What is your favourite chess set?

of course Tony Montana was the most famous Cuban of all , "say hello to my little friend!" lol  

My favorite chess set is an old wooden one that I found while searching through my great grandfather's attic after he died.  It's badly worn, but it's still fully functional and something about it just appealed to me, so I decided to take it and save it from being disposed of.  The board could use a makeover, but the pieces all look very nice.  It's a rather small set and there are straps for the pieces underneath the board for storage, so it's ideal for travel.  Before finding this chess set I never played chess, so it kind of sparked my initial interest I suppose, although I did not become more heavily interested in chess until just recently- many years after.

Doesen't Staunton cover pretty much all sets that "look like chess sets" these days.  This does not include Civil War, Star Trek or Shrek themed ones.  In a history of chess type book I saw a set of non-Staunton design and it was different in that what we would recognize as the pieces were sitting on tall pedestals.

 

Back when I was single I got a knock-off of House of Staunton's Jacques (an example of Staunton design) with the pieces heavily weighted, the black ones ebony.  I play then on a Drucke maple and walnut board.  Certainly nicer than I deserve or could afford now.  I am also fond of my tournament special, which has probably seen a lot more play.

I have several inexspensive chess sets. My favorite set is a 1958 Cothic set I bought on ebay. I would like to buy a real nice metal set  someday.

my folks were nice enough to buy me a wonderful staunton set for xmas one year - the pieces are heavy and so satisfying to move - unfortunately I almost never have anyone to play with! Online chess is a great option - but face-to-face chess is (IMO) a hundred times better.

grainpsilo, I love your chess set. So beautiful. Where'd you get that one?

I am up to 9 sets now- the nicest is a recent purchase from 'The ChessPiece'- the New American Rosebud'. the finish is beautiful and the Knight is very unique. I have a House of Staunton 'Pro Series' rosebud. The one I play with the most is one I purchased about 8 years ago for around $40.00. It is made of resin and has very unique pieces, the pawns look like the head of a Medieval Knight and the other pieces resemble King, Queen etc.

Let's see, I have a HOS Royale set which I believe they discontinued but it rarely gets used because I don't take it anywhere and we rarely get visitors who play. There's the triple weighted plastic tournament set that's not uses as much as I want because I don't have time to enter tournaments but there's a variety of other uses for it. I have two vintage wooden sets I bought off ebay because I like the character of the old wood, but they're nothing special because I can't afford anything genuinely collecatble. There's a cheap magnetic plastic set I bought for analysis and travel, and a couple of electronic boards, one of which has such weak play as to be nearly useless to me.

I also had a wooden fold up set when I was a kid- fairly nice as I remember with rosewood for the black pieces. I called my parents about it when I got back into playing a few years ago, but they sold it in a garage sale. If I found one like it again I'd buy it.

I've got a set that has been passed down in my family from generation to generation.  I don't ever play with it, but just this once I took one of the Kings out so I could share with everyone:

 

 

I only have two, one I have lost most of the pieces (only two left) and one that I bught in greece, bronze and dark blue, with gold and silver pieces, and the pieces are as follows

Pawns: Atlas holding the heavans

Rooks: Pillars

Bishops: Demons holding a spear

King and Queen: God and Goddess

Knight: Just normal  

If my wife didn't mind, I'd buy this set and display it prominently in the living room.

http://www.thechessstore.com/product/PM1948IT/Renaissance_Hand_Painted_Chess_Set.html

 

I'd keep a game or some kind of analysis going on it, just for the beauty of the interdispersed forces.

 

Paul 

I've got a bunch of them. Usually it's because one would get buried in the closet or something so I'd replace it, then I'd find the one I thought I'd lost.

 

Hmm...I've got an old Mexican onyx one that is older than I am. It belonged to one of my mother's friends when I was a kid, and he moved from one apt. to another so he gave it to me because I always played with it. The pieces are chipped (one of my knights is missing his ear), the white queen tips over if you accidentally breathe on her, and the bishops have red nail polish crosses on the top otherwise they'd be confused with the pawns (the B is only slightly larger) but I've had it for so long I'm not giving it up. I also have a small (about 10" square) onyx set that's a lot more functional. A friend of mine snapped the base off one of the pieces once but a little epoxy cured that. I don't remember what piece it was because once it was repaired the crack became virtually invisible. The ancient set is based on traditional Central American art where the little one is what I like to call semi-Staunton. Both are really stylised.

