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Blog on Chess November 4, 2023

STAUNTON CHESS

Table of Contents

About Staunton Chess Pieces
Types of Staunton Chess Peces Available at Our Online Chess Store
What Materials Are Our Chess Pieces Made

About Staunton Chess Pieces

Staunton is a particular pattern of Chess Pieces in the game of Chess. Staunton pattern pieces are mostly used in Chess tournaments and competitions. It is named after famous chess master Howard Staunton. Howard Staunton was an English chess master and was one of the strongest chess player in the years between 1843 & 1851. It was due to his efforts that England becomes the one of the major chess centre on the 1950 era. He contributed a lot to chess. He was not only a chess player, but also a chess promoter, writer and organizer as well.

In 1859 Nathaniel Cook designed the Staunton pattern chess and Jaques of London approved their manufacturing rights. After that it becomes the international standard design of chess. They have been used all over the world since. All Staunton Pieces mainly has wide molded base. Knight basically has head and neck like a horse. King has a stylish crown with cross pattee, Queen is slightly smaller than the king with a small round ball mount on her head, Rooks feature stylized crenellated battlements and bishops a Western-style mitre. Pawns are the smallest pieces in the game with round head.

Check out our Staunton Chess Sets made with High Precision. Be sure that every single piece is proportionate and heavily weighted with splendid craftsmanship.

There’s a variety of types available at our online store. They also come in a different variants. Here’s an Staunton Chess Pieces with having 4.0″ King.

The section below explains more about the types of staunton chess pieces available.

Fierce Knight Staunton Series Chess Pieces in Bud Rosewood & Box Wood – 4.0″ King

Made up from bud rose wood(dark pieces) and boxwood(light pieces) plus handcarved gave you a truly amazing pleasure when playing chess. Thick green felt on chess pieces provide a smooth movement on the chess board.

Check out this amazing handcrafted chess piece.

The Master Staunton Series Chess Pieces in Dyed Box Wood – 4.0″ King

Crafted from bud rose wood and boxwood. Notably, the King stands at an impressive height of 4 inches, with a sturdy base measuring 1.7 inches. The dark pieces, crafted from bud rose wood, while pieces made of boxwood. This set includes additional queens, allowing for effortless pawn promotion during play.

Each chess piece is intricately carved and weighted, ensuring a wonderful hand-feel and a satisfying, resonant impact on the wooden chess board. For smooth movement across the board, the pieces are fitted with thick faux leather pads that precisely envelop the base of each chessman.

The Honour of Staunton (HOS) Series Weighted Chess Pieces in Rose wood & Box Wood – 4.0″ King

This series is made up of rosewood and boxwood. Chess players are well aware of the amazing feel that the Staunton series chess pieces can offer.

Thick green felt on each chess piece ingeniously provides smooth movement on the chessboard. This Staunton series set possesses an inherent allure, automatically inviting you to play chess on the go!

So, what you are waiting for? Order this today for yourself or one who has die-hard fan of chess.

What Materials are Chess Pieces Made of?

Our chess pieces are made up from high quality woods like bud rose wood, boxwood, Ebony, Sheesham aka Golden rosewood and ebonized wood. Meticulously crafted by skilled hands, each piece is a testament to dedication and precision, resulting in a set that exudes elegance and uniqueness. The attention to detail and the individual touch in every stroke create a set of chess pieces that not only serves as a game but also stands as a work of art. The careful carving and fine finishing elevate these pieces, making them a first preference for any chess enthusiast, collectors, players of all level.

Blog on Chess October 12, 2023

How Chess can improve your Analytical skills?

There are numerous of ways by which you can enhance your analytical skill and brainy cleverness by playing chess- the game of the kings!

Understand How It Can Improve Your Analytical Skills

You can learn to play chess at any group. It is beneficial for everybody especially for teenagers as it improves the memory of the player. Chess is regarded as a great exercise for the brain. Creativity also increases as you learn how to make moves by brewing up your own ideas. It lets you build up interest in future planning as it clear that by playing chess you got to be prepared surely in advance. Inner ideas develop repeatedly as your brain is active. Problem-solving expertise is also enhanced as the game of chess is like a big puzzle, where you need step by step sorting.

