Customer Stories

 

 

 

 

 
"We are very happy with our experience with Chessbazaar.We have ordered chess pieces, chess boards and complete sets several times and we have never been disappointed. Indeed, the woods used for the manufacturing are precious woods of great quality and the design of the pieces is magnificent! We really liked the rosewood models, and the sets with chess box, chess board and chess pieces are excellent for a gift to a loved one. We have been playing chess for a long time now and have never been as satisfied as with Chessbazaar. If you choose to order low-priced models, you won't be disappointed by the quality of the products offered either. Even the plastic chess pieces are splendid in design, and the cheap wooden ones are weighted and felted like any luxury model. If you prefer the luxury models, you can only be satisfied by the quality of the workmanship of the Chessbazaar craftsmen. Also, the delivery is super fast with DHL, and it's completely free! All in all, we recommend Chessbazaar more than any other chess manufacturer, you won't be disappointed no matter what range you select and the quality/price ratio is just unbeatable compared to other chess

manufacturers, wherever they are."

 

Winner of special giveaway - 2021

 

 Hola, Amantes del Ajedrez. Quiero compartirles un poco acerca de mi historia.El ajedrez ha sido un Arte que conocí gracias a mi padre en 1999, cuando recién entraba a la primaria con mi hermano. Recuerdo que era un niño muy introvertido pero con muchas pasiones aún ocultas, una de ellas era el Ajedrez. Mi padre me enseñó a mover las piezas desde pequeño y fue un juego que entendí casi de inmediato. Se trataba de un pasatiempo entretenido para mí, hasta que me empezó a interesar un poco más a los 14 años, cuando le gané el primer juego a mi padre con un "Jaque Mate de pasillo", aún recuerdo que fue cuando mi torre entró por la columna de H y su Rey quedó encerrado con sus peones (en ese entonces ni siquiera sabía que se llamaba "jaque mate de pasillo", pero aún así resultó). Deben saber que el tablero sobre el que le gané a mi padre tiene más años que yo, así que el recuerdo de aquel día y de muchas otras partidas interesantísimas aún se guardan entre las casillas. Pasó mucho tiempo y me alejé del ajedrez, nunca lo estudié como ahora lo intento ya a mis 26 años. Pero, no sé, de pronto se volvió a despertar esa pasión en mí. Y la fortuna con la que corrí, fue que ahora también encontré a ChessBazaar. No se imaginan el tiempo que me la pasaba viendo páginas y páginas en toda la web para encontrar alguien que me ofreciera un ajedrez a buen precio. Así que cuando vi esta gran tienda en línea averigüé sobre la confiabilidad de sus productos hasta que quedé convencido. Me la pasé ahorrando mucho tiempo con grandes sacrificios porque en México es difícil ganarse la vida para la mayoría de las personas, sin embargo, el esfuerzo dio resultados. Ya que en 2019 pude adquirir el ajedrez que me quitaba el sueño todas las noches. Fue difícil tomar una decisión, porque aunque el ajedrez me parecía barato por ser una obra de arte pura, aún para mí era complicado poder adquirirlo, hasta que por fin lo compré sin importarme nada. Ahora, el Chetak II es el ajedrez que por fin tengo (ya también tengo un French Lardy, que compré en oferta). Y ¿saben?, a pesar de que lo tengo en mis manos, a veces no lo puedo creer por completo. Pero sí, es real. Para mí fue como cumplir un pequeño sueño lleno de lujo. Y ahora lo sacaré de vez en cuando para sorprender a mis rivales y deslumbrarlos con su belleza, así les ganaré unas cuantas partidas cuando los tome desprevenidos (ojalá que sea algún día contra Magnus Carlsen, ya que es un tablero genial que vale la pena que sea usado contra un rival de su talla y genialidad). Así que ya saben, cuando puedan consiéntanse así mismos o consientan a alguien, les garantizo que regalar un juego de ajedrez a alguien que ama un tablero de 64 casillas y 32 piezas es como bajarle la luna y las estrellas. ¡Un abrazo desde México a todos los Amantes del Ajedrez y a ChessBazaar! ¡Vayan por la sombra! ¡Éxito en sus partidas! ¡Y si tienes ganas de un ajedrez, ahorra, ahorra mucho y cómpratelo, que vida solo hay una!

