wooden chess set Archives - chessbazaar Blog

Chess Blogs October 7, 2019

All About Woods used in Chessmen and Boards

Before 1989, the majority of the chess sets were made of Ivory.

A little bit about Ivory…

Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally elephants’) which is prized for its beauty, durability, and suitability for carving.

The population of African elephants declined from 1.35 million to 750,000. Looking at the humongous decline, the CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) took a land sliding decision to ban international trade in African elephant ivory.

With heavy restrictions imposed on the use of Ivory, Craftsmen bear the toll, as the business was too big to be closed, the businesses decided to move from Ivory to Wood. Hence use of wood in hand-crafted products became the new norm. Like every other hand-crafted item chessmen were starting to be manufactured in wood. Use of wood increased three folds.

Now Unlike Ivory, Woods for chess boards are much more diverse than those for pieces. There are so many types of wood used for chess boards and sets that we won’t be able to list every single one here.

Now you must be wondering does the variety of wood used to make Chess pieces really matter.

Yes, it does. It depends on the finish, durability and flexibility feature of the particular wood.

Types of Wood:

1. Sheesham Wood

Common Names: Sissoo, Sheesham
Scientific Name: Dalbergia sissoo
Distribution: Primarily northern India, Nepal, and Pakistan, as well as Western Asia; also grown on plantations
Heartwood ranges from golden brown to a darker reddish brown.
Sheesham has good decay resistance and is rated as durable to very durable.

Sheesham wood, aka Indian Rosewood, is produced from a deciduous tree which is native to the Middle East. This type of wood neither warps nor splits. Sheesham’s texture has natural grain and marking with chestnut color.

Due to high water percentage, it has a higher flexibility; it’s also very cost-effective which makes it a favourite of chess set makers. Sheesham and Rosewood are very popular among the craftsmen because there are fewer chances of cracking and breakage than ebony and sandalwood. Sheesham wood is strong and beautiful for woodworking.

Mostly it’s distinguished for its wood grains and its double colour tone of light and dark yellow/brown. Another reason why it is popular among craftsmen is that it’s cheap and easily available. Did you know: It is capable of withstanding average annual rainfall of up to 2,100 millimetres and droughts of 2-4 months.

Some of the Sheehsam products available at chessbazaar:

a) Combo of Vintage 1950’s Circa Bohemia Chess Set in Sheesham & Box Wood & Walnut Maple Wooden Chess Board with Notation – 3.89″ King

2. Ebony Wood

Common names: Ceylon Ebony, East Indian Ebony
Scientific Name: Diospyros ebenum
Distribution: Southeast Asia

Ebony is a jet black, sometimes with grey or dark brown streaks, the very best quality ebony looks like black plastic. Common uses involve Inlay, carving, musical instrument parts (piano keys, bridges, nuts, etc.), and turned objects.

Ebony is a luxurious wood, often called as the black wood. The natural state is dark brown but a chemical process can make it jet black.

Did you know: Ebony is used by Gibson Guitars for the fingerboards of some fine and classy guitars. Chess makers revere this wood for making luxurious chess sets.

More to Read: Why I collect chess sets, by John Lawson

Some products in Ebony at chessbazaar:

3. Boxwood

Common names: Boxwood, Common Box, European Box
Scientific Name: Buxus sempervirens
Distribution: Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia

In color Boxwood tends to be a light cream to yellow, which tends to darken slightly with prolonged exposure to light. It is a light coloured wood that is used to make chess pieces and squares on chess boards. It is seldom used to make whole chessboards however Boxwood tends to be somewhat difficult to work in flat dimensions, though it is superbly suited for turning.

Commonly used for carving and turning, and the tree’s minute size halts it to smaller projects. Most common uses are chess pieces, musical instruments (flutes, woodwinds, etc.), rulers, , turned objects, and other specially made small items. It is a dense wood that is robust and ages nicely.

Honest chess set traders refer to this as ebonized boxwood, less honest ones will sell them as ebony pieces.