The biggest benefit of playing a game of chess is it improves concentration level. Mental clarity also develops. Focusing your mind on your aim is most important and vital while lack of concentration like looking away or thinking about something else even for a single moment can result in the loss of a match similarly in real life not aiming for your target may lead to failures. Playing chess has loads of advantages. After every game you seem to learn a lesson or you can say you construct a new vision/outlook to see things. Chess is played between two players and each player is independent to compose the pattern of the game. In other words you are forced to make crucial decisions on your own. It is a very challenging game and one gains a lot of confidence by playing it. All you need is focusing power which builds up with practice. As you all know “practice makes a man perfect”.

Chess is very useful for children. With physical exercise, mental exercise is also needed. So chess is a game to challenge one s brain. It involves lots of calculation work which enhances the quick response ability. The child gains presence of mind. He becomes responsible and disciplined.

To better understand how chess can improve your analytical skill. We would love to include here the various reasons explaining how chess helps train the brain:

Put You on the Path to Getting More Focused

When we are playing a game of chess, our mind is engaged with the chess board. And this ability of concentration especially on the problem solving task automatically allow us to think deeply which is the key components of analytical skill. With a complete focused mind one can easily comes up with a logical and accurate solution. Still not convinced? Indulge yourself in the strategic game, and this will help understanding what we are pointing out here.

CB Grandmaster Staunton Series Chess Pieces — Get Yourself Engaged in a Strategic Game | Photo: chessbazaar

Help Discover New Ideas

Chess helps us realize the importance of the small soldiers’ value and the impact they can have on the chessboard. It’s a problem-solving task where you need to analyze the position to find the best move. Have you ever wondered where the idea of making the best moves comes from? It stems from creative solutions, which, in turn, can help discover new ideas or strategy in a broader context. To name a few, the fishing pole trap in chess can be considered a one of the creative tactic. Do watch out this interesting video, where player checkmating their opponent with chess tactic – fishing pole trap. Watch the dedicated video below:

Stay tuned with us for new arrivals, interesting facts on our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube. We welcome your queries on custom chess sets through our dedicated online form.

Blog on Chess April 3, 2023

Checkmate these 3 mistakes when studying chess: Tips for effective learning

Chess is a game that has been around for centuries, and it continues to attract players of all ages and skill levels. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, there’s always something new to learn in chess. However, learning chess can be challenging, and many players make mistakes that slow down their progress. In this blog post, we’ll look at three common mistakes that chess players make when studying chess and provide tips for effective learning.

Mistake #1: Focusing Too Much on Openings

One of the most common mistakes that chess players make is focusing too much on openings. While it’s important to understand the principles behind different openings and to have a repertoire of openings that you’re comfortable with, spending too much time on openings can be counterproductive. Openings only account for a small percentage of a game of chess, and they’re only relevant in the first few moves of the game. Once the opening phase is over, the game enters the middlegame, where the real chess begins.

Tip #1: Focus on the Fundamentals

Instead of spending all your time on openings, focus on the fundamentals of chess. This includes understanding the principles of pawn structure, piece placement, and the importance of controlling the center of the board. By focusing on these fundamentals, you’ll be able to play stronger chess in all phases of the game, not just in the opening.

Related: Want to relax? Try Chess

Tip #2: Study Master Games

Studying master games is an excellent way to learn the fundamentals of chess. By studying the games of great players, you’ll see how they apply the principles of chess to their games. You’ll also learn how to think strategically and how to develop a plan in the middlegame.

Best Study Chess Set you must have- Tournament Series Staunton Chess Pieces

Mistake #2: Not Analyzing Your Games

Another common mistake that chess players make is not analyzing their games. After a game of chess, it’s essential to go back and analyze the game to see where you went wrong and where you could have made better moves. Without analyzing your games, you’ll continue to make the same mistakes and won’t improve as quickly.

Tip #3: Analyze Your Games

After each game of chess, take the time to analyze the game. Look at each move you made and try to understand why you made that move. Look for mistakes, missed opportunities, and alternative moves that you could have played. By analyzing your games, you’ll be able to identify your weaknesses and work on them.