 

Google translated
Hello, Chess Lovers.
Father's day, my birthday and Christmas and my family do not have to ask me what I want as a gift.
Hello, Chess Lovers. I want to share a little about my story. Chess has been an art that I met thanks to my father in 1999, when I was just entering primary school with my brother. I remember that he was a very introverted child but with many passions still hidden, one of them was Chess. My father taught me how to move the pieces since I was little and it was a game that I understood almost immediately. It was an entertaining hobby for me, until it started to interest me a little more at age 14, when I won my father's first game with a "Checkmate in the hall", I still remember that it was when my tower entered by the column of H and his King was locked up with his pawns (at that time he didn't even know what was called "checkmate in the hall", but it still turned out). You should know that the board on which I beat my father is older than me, so the memory of that day and many other interesting games are still stored between the boxes. A lot of time passed and I walked away from chess, I never studied it as I try now at my 26 years. But, I don't know, that passion in me suddenly woke up again. And the fortune with which I ran was that now I also found ChessBazaar. You can not imagine the time I spent watching pages and pages throughout the web to find someone who offered me chess at a good price. So when I saw this great online store I found out about the reliability of their products until I was convinced. I spent a lot of time saving with great sacrifices because in Mexico it is difficult to make a living for most people, however, the effort gave results. Since in 2019 I was able to acquire chess that took my sleep away every night. It was difficult to make a decision, because although chess seemed cheap because it was a work of pure art, it was still difficult for me to acquire it, until I finally bought it without caring about anything. Now, Chetak II is the chess that I finally have (I also have a French Lardy, which I bought on offer). And you know, even though I have it in my hands, sometimes I can't believe it completely. But yes, it is real. For me it was like fulfilling a little dream full of luxury. And now I will take it from time to time to surprise my rivals and dazzle them with their beauty, so I will win a few games when I take them off guard (hopefully one day against Magnus Carlsen, since it is a great board that is worth it be used against a rival of his size and genius). So you know, when you can consent to yourself or consent to someone, I guarantee that giving a chess game to someone who loves a board of 64 squares and 32 pieces is like lowering the moon and stars. A hug from Mexico to all Chess Lovers and ChessBazaar! Go through the shadow! Success in your games! And if you feel like chess, save, save a lot and buy it, there is only one life!

Thank you!

By: -TEMACHTIANY ARRIAGA JIMENEZ

 

 

 

 

 

I live in Colombia I am a beginner in the game of chess I love the pieces and that is why I collect them I have many games but lately I only buy in chess bazaar because they are of excellent quality and very good prices I have bought five sets of pieces of chess bazaar, all dias I open your page I spend hours observing consulting what news and discounts have.

 

Father's day, my birthday and Christmas and my family do not have to ask me what I want as a gift.
I found this page by accident and since then I have not looked at another, it is excellent with very good prices and discounts, I thank chess bazaar and everyone involved in the creation of these beautiful products.

Thank you!

 

 

By: Nelson Rodriguez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm Antonio and I learned to play chess at 6 years old. I was very interested in the beauty of the game, both in the ideas that emerged on the board, and in the material part of the boards and pieces.I played several tournaments as a young man, becoming state champion in high school. Later during college, I left it, and afterwards, the work forced me to disassociate myself completely from ch25 years passed. Now, as a university professor and the father of twin daughters, the opportunity to take up chess came up again. A small tournament on our campus once again triggered my interest. And also, I discovered Chessbazaar. I started with a first order, a chess set that I had always been interested in, the Zagreb 1959 model (SKU: S1236-A). A delight to receive it at home. Carefully craftmanshipped and packed and superb customer service. I continued later with a tournament set with the Knight Horse.My students, who at some point in their lives had played chess, could not believe the quality of the pieces they were playing with. They seemed the most beautiful sets they had seen. They played for hours and hours. I had to ask them not to usurp the hours of classes to play, but only the rest times.Now, both of them and I have taken up this passion for chess. They play online and also with Chessbazaar sets.So far, I have ordered 5 times with them and the quality is consistent. In the picture, I'm showing off with the most luxurious set I've ordered: The Bridle Knight Series Chess Pieces in Sheesham (SKU: S1221). It had a small defect in a rook, but it was quickly replaced by the Chessbazaar team.My return to chess, which I love so much, has a lot to do with the existence of this site. Now I'm planning the purchase of my first ebony set, which I hope will not take long!

 Thank you very much to all the team that makes this possible. 