Some products in Boxwood at chessbazaar:

a) Special Edition Reproduced Vintage 1950’s Circa Bohemia Staunton Series German Chess Set in Stained Crimson Boxwood – 3.89″ King

4. Ebonized(Dyed) Boxwood

In simple words, Ebonised Boxwood is a stained version of Boxwood. It is commonly used to make chess pieces, the black side obviously; a very convincing attempt at producing an Ebony effect.

It’s cheaper than Ebony and is perfect for black chess pieces.

Regular boxwood is light in color and usually used for the white pieces. It’s ebonized for use as black pieces.

Some products in Boxwood at chessbazaar:

a) The Bridle Series Chess Pieces in Ebonized Boxwood & Natural Boxwood – 4.0″ King

b) Combo of 1972 Reproduced Fischer-Spassky Staunton Pattern Chess Set V2.0 in Ebonized Boxwood & Natural Boxwood – 3.75″ King

5. Indian Rosewood

Common names: East Indian Rosewood, Indian Rosewood, sonokeling
Scientific Name: Dalbergia latifolia
Distribution: India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia

East Indian Rosewood has been used for acoustic guitars since the mid-1960s as a substitute for the now-endangered Brazilian Rosewood.

Rosewood like ebony is also considered as a luxury wood. Different variants of this wood comes from different parts it harvested from. It has a reddish tinge, this wood is dense yet not too hard, which makes it perfect for beautiful fingerboards on the guitars.

It is also used in the production of medium to high-end chess pieces, boards & folding sets.

Did you know: Rosewood was used by Fender guitars for their fingerboards from about 1959 onwards and rosewood was always considered a cheaper alternative to Ebony.

More to Read: Types of Chess Games

Some products in Boxwood at chessbazaar:

a) Wooden Chess Board Dark Brown Rose Wood 21″ – 55 mm

b) The New Columbian Staunton Series Chess Pieces in Rose Wood & Boxwood – 3.8″ King

c) Collectable Smoking pipe Rose Wood briar pipe Hookah 5-in-1.

6) Bud Rosewood aka Padauk Wood

Simply put, Bud Rosewood is wood that has been sourced from the base of the Rosewood tree. Quality-wise it leaves behind the normal Rosewood. Bud-Rosewood is used to make high-quality, high-end chess pieces and sets.

Some products in Boxwood at chessbazaar:

a) The Admiral Series II Staunton Chess Pieces in Bud Rosewood & Box Wood – 4.5″ King

b) Combo of Apache Series Luxury Chess Pieces in Bud Rose / Box Wood with Bud Rosewood Chessboard – 4.5″ King

7) Rubber wood

Common Name(s): Rubberwood, Plantation Hardwood, Para Rubbertree
Scientific Name: Hevea brasiliensis
Distribution: Basically from Brazil, but broadly cultivated in tropical regions, especially in Asia.
Rubber wood is naturally a light blonde to medium tan colour, sometimes with medium brown streaks, a wood used extensively in China for the production of wooden toys and games. Rubberwood is perishable, and has very little resistance to decay.

Ease of use with both hand and machine tools. Rubberwood tends to warp and twist in drying.

8) Maple Wood

Scientific Name: Acer
Distribution: There are approximately 128 species, most are native to Asia, with a presence also in Europe, northern Africa, and North America.

Maple is a fairly dense and heavy wood. Used to produced musical instruments & chess pieces & sets.
Types: Hard Maple & Soft Maple

Hard Maple: refers to one specific type of maple species i.e. Acer saccharum. It is also known as rock maple or sugar maple, (this is the same tree which is tapped to get maple syrup).

Soft Maple: refer to any specific species of maple, but rather, it’s a broad term which includes various species of maple. The term “soft maple” is just used to disassociate these species from hard maple.