Best Analysis Chess Set for your study – Reproduced Vintage 1930 German Knubbel Analysis Chess Pieces

Tip #4: Use a Chess Engine

Using a chess engine is an excellent way to analyze your games. Chess engines can analyze your games and provide you with feedback on your moves. They can also suggest alternative moves that you could have played. By using a chess engine, you’ll be able to identify your mistakes and learn from them.

Mistake #3: Not Practicing Enough

Finally, another common mistake that chess players make is not practicing enough. Chess is a game that requires practice to improve. Without practice, you won’t develop the skills and knowledge necessary to become a strong player. You can join a club or have a like minded friend with whom you can play chess every evening.

Tip #5: Play Regularly

One of the best ways to practice chess is to play regularly. Whether you play online or in person, playing chess regularly will help you improve your game. By playing regularly, you’ll be able to apply the principles you’ve learned and develop your chess skills.

Tip #6: Solve Chess Puzzles

Another way to practice chess is to solve chess puzzles. Chess puzzles are problems that require you to find the best move or sequence of moves to win the game or gain an advantage. By solving chess puzzles, you’ll develop your tactical skills and improve your ability to find the best move in a given position.

Conclusion

Learning chess can be challenging, but by avoiding these common mistakes and following these tips can effectively make you better in chess over the time.

Happy Chess Playing!

Related:

Blog on Chess August 25, 2022

What is a Chess Olympiad?

Chess enthusiasts, this one’s for you!

Have you ever considered participating in the Chess Olympiad? The Chess Olympiad is a prestigious event that takes place every two years. It brings together the best chess players from all over the world to compete in a series of challenging matches.

Playing against some of the best chess players in the world will help you improve your skills and strategies. And who knows – maybe you could be one of the top players at the next Olympiad!

In this blog post, we will tell you everything you need to know about the Chess Olympiad. We will also provide tips on how to participate in this prestigious event!

What is a Chess Olympiad?

The Chess Olympiad is a team tournament for chess players from all over the world. The event is organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and is held every two years. The first Olympiad was held in 1927, and the event has been held regularly since 1950.

Many people believe that the chess olympiad is in some way related to the Olympic games, but this is not correct. The Chess Olympiad has no connection with the Olympics Games.

How to Participate in the Chess Olympiad?

The Chess Olympiad is open to players of all abilities, from beginners to grandmasters.

Fide Logo

If you are part of a national chess federation that is a member of FIDE, then you can inquire about participating in the event.

Because FIDE is a sporting federation that is recognized by the IOC and signatory to the WADA conventions, they are obligated to adhere to specific rules- one of which requires doping tests at events such as the Olympiad.

It is paramount that the participant adheres to all the Anti-Doping Policies of WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency)

Chess Olympiad Format

The tournament is divided into two sections: the Open section, for players with an Elo rating below 2300, and the Women’s section, for female players with an Elo rating below 2200.

The format of the tournament is an 11-round Swiss tournament, in which each team competes against every other team. There are a total of 11 rounds in the tournament.

Each team consists of four players, plus a reserve player and a captain. The tournament is held over two weeks, with each team playing one match against each of the other teams.

In each round, teams are paired off against each other, with each team assigning one player to each board (1-4).

The matches consist of players from each board of one nation playing against the corresponding board of the opponent nation (board one vs. board one, board two vs. board two, and so on).

The time control for each game is 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move (90+30), with an additional 30 minutes added after move 40.

Players cannot draw by agreement before move 30. This format ensures that every team has a fair chance to win the tournament and that all the matches are exciting and close.

Click here to access the complete Rules and Regulations Handbook governed by FIDE

Also Read: How to Set Up a Chessboard – Step by Step – chessbazaar’s Guide

Chess Olympiad Points System

The winner of each section is determined by a points system, with each match victory worth 1 point, each draw worth 0.5 points, and 0 points for a loss.

If the match ends in a draw, there are no tiebreaks.

The team that wins the Olympiad is the one with the most points from all of its matches at the end of the tournament and is declared the Olympiad Champion.

How are the pairings decided?

The Olympiad employs a Swiss pairing system, much like ordinary chess tournaments. The basic idea is that as the competition progresses, teams will be linked with one another based on their score: top teams will battle against each other, and likewise for the bottom.