 

I also have a plaster set of birds that took me six months to paint as it was unfinished at purchase. The kings are eagles, the queens peacocks, the bishops owls, the knights hooded falcons, the rooks--well, rooks/ravens, and the pawns are hummingbirds. The lovely thing about it is that if a head pops off (like when the cat jumps on the board and knocks a piece off the table ) Elmer's Glue is my friend. ;)

 

I've got a bunch of cheap commercial plastic ones too. One is a magnetic chess/checkers/backgammon set that is still in good shape except for rust on the board. I've got a Chessmaster (yep, that's the brand) set, everything is very stark black and white so it'll give you a migraine in good lighting. I've got a cheap one I picked up at Wal-Mart that's actually one of those 9-in-1 game sets, so I've got chess, checkers, backgammon, cards, a cribbage board, dominos, and poker dice all in one box. This set has seen many a late night at Denny's after the clubs. I've also got a magnetic chess/checkers set from Target's dollar bin--the symbols are printed on small vinyl disc magnets. Since they're the traditional book symbols (and the set folds in half to about 1/4" thick so I keep it with my chess books) I use this one for studying games. I also have another from Target's dollar bin that came in a tin--the pieces are injection molded plastic (and fairly high quality Staunton style) but the board is folded cardboard. And finally, my fave cheap set is a neon one that I picked up around winter 1992. The box becomes the board, white's pieces are shocking-ass pink, the black ones are cobalt blue, and the black squares are lime green while the white squares are neon orange with white squiggles in them. The set is UV reactive so it glows under blacklight.

 

I really wish I had a digital camera so I could show you all pictures. And one of these days I'd like to pick up the Lowe's Tournament set and their Renaissance set, my parents had them when I was a kid but they got lost over the years.

 

As for people w/jobs in first world countries not being able to afford a wood set, a good wood set can easily set you back a few hundred bucks. That can be the difference between paying your health insurance (if you're lucky enough to have it) or not.

I prefer my plain tournament style board

For all the abuse it can endure; the vinyl tournament board, and the heavy club pieces set.

 

For all the memories I had of my dad; a traditional Staunton folding-board set.

 

And if I had to pick one – it would be the latter.

My chess set is wood 33/4 King,I am 51yrs old got from  my Grandmother when I was ten, still use everyday to play chess on, I hate plastic sets wood is better. I also have wooden board and wood clock . I will not change. When I die it will be put in my casket to play chess in Heaven or Hell. I love my chess set. I donot own a plastic chess set and never will Thanks.

i love my broadbase staunton rosewood/boxwood pieces on 55mm teak and maple board, got it from the london chess centre. but my favourite at the moment has to be the prussian chessmen in bud rosewood- so much character, cant afford it though :(

I have a mat and some under-weight pieces.  I've also got a humidor chess board, and I love to play on that.  I keep hinting that a good set would make me a happy man, but the fiancee is resisting.

If you want one for tounaments and playing with strangers, (some of whom can be strange), I suggest plastic.  The "House of Staunton" makes a particularly nice heavily weighted, slightly oversize plastic set with double queens. $50 or so.  I have a beautiful antique set (still staunton but not quite the standard modern staunton- the taller king has the pointy crown and the queen has a round head) with gorgeous knights.  Unweighted, but wide bases and heavy wood.  And I have a few other standard wood playable sets, felted and weighted, that I use with friends.

My favorite is, of course, the one my niece gave me.  Cheap, crumby, tourist shop quality, but I love it, although I don't even have a board small enough for it.  But such probably doesn't help.  There are several first rate nicely weighted and felted wood sets.  Only the cheapest ones warp, so be a little careful.  Again, the House of Staunton makes a particularly nice but pricey one.

Hmmm i like wooden chess sets. I like pieces that can slide along the board easily but i dont like dark black pieces, more so brown or a light black colour. Most of the wooden chess sets in the London Chess Centre would be what im talking about. (viewable on their website or catalog)

 

Standard plastic tournament chess sets have to do but i dont like ''chunky'' pieces.  

london chess centre is ace :) love some of the new sets in the 2008 catalogue