 

By: Rodríguez Alcalá Antonio, Mexico 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I learned to play chess at age 16, with a friend from high school. On one occasion in front of a National Master with a set of unforgettable pieces. Big was my surprise when I saw him again in the portal of Chessbazaar is THE CAVALIER CHESS SET STAUTON R0347. I was thrilled to see it, many memories came to me and I immediately wanted to have it. My emotion overflowed when I held it in my hands. The beauty of the carving of the pieces, the brilliance of the ebony, the harmony and symmetry of the game are fabulous. There I fell in love with the chess pieces and became a collector. I have spent hours watching and admiring each set of Chessbazaar, until today I have acquired more than 10 sets of pieces. The great quality of the wood (ebony, rosewood, boxwood, root rosewood, African padowck, etc.) the carving of the pieces, mainly of the horses, I can affirm that they are true artists. Chessbazaar is a great store, not only for the extensive assortment of pieces, boards and accessories but also for the professionalism they have. All the pieces that have arrived broken or damaged have replaced them. They are always very kind and treat me with love. This is not common to find it in many places. All this makes it my favorite. I am often looking for your promotions, which certainly have great prices with discounts even up to 70% of their original cost. And the new models that are continuously innovating or reproducing keep me very interested and passionate. Thanks to all who constitute Chessbazaar.

 

William (Mexico)

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I was ten years old in the mid-1980s I went to my grandmother's house and my cousin, who is the same age as I am, happened to be there visiting her too. While looking for something to do we found a chess set on a shelf among a lot of other board games. Neither of us really knew how to play, but we read the rules and gave it a try. We ended up playing for hours, and we convinced our parents and our grandmother to let us spend the night there, and the next morning we started early and played chess all day. After that, we started spending every weekend at our grandmother's house in order to play chess.

Around that time I started fifth grade in school, and on the first day, my new teacher was playing chess with students at break time. Several students were waiting in line to play, and he was beating them all quickly. I got in line to play, thinking I was pretty good because of all the chess I'd been playing with my cousin, but I soon found out that I was a total beginner. He beat me in four moves ("Scholar's mate"). But that only made me want to play him again, and again, and again, and so on. I started playing him every day after school, and after a few months, I won my first game. It was a long time before I won my second game from him, though.

He had an old wooden chess set and I wanted a wooden chess set just like it, but there was no place around that sold wooden chess sets. In every store that I checked, I could only find cheap, hollow plastic chess sets with tiny pieces and folding boards made of cardboard.

Over the years I eventually found better chess sets, but they were still plastic. However, at least they were solid plastic and the pieces were tournament size. I never stopped wanting a nice wooden chess set though.

A few years ago, now having the internet at my disposal, I decided to research wooden chess sets, which eventually led me to Chessbazaar, due to their reputation for good quality at reasonable prices. I chose the D0179 set (four-inch king) because I liked the design of the pieces, and the black pieces were real ebony, but they only cost about what some other places were selling ebonized sets for. When they arrived, I found that they exceeded my expectations. The quality of the turning/carving, and the quality of the wood itself, was excellent, far nicer in every way than the wooden set that my fifth-grade teacher had. They were also impressively weighted, heavier than any pieces I'd ever used before. They are very satisfying to move around on a solid wood chessboard.

 

By: Charles USA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I am Patrick and I recently bought this chess set with chessbazaar.com: a Sheesham ebony board and the Shera Series Staunton in ebony/boxwood and I am very satisfied with these items.
I have done many orders with chessbazaar.com for 2 years and each time I was sincerely amazed by the quality of the chess sets so that I have been a chess lover playing with my friends or on line with the beautiful wooden pieces.
I wish you the same feeling when you place an order with chessbazaar.com.

 

 By: Patrick Vitry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I learned to play chess when I was 12 years old. My best friend and neighbor was my teacher. In the summer of 1960, we played chess all day long, and I lost to my neighbour all day long for over a week… until I won my first game! After that first win, my dear teacher and childhood best friend was never again able to win against me. I kept playing for many more years. On my only official tournament and as an adult (after winning the first two games) I learned that I was not as good as I thought when on my third game I was eliminated by a young boy. The reason? I used my queen too early!!