Although the clear disadvantage of this format is that the early rounds may have some very one-sided games.

What is the prize for winning the Chess Olympiad?

The Olympiad is a prestigious international chess tournament that features team and individual non-monetary prizes based on performance.

The prizes are divided into 2 categories – Team Prizes and Individual Prizes

Team Prizes

The Hamilton-Russell Cup is the championship trophy for the winning team in the open division. The cup is kept by the winners until the next event when it is handed over to the next winner.

The Vera Menchik Cup is given to the winning women’s team as a prize in memory of the first Women’s World Chess Champion.

Teams that finish in the top three also receive team medals: Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals for the first, second, and third place respectively.

Individual Prizes

Players who are assigned the same board number compete against each other to win individual medals. These medals are given out based on their performance rating: Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals for the first, second and third place respectively.

FAQs about the Chess Olympiad

What is the frequency of the chess olympiad?

The Chess Olympiad is held every two years. The next edition will be held in Budapest, Hungary from 10 to 23 September 2024.

What are the eligibility criteria to participate in the chess olympiad?

The only eligibility criteria is that your national chess federation must be a member of FIDE. If it is, then you can participate in the Chess Olympiad regardless of age.

Key Takeaways

In this blog post, we have provided information on how to participate in this prestigious tournament. We have also outlined the format of the tournament and explained the points system.

We hope that this blog post has provided you with everything you need to know about the Chess Olympiad. If you have any further questions, please do let us know in the comments below.

So what are you waiting for? Start preparing for the Chess Olympiad today!

Blog on Chess March 16, 2020

10 Best Chess Quotes

It is believed that a chess player’s IQ is more than an average human being. This mental exercise called chess surely makes you smarter.
Many people suffering from depression or anxiety disorders had taken the help of chess to rejuvenate their minds and helped themselves to solve their problems.
Here are some of the best chess quotes related to life and chess, this read might help you reap some motivation out of them.

Here are 10 best chess quotes that may strike a chord!

1) “I don’t believe in psychology. I believe in good moves” – Bobby Fischer

2) “Chess is a war over the board. The object is to crush the opponent’s mind.” – Bobby Fischer

3) Chess is like body-building. If you train every day, you stay in top shape. It is the same with your brain – Chess is a matter of Daily training. – Vladmir Kramnik

4) Chess is the art of analysis – Mikhail Botvinnik

Best Quote on Chess — Pegasus Series Chess Sets!

5) Chess is above all, a fight! – Emanuel Lasker

6) “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5,

and the path leading out is only wide enough for one” – Mikhail Tal

7) “When you are lonely when you feel yourself an alien in the world, play Chess. This will raise your spirits and be your counselor in war” – Aristotle

Mikhail Botvinnik Chess Quote — St. Petersburg Series Chess Sets

8) “There is no one that can share your responsibility. It is your responsibility you must carry it on and you must be responsible for your actions. At the end of the day we all are being challenged, sooner or later, by our destiny. And it’s up to us to make all the difference in this life. If not you, who else?”

― Garry Kasparov

9) A strong memory, concentration, imagination, and a strong will is required to become a great Chess player” – Bobby Fischer

10) Every chess master was once a beginner. ― Irving Chernev

Quote by Emanuel Lasker — The Indian Chetak Series

We hope you start playing this wonderful game, Chess after reading this “best chess quotes” blog and implementing the daily practice schedule to become a chess grandmaster one day.

Yes, you can!

We have a wide variety of chess pieces, chess sets, chessboards & other chess-related accessories.

Blog on Chess February 17, 2020

Types of Chess Games

Not just one but there are many ways to play chess!

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Chess can be played with different formats and rules. Each format may differ in terms of time or standard positions or standard powers. Many create their own version of chess by altering the standards ( prescribed time or positions) accordingly to make the game more thrilling and exciting.

Today, We will discuss variants of chess played in the world. Let’s Go!

Standard

What the world usually plays!

A game where the projected duration of the entire game is either equal to 15 minutes or more.

Time: 15 minutes or more

Untimed

Untimed chess games are those in which chess clocks are not used so basically the start time is zero. The opponents can take as much time as they want to play the move. These are usually unrated games.