Some products in Maple wood at chessbazaar:

a) Walnut Maple Wooden Chessboard Matte Finish 15″ – 45 mm

b) Combo of Vintage 1950’s Circa Bohemia Chess Set in Sheesham & Box Wood & Walnut Maple Wooden Chess Board with Notation – 3.89″ King

9) Pine Wood

Scientific name: Pinus
Distribution: Much of North America, China, South-East Asia, Russia and Europe

Pine wood is widely used in high-value carpentry items such as furniture, window frames, panelling, floors, and roofing, and the resin of some species is an important source of turpentine.
Pines are naturally found almost exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere. They are and have one of the largest distributions of any conifer family.

In regard to chess sets Try to avoid this wood unless you are looking for a very light weight and budget chess set.

Conclusion: According to Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) there are 60,065 species of trees around the world. BGCI compiled the tree list by using data gathered from its network of 500 member organisations.

Link to research: https://bbc.in/2p1GOZ6

As there are many more types of wood available in different parts of the world with various features, for chess making above described woods are most commonly used.

A manufacturer takes into consideration various factors before choosing the wood like availability, type of wood, Hardness and softness of wood , cost factors etc.

Read More: Skills to Master Through Chess

Chess May 24, 2016

World’s first Wooden Starter Chess Learning Kit is Here

Are you going to learn the wonderful game “chess” and sharpen your memory? For starting learning the game of chess, you always need a kit with all the necessary tools required to start the game or you may need a chess kit for chess club.

Chessbazaar takes utmost pride in announcing the world’s first wooden chess starter kit. Your kids deserve only the bestest things in the world, so don’t give them those cheap plastic chess sets to begin the new and most interesting course of their life. A starter kit with the eco-friendly, robust and beautiful chess pieces should be a gift from the wonderful parents. Children need something attractive that when you want them to learn something new and nothing can be more attractive than a wooden chess set. Serious players always prefer wooden chess sets, as all the chess tournaments have wooden chess sets as standards for the chess tournaments. Our chess experts have been carefully designed each kit with suitable equipments.

We have a collection of three starter kits, you can select the kit that suits your needs and budget. Chess pieces, chess boards, clocks and books have been put together so that they form recommended starter kits. So, here we introduce our kits –

1. Travel series starter kit with DGT clock – Special Starter kit has been designed for the kids who want to learn the game the chess champion style. The wooden chess set is equipped with magnets, so that you children can always take their favorite game to picknick, friend’s home or school. The chess pieces come in a magnetic wooden box in which the chess pieces can be properly stored in separate compartments. The free chess book would help your kids to learn the basics and play chess strategically. DGT clock gives your kid the feeling of a professional player and will motivate them to perform better. DGT 2010 is the official clock of FIDE.

2. Tournament Standard wooden starter kit – This starter kit is suitable for students and members of chess club. The starter kit includes tournament size wooden chess board, tournament chess pieces with wooden storage box, DGT 2010 clock and a chess book. Tournament Chess boards and chess pieces are of the same dimensions as officially standardized by FIDE. The clock is also the official clock of FIDE. The whole collection makes it perfect choice for the members of chess clubs and chess schools.

3. Tournament pro wooden starter kit – This starter kit is also best suitable for chess clubs and young chess learners. The kit includes tournament chess pieces, tournament folding chess board, DGT 2010 clock, chess book and a beautiful storage box for your beloved chess pieces. The storage box is lined with green felt to prevent the chess pieces from scratching. The whole combo is designed for desirability and reliability.

Gift your children the best equipped chess kit made from the bestest material and quality. Chessbazaar also offers FREE replacement guarantee. This means if any piece will lost or break at any time you can easily receive replacements for free. If you want to take your chess game to the next level there’s only one way to go – add the world’s first Wooden Starter Chess Learning Kit.

Chess May 6, 2016

MONTHLY ROUND-UP – APRIL 2016

There’s no doubt that the chess reproductions are always a hot topic in the chess community, regardless of what time of the year it is. To fulfil the aspirations of the collector community, we at chessbazaar, introduced the 19th century repro antique Dublin pattern chess set last month. This announcement gathered a lot of interest among the collectors. Moreover, we also launched 1940-50 reproduced (Soviet Era) Russian series in ebony wood, Reproduced Russian (Soviet Era) series chess set in ebony wood and Dubrovnik chess set v2.0 in sheesham wood. If you have missed the launches or are simply looking for an orderly recap, the table below should be for your interest.