 

One highlight of my chess story was the January 1974 Byrne vs. Spassky “Candidates Quarter Final” match that took place at the College of Engineers and Architects club house in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I joined the many chess aficionados at the Engineers’ building to watch the match. I remember rushing my supper after work in order to be able to make it on time to the match. Eating my supper in such a rush brought on a bad case of stomach cramps. My digestive system and that of my young wife just got paralyzed. At the time, in order to save for our first house, we were living with my mother. My first born crying all night, the night heat in San Juan and the tight quarters in the house mixed with the Byrne-Spassky match was all our poor stomachs needed. We spent the night at the emergency room and was administered a needle directly to the stomach to get it functioning again!

Over the years I have organized a number of friendly home tournaments with family members. My most memorable accomplishments have all been in informal settings and include a very tight loss to the University of Puerto Rico champion after over 5 hours of play. I also remember betting on a new pair of shoes with a fellow worker. He challenged me by stating that I could not win one single game in a series of 6 games. After a tie in the second game (I lost the first) we decided to not continue with the betting. On that second game (which was “my win for sure “) I learned the vital importance of economy of movement and timing. After the second day of play (I have sealed the strongest possible move the day before) I took an extra and unnecessary move to crown my pawn. That was all that my opponent needed to plant his king in front of my pawn making my “sure win” a tie.

Now in my retirement years in Nova Scotia, Canada; I have rekindled my love for chess by playing with my two grandchildren (12 & 15) as well as with my son in law. In 2011, I made a hand painted pine chess board to play with my many plastic and light weighted chess pieces. But after 6 years of playing with my new board, I decided that at 69 it was time for the real thing. So I started searching the web for good wooden classical chess pieces. My main criteria were for the pieces to be made of wood, of an adequate size for my 2.16 in. squares board and of good weight. I was also looking for sturdy pawns and broad rooks. My search ended with Chess Bazaar when I found the Reykjavik set with a 3.75 in. king. This was the set used for the 3rd game of the 1972 Fischer - Spassky world championship in Iceland. I just love the sturdy pawns and, the broad bases of all the pieces. Not to overlook the beautiful tall knights and round headed bishops. It’s a classy feeling to handle the heavy weighted pieces of my Reykjavik in Sheesham and boxwood. I have finally found the companion set for my handmade chess board. With my new set, I found that I am now playing two to three games daily. (Thank god for the android chess apps). Now I find myself constantly searching Chessbazaar.com for my next purchase. I think it will be a Dubrovnik in bud rosewood, another Bobby Fischer favorite!

PD: Your latest arrival has just changed my mind. I am now inclined to “The Imperial Collector Series (Sinquefield Cup 2014) in Ebony Wood & Box Wood”

By: Pedro L. Colón (Canada)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It all started when I was a child. I always loved how the chess sets looked but I never knew how to play it. I was always fascinated by the chess pieces, my favorite was always the knight. Not till about a couple months ago I tried to learn how to play so I turned to watching videos on youtube. Once I learned I started buying different chess sets. I started with plastic sets then moved up to wood sets. A lot more expensive but a lot nicer. This is my first set buying from chess bazaar. My kids loved it so I kept it. I love the size of the set and the weight. Since the set is a bit large, I am still looking for a nice chess board to go well with this set. They don't make too many large chess boards out there but considering how much I like the set I won't stop till I find it. The set has brought my family a lot of joy. I plan on putting this set on display in my living room. I wanted something I can pass on to future generations and this would go well. As a complete set overall it was great. Since the knight is my favorite piece I pay extra attention to it, one thing I didn't like was that a black knight and boxwood knight had their mouth over done, and a boxwood rook had a red dot in the center. They would replace them but I had to pay 50$ for the shipping. Considering how much my kids and I loved it I didn't return it and paid the 50$. I was unhappy about that but I'm sure the 2 knights and rook they will send me would be a lot better hopefully and that would make me happy. 

 

By: Alex Aguilar (USA)

 

 

 

 

 My brother Ian and I aren’t strong chess players, in fact very weak, but we do like playing through classic games whether one from history (Morphy is one of favourite chess players) or the battle of human v computer such as Kasparov v Deeper Blue computer.

 
Playing through a classic game with an attractive set adds a tactile dimension to the game and the beauty of the final position can be enjoyed. But does require an attractive chess set to really appreciate it. We chose the antique reproduction set pictured (M0095).  We think the tall elegant pieces work well with a very simple vinyl board but have placed a plate of smoked glass on top of the board so that the pieces reflect. A striking chess set also makes a feature in our lounge.
 