Longest chess game played?

20 hours and 15 minutes

The longest tournament chess game (in terms of moves) ever to be played was Nikolić–Arsović, Belgrade 1989, which lasted for 269 moves and took 20 hours and 15 minutes to complete a drawn game.

Wild

Wild chess games are different from other types as they do not commence with the standard positions. In these games pieces are kept on non-standard positions, in addition, chess pieces are also rated in a different manner.

A variant of a wild chess game is that the white chessmen on the chess board are set up in the traditional positions, but the position of black king and queen is interchanged.

Standard Walnut Maple Wooden Chess Board

Armageddon

A game that will surely produce a result, and will not end up in a draw, even if it does it means that the Black wins as the rule is the draw will mean black’s victory. To balance the advantage of the black side, White chess pieces have more time on the clock.

Type of chess game in which different rules apply for each of the two players.

Regular standardized times are six minutes for White and five for Black, or five minutes for White and four for Black. This can also be played with a small increment/decrement in the time frame.

Rapid

2019’s world Rapid Chess Championship held in Moscow, Russia each player received 15 minutes for the entire game. Plus a 10 seconds increment starting from move 1.

India’s Humpy Koneru won the women’s title after beating Lei Tingjie of China in a blitz playoff. Magnus Carlsen, the living legend, won the men’s title.

Time: 10 minutes or more.

Blitz

The time allowed in this type of chess is 5 minutes or less per side. Three minutes with a two-second increment is also preferred because of the introduction of digital clocks.

Time: 5 minutes

This is called “time odds” and it is used in various tie breaks for quick tournaments.

Super-Blitz

Time: 3 minutes or less

1) The time limit between moves shall be ten seconds.

2) Where a buzzer is used, each player on his turn to move shall move immediately the buzzer sounds – not before or after.

3) A move must be completed before the buzzer ceases to sound or the time on the clock expires.

Lightning

The fastest type of chess game. A player has to wait 10 seconds to make a move. This pause creates a different rhythm of the play and makes it different from Bullet or Blitz.

This type of gameplay needs experience, focus & speed.

Time: 1 minute

Bullet

Other time control options for bullet games include 2 minutes with a one-second increment.

Time: 1-2 minutes

Also Read: Why do you play chess? By Conrad Conero

Blog on Chess July 26, 2017

Chess vs Checkers vs Backgammon – Clash of the Titans

Chess is regarded as the most strategic game among other abstract board games. The tactics and strategies involved in the game often makes it the favorite game among intellectuals.

The people who play chess tend to be doing well academically as well. There are other abstract board games as well, like Checkers and Backgammon.

Let us compare the three games chess, checkers, and backgammon. Each game is different in its own way and has its own strong points. Comparing checkers, chess and backgammon on different –

Comparison in terms of judging the difficulty level in learning the concept and rules: Checkers is an easy to learn game. The simple rule is – If you can’t move, you lose.

When it comes to learning the rules, backgammon is the next easiest game. Backgammon is played by two players with 15 checkers each on a board consisting of 24 spaces or points. The checkers are moved according to rolls of the dice.

Each player tries to bring his own checkers home and bear them off before his opponent does, hitting and blocking the enemy checkers along the way. Understanding the whole concept of backgammon at once is a little difficult but still not that difficult as chess.

Chess is the most difficult one out of all these. The objective of the game of checkmate the king is easily understood but still, it is the most complex board game as it involves different movements, tactics, and strategies.

Comparison in terms of changes in number of pieces on board – In Checkers, Backgammon, and chess, the number of pieces on the board decreases and hence they all follow the concept of reduction.

Winner: Tie

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Comparison on the basis of opening patterns and combinations – If we compare checkers, backgammon, and chess on the basis of opening patterns and combinations, then Checkers and Backgammon are simpler in that way as there are fewer opening lines to learn about.

Chess, on the other hand, has largest possibilities of opening patterns and in the game of chess, one needs to be very careful while making the first moves as it is most of the times also the deciding factor.

Winner: Backgammon & Checkers snatches the victory here because they have fewer openings to learn.

Comparison on possible moves: In Backgammon & Checkers the choice set of moves is quite small.

