My thoughts on city skyline chess sets
(This post is not sponsored)
There is something about a chessboard that is both elegant and exquisite. Perhaps it is the way the black and white squares contrast with each other or the way the chess pieces are arranged in perfect symmetry. Whatever the reason, chessboards are truly glorious objects.
A well-made chessboard can be a work of art in its own right. The best chessboards are made from the finest woods, with each square precisely cut and polished to a high sheen. The chess pieces are also usually made from wood or stone and are carefully crafted to resemble medieval knights, kings, and queens.
Chessboards are more than just pretty objects – they are also a source of great pleasure for chess enthusiasts. Today we will be looking at chess sets inspired by 8 of the most popular cities in the world.
#1 New York City
In this amazing chess set, we have the Guggenheim as the rook, the Flatiron Building as the knight, The Chrysler Building as the bishop, the Empire State Building as the Queen, and One World Trade Tower for the King. Features of this Chess set are:
- A carefully selected curation of the Big Apple’s iconic skyline, including Brownstone House, Guggenheim, Flatiron, Chrysler, Empire State Building, and One World Trade Tower
- 32-piece set cast in injection moulded acrylic
- Double weighted pieces with a soft felt base
- Each set comes complete with a board and presentation box
- Available in Acrylic, Stainless Steel, and Luxury bronze
Click Here to purchase Skyline Chess New York Edition
#2 London
In this beautiful chess set, we have terraced houses as the pawns, Big Ben as the rook, the London Eye as the knight, 30 St Mary Axe steps as the bishop, the Shard as the queen, and finally the king as One Canada Square. Features of this chess set are:
- A distinguished lineup of London’s most-notable architecture; including Big Ben, London Eye, St Mary Axe, The Shard, and Canary Wharf
- 32-piece set cast in injection moulded acrylic
- Double weighted pieces with a soft felt base
- Each set comes complete with a board and presentation box
- Available in Acrylic, Stainless Steel and Luxury bronze
Click Here to purchase Skyline Chess London Edition
#3 Dubai
This chess set shows the engineering marvel that stems from the UAE. Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's House is the pawn, The Cayan Tower is the rook, the Jumeirah Emirates Towers step in as knights, the Rose Rotana the bishop, the Princess Tower is the queen, and the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa is the king. Features of this chess set are;
- A show-stopping display of Dubai's most famous buildings, including Cayan Tower, the Emirates Towers, Rose Rotana, Princess Tower, and the Burj Khalifa.
- 32-piece set hand-cast in stainless steel
- Set weight: 8kg
- Heavyweight pieces with a soft felt base
- Each set comes with a hand screen-printed wooden city map or Italian Carrara marble playing board, and a presentation box
- Available in Stainless Steel and Luxury Bronze
Click here to purchase Skyline Chess Dubai Edition
#4 San Francisco
San Francisco a.k.a Fog city is everybody's favorite city. The pawns are the famous Painted Lady houses, St. Mary’s Cathedral is the Rook, Columbus Tower is the Knight, Coit Tower is the Bishop, the Transamerica Pyramid is the Queen, and the King is the Salesforce Tower. Features of this chess set are:
- Skyline highlights of the Golden City, include the Painted Ladies, St Mary’s Cathedral, Columbus Tower, Coit Tower, Transamerica Pyramid, and Salesforce Tower.
- 32-piece set hand-cast in stainless steel
- Set weight: 8kg
- Heavyweight pieces with a soft felt base
- Each set comes complete with a hand-printed wooden or Italian Carrara marble board and presentation box
- Available in Stainless Steel and Luxury Bronze
Click here to purchase Skyline Chess San Francisco Edition
#5 Tokyo
The land of the cherry blossoms, Tokyo, has an exquisite chess set. the Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower are the king and queen, the Gakuem Cocoon tower plays the bishop, the Sompo Japan building is the knight, the rook is the Prada Aoyama building, and traditional houses are cast as the pawns. Features of the chess set are
- A show-stopping selection of Tokyo's most iconic buildings, including the Prada Aoyama building, Sompo Japan building, Gakuem Cocoon tower, Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree.
- 32-piece set cast in injection moulded acrylic
- Double weighted pieces with a soft felt base
- Each set comes complete with a board and presentation box
- Available in Acrylic, (Stainless Steel coming soon)
- Weight: 2 kg (cardboard), 4 kg (wooden city map & b/w board), 6.5 kg (marble board)
Click here to purchase Skyline Chess Tokyo Edition
#6 Chicago
The windy city is prosperous and influential. In this chess set, the pawn is the quintessential Chicago Bungalow, the circular form of Marina City is the Rook, the Crain Communications Building is the Knight, the Prudential Plaza is the Bishop, Willis Tower, and the John Hancock Centre is the King and Queen. Features of this chess set are:
- An illustrious selection of Chicago’s most iconic structures; including Marina City, The Crain Communications Building, Two Prudential Plaza, The John Hancock Center, and Willis Tower
- 32-piece set hand-cast in solid resin with metal powder
- Double weighted pieces with a soft felt base
- Each set comes complete with a hand-printed wooden or Italian Carrara marble board and presentation box
- Available in Premium metal and Luxury bronze
Click here to purchase Skyline Chess Chicago Edition
#7 Paris
Paris, a.k.a The city of love, has some of the oldest and most picturesque landmarks in the world. The Haussmann Buildings are the pawns, the Louvre makes for a striking rook, the Pompidou is the knight, the Arc de Triomphe is an elegant bishop, the Sacre Coeur is the queen, and the king is the Eiffel tower. Features of this set are:
- The City of Lights’ architectural spotlights; the Haussmann Building, the Louvre, the Pompidou Centre, Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur and The Eiffel Tower
- 32-piece set hand-cast in solid Stainless Steel
- Set weight: 7kg
- Heavyweight pieces with a soft felt base
- Each set comes complete with a hand-printed wooden or Italian Carrara marble board and presentation box
- Available in Stainless Steel and Luxury Bronze.
Click here to purchase the Skyline Chess Paris Edition
#8 Los Angelas
The city of angels. Both charming and fascinating. According to skylinechess.com "Embracing the musical heritage of Hollywood, the Capitol Records building plays the rook, with the iconic Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel as the knight.
The Art Deco period of the 1930s is perfectly captured by LA City Hall as the bishop, sitting next to the city's second tallest building as Queen, the LA Bank Tower.
The contemporary face of the City of Angels is portrayed as King by the Wilshire Grand Centre with its striking sculptural form and smooth glazed facades." Features of this chess set are:
- A star-studded selection of Los Angeles most iconic buildings, including the Capitol Records building, Santa Monica Pacific Wheel, City Hall, LA Bank Tower, and the Wilshire Grand.
- 32-piece set cast in injection moulded acrylic
- Double weighted pieces with a soft felt base
- Each set comes complete with a board and presentation box
Click here to purchase Skyline Chess Los Angelas Edition
I think all of these chess sets look very unique and the developers and creators of these sets put forth a lot of effort to pick suitable buildings. Another thing I am fascinated by is the customisation feature of two city combinations where you can select two different cities; one for black, and one for white.