Reproduced 19th Century Antique Series Dublin Pattern Chess Set in Rose & Box Wood – 4.6″ King

Reproduced Russian (Soviet Era) Series Chess Set in Ebony & Box Wood – 4″ King

New 1950 Dubrovnik Bobby Fischer Reproduced Chess Set Version 2.0 in Sheesham / Box Wood – 3.6″ King

1940-50 Reproduced (Soviet Era) Russian Series Chess Set Revised in Ebony & Box Wood – 4.4″ King

The 19th Century Antique Series Dublin Pattern Chess Set was announced earlier last month and there’s no way you could have missed it. On the odd chance you have, you can bring yourself up to speed here in our monthly recap. Extremely rare 19th mid century Dublin pattern chess pieces with a king height of 4.6″ and a base diameter of 1.8″. The pieces are rugged and triple weighted for the fantastic hand-feel and a very satisfying thud on the chess board. This chess set features chessmen that are crafted with a combination of rose wood and box wood. Chess is one of the most popular games in the Soviet Union and there is one interesting fact that most of the world chess champions were citizens of the Soviet Union. Russian soviet series is among the most beautiful Russian series we have ever launched and now we have introduced reproduced Russian (Soviet Era) series chess set in ebony & box wood with the king height of 4 inches. The chess set comes with 34 pieces including 2 extra queens. This set is triple weighted and the chess pieces have thick green felt on their bases. Dubrovnik Bobby Fischer reproduced series is our most popular series, and all versions of it have been hugely successful, though it was the first one that made the greatest splash. Following the success of Dubrovnik Series, we have introduced the version 2.0 in sheesham & box wood with the king height of 3.6 inches, though some might wonder if it’s actually an upgrade over the previous version! Based on the customers review and suggestions, we worked with our best carvers to bring the most accurate reproduction for our esteemed customers. The result is Dubrovnik 2.0. This version 2.0 is simply gorgeous, and exquisitely striking, therefore each piece is carved with meticulous care. Our most magnificent chess set yet takes nearly a week to create. It’s a chess set that is truly like no other.

1940-50 Reproduced (Soviet Era) Russian Series Chess Set Revised in Ebony & Box Wood – 4.4″ king made the headlines as well, with a king height of 4.1″ and a base diameter of 1.6″ these pieces are rugged and have thick green felt on their bases. The dark side of chess pieces is made in ebony wood and the lighter side is made in box wood. Shop Now

That’s all for now. Follow us on Twitter & Facebook to stay up-to-date with the latest releases, offers & promotions. We’d glad to know your views and experiences of the chess sets which you have purchased from us. You can also get the updates direct on your email by sign upto our newsletter.

Happy Chess Playing!

Monthly Review November 9, 2015

Monthly Round-up – Oct 2015

Chessbazaar_Monthly_Roundup

Another month is now behind us and the past few days were definitely dominated by new arrivals. We got 5 new sets announcements. If you think you might have missed something interesting from the past month, here is a rundown of our most popular announcements.

1851 Staunton pattern chess set

1849 chess set in tournament size

Russian Soviet era chess set

DGT chess clocks

Leather roll-up chess boards

Reproduced antique Russian chess set

While we are on the topic of new announcements, After the tremendous success of our reproduction of 1849 Staunton chess set, we have finally introduced 1851 Staunton pattern chess set with a 4.3 inch king, heavily weighted chess pieces(81.13 oz), We are also offering free king side stamping with “Morphy” knights. The Morphy knights have pronounced jowls as compared to other designs of knights. The dark pieces are made in ebony wood and the lighter pieces in antiqued box wood. The king in the set is 4.3″ high and the set comes with 34 pieces including 2 extra queens.

1849 in 3.75″ also made its debut and gathered a lot of fan attention. The chess pieces are made in antiqued box wood and ebony wood with 54 oz weight. The chess set comes with 34 pieces including 2 extra queens. This set is weighted and the chess pieces have thick green felt on their bases. Tournament size of 1849 chess set is priced at $299.99 with free shipping.