In fact, there’s clearly one optimal move, or perhaps two that are nearly identical. So once you have learned the game properly, the game is limited and uninteresting.

Though backgammon is very fascinating game if played with doubling cube. But when it comes to chess things get dramatically changed, the options and strategies are far more diverse.

Practically there are over 288 billion different possible positions after just four moves each.

Winner: Chess. There are over 288 billion different possible positions just after four moves each set it apart, and the fact that the longest game of chess is possible of 5,949 moves.

Comparisons on the basis of Strategy – No game can overpower Chess, when it comes to strategy and tactics.

Chess will always remain a strategically dominant game. Checkers require less strategical moves in comparison to Chess.

Backgammon also requires strategically planned moves, but due to use of dice the game is not purely a strategical game. Backgammon is the combination of luck & strategy.

Winner: Chess is the undisputed champ when it comes to the strategical board game.

Comparisons on the basis of popularity – Backgammon is a quite very popular game. People are sometimes not even aware of this board game. Checkers is a popular game in America but among Europeans, the game is not so popular.

Chess is the most popular board game all around the world. People love to play Chess and they grow so passionate about this game that they convert their hobby into the profession.

Winner: Chess, thanks to 605 million adults who play chess regularly

Verdict: In our comparison test American Checkers also known as Draughts is the last. Like backgammon, checkers is also combined with strategy and a little bit luck. But only one optimal move & no doubling cube option makes checkers to the last position.

Backgammon comes second. Backgammon is one of the oldest two-player board game combined with strategy and luck. It is probably about 5,000 years old game and originated in Iraq—previously Mesopotamia. But backgammon is not purely a strategical game unlike chess, it’s the combination of luck & strategy.

The game is fascinating if played with doubling cube. Backgammon is also one of the most popular

board games in most casinos. Chess is the beast of the board & puzzle games. Chess is one of the oldest games that have intrigued mankind.

It is originated around 1500 years ago in India. According to the ChessBase report of 2012, there are approximately 605 million adults who play chess regularly – a number comparable to regular users of mighty Facebook.

There are ton of benefits of playing chess. Chess can be played by people of all age groups and mind sets. Chess is extremely helpful in brain development, it can sharpen your memory, makes you calculative, improves concentration and memory and the list goes on.

Chess will always continue to rule the world when it comes to Strategy board games.

Happy playing Chess!

A Quick Guide to Find the Perfect Chess Set May 17, 2017

How to Find a Perfect Wooden Chess Set Online?

Selecting a perfect chess set can really give you headaches. It is not easy to find a right chess set especially if you are buying it online. Markets are flooded with a huge variety of chess sets in different materials, shapes, and sizes. The chess pieces and the chess boards are often bought separately and that increases the difficulty level of ‘’choosing the correct chess set task ’’. We at Chessbazaar are here to help you find a breakthrough and by taking care of some very important points, we can help you in breaking the back of the beast.

Follow these steps to find your perfect chess set:

The purpose of the use of your chess set – The very first step to choosing a chess set is to decide that for what purpose do you need the chess set.

If you want to buy a chess set for your routine, use at chess clubs or at home then either you should go for some robust Staunton tournament chess sets or any weighted Staunton chess set would be the best option for this.

Related: How to Set Up a Chessboard – Step by Step – chessbazaar’s Guide

If you travel a lot and can’t travel without your best companion ‘chess set game ‘then you should buy a magnetic travel set. Our travel magnetic chess sets are ideal for playing on planes, trains, buses or in the cars. These chess sets use magnetic fields to secure the chess pieces to the board ensuring that they will not move. The chess pieces have been fitted with a magnetic stud in the base and the board is fitted with concealed Iron sheet.

Chess sets are also a wonderful way to decorate your living room, bedroom etc. If you want to light up your living space with a beautiful chess set or if you want to buy something antique for home decor, you can go for luxury chess sets or antique chess sets.

If you want to gift a chess set to your Dad, friend or your loved ones then our economy range is for you. You can buy a good quality wooden chess set here without burning a hole in your pocket.

