have been returned. Does any President / Prime Ministers you know wear dunce hats or beanie hats ? l dont know any, sorry.

Zobral : Everyone is entitled to their opinion and thank you for your good luck wishes. 

I don't care for them either. The design of chess men has nothing to do with reality or the time period in which they were developed. They were designed for ease of identification, handling, and manufacturing.

Also, a themed chess set like yours will not sell in any quantity until you convince some of the major chess organizations to change the standards for any official play. Trying to change the standard from Staunton to anything else would be like trying to convince the NBA to use footballs.

Most players prefer wood.

Just in case you care, advertising here is prohibited by the website rules.

Ed, I wish you luck in your project, although I have no idea what the market is for theme sets. I fit in the older category, so it's not surprising that I just prefer the Staunton design.

Probably my biggest reservation with your choice of characters is the use of a president as the king. The older I get, the less respect I have for most U.S. presidents (and politicians in general). Even if I were inclined to try out a theme set, I think this issue would be a dealbreaker for me. I don't mean to get political, but I'm just telling you my thoughts.

Hi and thanks for your replies, firstly l am not advertising, l have asked for opinions and have not prompted anyone to purchase a set.

Secondly, " most players prefer this " was referring to pieces being weighted not the material used, wood is the more popular.

The more modern set does not have to include a President, if it was played in UK, it would be known as a Prime Minister, all my chess set does is bring chess in to modern day, why not with chess ? just about every board game ever invented has been modified to suit 21st century. 

FIDE are not speaking to me at this present time ! Probably because the management are all senior aged members and not interested in what appeals to younger generations, l have two e-mails from two world champions expressing "that anything designed to help youngsters play chess is a great thing,"  the current format ( Staunton ) is not attracting younger players to the game.

First, I don't really understand the idea of a chess set being "in touch with reality." That's not the point at all. Though the current chess pieces, and their names, may be derived from a long history starting in India or Persia, that's not at all the case today. The history, for most, is long forgotten while the names remain.

The advantages of the Staunton over ALL other sets currently being offered are many:

1) Instantly recognizable. It's been around so long that even non-chessplayers can recognize the bishop, knight, rook, and pawn. In almost all theme sets you constantly have to remind yourself that Homer is the king, Marge is the queen, etc.

2) Smooth, easy to grasp, and non-breakable. Too many theme sets have sharper edges, odd shapes, and small pieces that can snap off. In a time scramble, there's nothing on the Staunton to impede one's grasp.

3) Symetrical!! This is the biggie, for me. Whether you're looking at the Staunton from the front or the back, it's the same. Someone gave me a Simpson's chess set a few years back. And while it was funny to set up, the pieces looked completely different from opposite sides of the board. I have yet to see a theme or novelty set that doesn't suffer from the same problem.

It may be fun to design all kinds of new chessmen, and the designers may sell a few sets, but Staunton is here to stay. As a side note, have you ever heard of serious card players playing with a theme set? Tradition has its merits.

Finally, though the war-themed design may appeal to a younger set raised on combat video games, it is simply offensive to me (and perhaps to many others). War and battle are not games; they are deadly serious enterprises in which young men and women die horrible deaths. I don't sit down at a chessboard to be reminded of those things.

Except that you are making a puffery post, linking to some external website that matches your name/avatar, and you have done nothing else here than this thread (no games played), you are not advertising.