What are peoples favourite novelty chess sets?And do they affect your game?

Have seen a fab Asterix set,I found that concentration levels need to be up a notch when playing on unusual boards.For example knowing your Jack Russell from your poodle(a bit like some of your opponents!)

I bought a chocolate chess set once. I never got to play a single game with it.

Being a Staunton-pattern guy, I have few oddball sets, but I guess I favor my 40+ year old Gothic set. Looks okay, sentimental value.

nice set Goldendog.  um they kind of remind me of Prince Farquhar from Shrek

LEGO Chess set.....great fun to build and play with my daughters.  Not ideal for repeated use but is age appropriate in my house.

http://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Kingdoms-Set-853373-Chess/dp/B0083XMFU4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348548817&sr=8-1&keywords=lego+chess+set

While not a novelty set, I once played a group of chess games where four people play on the board simultaneously. To clarify, this was no a bughouse   style game. This had your normal 8x8 chessboard but also had 2 rows on each side of the board for a players pieces. Play went clockwise from whoever had the White pieces (there were four colors to use), with each player making a move in turn and then the first player would make his 2nd move and so on. All standard rules for moves applied in the game. You could capture a piece on the main board or in your opponents starting rows and could feasibly play double and even triple checks in limited positions. Once the King of a side was checkmated, his pieces became a rogue army and any player could move one of these pieces in place of their own. The game could also be played as teams or all for one, you could make a pact with one or the other players (though this took away from some of the spirit of game play as well) or 2 player could play with the four sides by themselves, either using the four player method or playing the pieces as teams though if you moved a secondary color (say a red or blue piece), you had to move one of your own pieces on the next move. However, there was no limit to how many times you could move your main pieces (i.e. the White or Black pieces. Also, you promoted in the same manner as normal chess at the 8th rank, but if a piece in the opposing players camp(s) could take or could take on the board, you would lose the promoting piece.

It all sounds complex but was some of wildest games I ever played. If it is still being made, I believe it is simply called Chess4. The company also used to have a backgammon version but that is a different story.

Personally, I prefer Hippies vs. the National Guard.

Q: Do The NG pieces shoot the Hippies?

Only four of them.

(Too soon?)

Never.

gd, that's a cool looking set, except the King and the pawn(s) appear to be constipated.

Looks ok? They are the best looking I have ever seen! The only thing I'd like to change: the rookface (thin) seems more suited for the bisshop's face and vice versa. The bisshop's face is sturdy and more broad. So that is rookish to me :)

But I love the style. Yes they might have something from Shreks lord Farquad. But even more Lord of the Rings: the gigantic statue/minas tirith. Summarized: the medieval feeling that chess gives me can be seen in these faces.

The Gothic set is pretty lightly weighted, unfortunately. With such grave expressions, these pieces beg for more heft.

Ah yeah, it would be best if they where made of some kind of polished stone, not plastic or other lightweight material.

I've seen fired clay versions. They are heavy enough (I guess there are molds out there).

Here's an eBay set that's heavy.

"These chessmen are made entirely by hand, solid and naturally heavy. They are individually molded and hand brushed, giving them a care and quality unattainable in factory-produced chessmen.
They are made of Tuf-Stone - the best casting material for figurines and chessmen, permeated with fiber reinforcement.
Additional reinforcement is added with metal substructure when needed for maximum strength."

Larger than my set, I see.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GOTHIC-HEADS-CHESS-SET-CLASSIC-GRIM-FACES-SOLID-HEAVY-CAST-rosewood-617-/221126900465?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337c30baf1

I have invinted a 40,000 volt chess set with wrought iron pieces. 

You'll have to walk around the board :D That set looks great. Inc shipping it will be to costly for me, but one day Ill buy that set.

I used to work at a high end gift shop when I was just out of university, and i sold a $1300 (US) chess set. It was Swarovski crystal. Pretty sweet.

Looks like they set up the white pieces wrong in the photo below