And if you are a chess collector, then we have a special corner for you. Our Antique reproductions category is substantially designed for chess collectors and enthusiasts. Shop now>

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Set a price for your chess set – Ask yourself, how much can I afford for a chess set? You should buy a chess set that fits your pocket well so that you always feel satisfactory each time you play with it. Prices of the wooden chess sets vary according to the type of the wood, king size, weight, quality of the craftsmanship, the number of queens, services offered by the company, design of the knight etc. You need to set your priorities and determine that what kind of chess set you require and then determine the price accordingly. If you are low on a budget then chessbazaar.com is one of the best places to look for. We’re the cheapest option in the market for buying a new wooden chess set but that doesn’t equate to cheap quality too. Chess bazaar was founded in 2007 by Vikramjit Singh, who believes that high-quality chess sets don’t need to cost a fortune. At chessbazaar.com our primary motto is “MAKING HEIRLOOM QUALITY CHESS SETS – ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE”. All of our chess sets are of heirloom quality that lasts for many generations. We also offer free replacements* and the lifetime warranty on our most of the chess supplies.

Selecting the type and color of wood – After you have set a price for your chess set, you need to select the type of the wood that suits your taste the most. You can choose out of the best and luxurious wood types such as ebony wood, bud rosewood, rosewood or the evergreen ones like Sheesham and boxwood. Type of wood selected by you would also depend upon the color combination you want to have like black & red, black white, red & white etc.

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Select your Chess pieces – After keeping everything in your mind – the price, type of wood, design, weighted and non-weighted, and the purpose. If your primary purpose is playing speed chess, blitz etc then don’t go for heavily weighted (quadruple or more) chess pieces at all, you can’t play a blitz or speed chess easily with heavily weighted chess pieces until & unless you are a super human. Heavily weighted chess pieces are best for décor purpose or for occasional play. Though there are hundreds of designs available at our website like Dublin pattern, minimalist pattern, upright pattern, monoblock pattern, themed chess sets etc, but for actual play, Staunton pattern design is the standard among all. We’ve all in our store, so go ahead and choose your dream chess pieces according to your taste and requirement or simply go for standard Tournament chess set approved by fide.

Minimalist Hermann Ohme Chess Set in Sheesham & Box Wood Online 5. Matching a board to your chess pieces – Next difficulty is to choose a right board for your chess pieces. After choosing the perfect chess pieces now is the turn to choose the right field to play. If chess pieces are not matching properly with chess board then it will not give the satisfaction to a chess player. First, calculate the size of the base diameter of the widest chess piece “King” and divide it by 78%. For eg, if the base diameter of the king is 1.5″(38mm) then you should go for a square size of 1.9″ (48mm) or more. The concept is if you get the King chess piece just right, other chess pieces also fit in automatically on your chess board.

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To simplify your search here is the formula to calculate the right board size for you chess pieces – Calculate the base diameter of king and divide it by 78%.

6. Calculate the base diameter of the king and divide it by 78%. With this formula, you will get your board size. Now choose the type of the wood, color and the design of the edges and wooden frame that suits your chess pieces the best. Handmade wooden chessboards from ebony wood and rosewood and bud rosewood are often more expensive ones than the veneer or leather chess boards. Select the board according to your imaginations and ideas. Imagine the chess pieces and the chess board combo in your mind and make the final call. Still, if you’re unable to find a right chess board for your chess pieces then don’t worry, we have a chess sets category which has chess pieces with their matching chess board.

After following all these steps, we hope you’ll be able to find your perfect chess set.

Blog on Chess March 29, 2016

Now make double chess moves with Marseillais Chess

Isn’t it interesting that you are allowed to make two moves per turn. Like in our Childhood days, we used to feel so lucky and immensely happy, if we were allowed to make two moves in a game. Chess players have a chance to re-live their childhood with the Marseillais Chess variant. Marseillais Chess is a Vintage Multi-move variant, which allows the chess players to make double moves per turn.

This Marseillais Chess variant was invented by journalist Albert Fortis who was an inhabitant of Marseilles. The Game rules were first published in the local newspaper of Marseillais ‘Le Soleil’ in 1925. The Game gained a quick following in France. There are further two versions of this game:

Classical Marseillais: This is the original game as invented by the French journalist. All the players made two moves per turn from the beginning of the game.
Balanced Marseillais: This version was introduced by Robert Bruce in 1963. Robert Bruce made a simple rule change – In the balanced version, White makes only one move on the first turn. This was introduced to avoid too much advantage for white. The moves are made in the following order:White, Black, Black, White, White, Black, Black, etc. Since then the version gained a wide acceptance.