Other noteworthy announcements from the past few days include the Russian Soviet chess set, DGT chess clocks, leather chess boards and the reproduced Russian chess set.

And as long as we are on the subject of reproduced antique chess sets, the new “Reproduced Russian (Soviet Era) Series Chess Set” is one that deserves some attention. Pieces are beautifully hand carved in ebony, sheesham & box wood. Chess pieces offers a 4″ King with a base diameter of 1.77″ and comes with 34 pieces including 2 extra queens. Pieces are weighted and have thick green felt on their bases.

Moving on to chess accessories we have launched new range of DGT chess clocks, the DGT 2010 Digital Clock sets a new standard in Digital Excellence. It is the ultimate clock, one that is user-friendly, attractive and offers all of the features that chess enthusiasts demand.

We have also launched a chess board for our customers who look out for some affordable yet elegant rolled-up style boards. We have launched finest leather roll up chess boards that are super light weight & wrinkle free(*when folded properly). These chess boards are easy to transport compared to the flat and folding wooden chess boards, so you can carry these roll-up chess board easily to your tournaments, clubs, or next door. We are first in the chess industry to offer these roll-up leather chess boards at a very low price with free shipping. Shop Here

Chess is one of the most popular games in the Russia, and chess sets manufactured during Soviet time are liked by many collectors. To fulfill the demand, we have expanded our Russian Antique range with Reproduced Antique Russian Series Stained Chess Set. King is 4.1″ high. All chess pieces are weighted by adding a stud of iron within the base. Each of the chess piece has thick green felt on its base. The dark chess pieces are made of dyed box wood and the lighter chess pieces are made of box wood.

Last, but definitely not the least, if you are still waiting for our previous 1849 chess set, you will be pleased to hear that it is getting more closer to a release. We are in the final stages, so it shouldn’t be long now.

That’s all for now folks, Follow us on Twitter & Facebook to stay up-to-date with the latest releases, offers & promotions. We’d be glad to know your views and experience of the chess sets which you have purchased from us.

Monthly Review September 11, 2015

Monthly Round-up – Aug 2015

Chessbazaar_Monthly_Roundup

With yet another exciting month behind us, it’s time once again for a quick recap of the highlights from the last month. If you think you might have missed something from the month, here is a list of the hottest releases in the Aug 2015.

A new generation of wooden chess set is coming soon

California Chrome Series Released

Abaco Barb is now available in bud rose & box wood

1851 & Original 1849 Staunton pattern chess set is coming soon

It comes as no surprise that the Blackburne chess set is still on everybody’s mind but the best is yet to come. Yes you heard it right, the biggest flagship of 2016 train is on track and will be available soon on our website. However, you have to wait patiently for the event to find out the whole story.

California Chrome Series made the headlines as well, California chrome chess set brings new styling to our current luxury line-up, thanks to it’s sharp edgy design. It comes with a 4.1″ King & hand carved in bud rose/ebony & box wood.

The knight in this chess set is dedicated to California Chrome, the American Horse of the year 2014. California Chrome is an American thoroughbred racehorse which won the 2014 Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.

Abaco Barb Staunton Series is coming next week in bud rose wood & box wood with the king height of 4.4” and a base diameter of 1.9”. All chess pieces are triple weighted by adding a stud of iron within the base. Each of the chess piece has thick green felt on it’s base. The dark chess pieces are made of Bud rose wood and the lighter chess pieces are made of Box wood.

And as for the 1851 reproduction which chess collectors are eagerly waiting for is coming this fall along with a previous version of the 1849 Staunton pattern chess set. These are the two reproductions which every chess collector will look out for. Please also note that we are going to launch a dozen of new chess sets before Christmas. Pricing and availability of new chess sets will be announced later this fall. So stay tuned!

coming_soon (1)

That’s all for now, Follow us on Twitter & Facebook to stay up-to-date with the latest releases, offers & promotions. We’d glad to know your views and experience of the chess sets which you have purchased from us.