Marseillais Chess move

All rules of the normal chess game apply, but with some changes –

A player can either move one piece twice or move two different pieces on his turn. Castling counts as one move.

If a player gives check on his first move in a turn, he moves only once that turn. If a player is in check, he must move out of check in the first part of the turn. Moving the King into the check on the first move of the turn and then move out of the check on the second one is not allowed.

En passant capture is allowed even if the opponent moved the corresponding pawn on the first move of the previous turn. But en passant capture must be made on the first move of the turn. When two pawns can be captured en passant after opponents move, both of them can be captured.

Some famous chess grandmasters like Alexander Alekhine, Richard Réti, Eugene Znosko-Borovsky, and André Chéron made this Marseillais chess quite popular.

Blog on Chess March 19, 2016

Want to learn a new language called “Algebraic Chess Notation” ?

All those who are in this grand WORLD OF CHESS, it is very important to learn the language of this world. Chess notation has an important role in chess because it preserves the game’s history. All chess coaches strongly recommend the recording of one’s games so that one can look for improvements in one’s play. It allows you to record games for posterity and gives you the chance to review the history of the game’s development to date. In chess competitions, all players are required to record all the moves of both players in order to resolve disputes about whether a player has made an illegal move and what the position should now be. The most simple and universally understandable chess notation is called “ Algebraic notation ”. It allows the chess players to overcome language barrier to communicate with each other. Algebraic notation is also the official notation of FIDE which must be used in all recognized international competition.

Understanding Algebraic notation –

Naming the chess squares : There are 64 chess squares on a chess board. The rows of squares on the chessboard are called ranks and the columns of squares are called files.

The vertical files (columns) are labeled a through h, starting from left to right on White’s side;
The horizontal ranks (rows) are numbered 1 through 8, starting from bottom to top on White’s side.

Naming the chess pieces : Each chess piece is denoted by the first letter of its name in uppercase, except for the knight (N) and the pawn (nothing).

King = K
Queen = Q
Rook = R
Bishop = B
Knight = N (since K is already taken by a more important piece)
Pawn = (no letter) — pawns are denoted by the absence of a letter.

Learning the chess Punctuation – Punctuation is commonly used to comment on the effectiveness of moves, usually relative to the skill of the player. It is placed after the move.

+ or ch	Check
0-0	Kingside Castling
1-0	White won the game
½ -½	Game drawn
e.p.	en passant move
!	Good move
?	Bad move
+/=	Slight advantage for white
+/-	Advantage for white
+-	White decisive advantage
=	Even position or draw

Wooden Chess Boards with Algebraic Chess Notation

# or ++	Checkmate
0-0-0	Queenside Castling
0-1	Black won the game
*	Game in progress
x or :	Capture
!!	Very good move
??	Very bad move
=/+	Slight advantage for black
-/+	Advantage for black
-+	Black decisive advantage

How to write the game in algebraic notation – By using the algebraic naming of chess pieces, chess boards and punctuations, players can note down their game with the help of following examples –

· f4 e5	The White pawn moves to f4 and the Black pawn to e5.
· fxe5 d6	The White pawn on the f file takes the pawn on e5. The Black pawn moves to d6.
· exd6· Bxd6	The White pawn on the e file takes the pawn on d6. The Black Bishop takes the pawn on d6.
· g3 Qg5	The White pawn moves to g3. The Black Queen moves to g5.
· Nf3· Qxg3+	The White Knight moves to f3. The Black Queen takes the pawn on g3 and checks the White King.
· hxg3 Bxg3#	The White pawn on the h file takes the Queen on g3. The Black Bishop takes the pawn on g3 and delivers checkmate.

Congratulations you have learnt the chess language!! Enjoy playing chess and keep a record of your moves by noting it down on the “scoresheet” with the help of chess notation. Wish you – Happy Chess playing!!

Take a look of our amazing collection of handmade wooden chess pieces and chess boards.