Very impressed with the service offered by Chess Bazaar.
 
(We were planning to buy the splendid S1215 Calvert set so hope our story may qualify for a discount!)

By: David and Ian Walker (Huddersfield, UK)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 “ … In my younger days at school, I developed a passion for Chess. I liked the thought of a game that was entirely based on your own strategic decisions, having full control of the outcome. A game that was not influenced by chance per se, through the bad Role of a die or having been being dealt a bad hand from the start. I had taught myself the game and generated interest at my school when as a Year 7 student I beat a Maths Teacher in a game! I was subsequently taken under the wing by a Senior Year Chess player, joined the local Chess Club and participated successfully in major tournaments throughout the State representing my school. As I got older, I got caught up with other parts of life and Chess took a backseat. Recently my interest for the game was rekindled when I introduced my 5-year-old twins to the game. They love it … of course their knowledge of the game is somewhat limited at the moment as they move the pieces around on the board according to their ever-changing rules, but they do love playing it. I have several Chess Sets, some from my school days way back, and with my renewed interest in Chess now I started to look for some Chess Pieces to go with a high-quality Spanish Chess board I had purchased some 20 odd years ago. The board has 6cm (2.36”) sized playing squares. Whilst searching on the Net I stumbled by chance across the “Exclusive Russian Zagreb Chess Pieces in Ebonized Boxwood & Natural Boxwood - 4.1-inch King" offered by Chessbazaar. The pieces seemed to be a good fit for my current board (4.1 Inch Tall King – ratios with a Base of 43mmm on a 60mm board of 72% and the Pawns base 34mm on a 60mm board of 57%). I thought they would also be a good match for a 55mm sized playing square board I also have. I subsequently ordered the Chess pieces. Correspondence by Chessbazaar throughout the entire process was superb and the promptness with how quick this set was delivered to Australia truly puts our local posting service to shame. Upon delivery and opening the package I was truly taken aback by the care and professionalism that was taken with the packaging and packing of the pieces. Each piece was individually wrapped in a foam like protective material, all incased in a nice snap lock lid plastic container ….and the pieces themselves … well, all I can say is that they truly are a work of art, superbly crafted and finished, fantastic in every respect. The pictures on the net does not do them justice when seeing them in real life! Nothing that I could purchase locally would even come close to the price/performance value as offered by Chessbazar. Extremely well weighted to boot they truly are a pleasure to play with and according to my wife they are truly both beautiful to look at and hold. Unfortunately for me now though, I fear I will be purchasing further Chess Pieces from Chessbazaar in the near future …. and hey my birthday is just around the corner By: Savas P(Sydney, Australia) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I recently reacquired my passion for chess. Years ago my first rendezvous with the mysterious pieces left me with a sudden sense of restless comfort. An oxymoron? I got my first lesson when I was 8 years old. My first lesson in Shatranj (Persian for Chess) was to protect your king at all costs while making schemes and strategies to capture other side kings. This concept is part of human history. In short to me chess was something very close to human nature. With time my appreciation of the game only grew.Chess has acquired a high reputation as being a means to discipline the mind, because it requires a strong memory and peculiar powers of combination. I did some research in regards to chess pieces and searched for the one which would truly make the journey memorable. I bought my first chess set from chess bazar 2 years ago. I was extremely excited when I first touched the luxurious wood art. With time, I got familiar with the different kinds of woods finishes and artistry that goes with chess.I decided to get another chess set. After screening through so many websites and pieces I came back to Chess Bazaar. The reason was simple. Price, quality and aftermarket service. I got the Blackburne (Joseph Henry) Edition Chess Set in Ebony & Box Wood. I live in Australia Melbourne. I received the set within 6 working days which is amazing. The packaging was a joy to unwrap. Everything was neatly folded in a nice big leatherette box. The Knights are truly graceful. All pieces are triple weighted and show a high-end finish. These sets can easily last you a lifetime and can be passed on to next generation. If you have a flair for the game and enjoy quality then you should get a chess set. A set which defines a part of you and looks spectacular as a decoration piece.

 

By: Kamran Khan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 If I close my eyes and concentrate, I can travel back to 1979 – the year I was first exposed to an exciting new game where unique pieces were moved around on a checkerboard. The game was called chess. I can still hear the plinks of those hollow pieces being poured onto a table top. I can still feel the flimsy red-and-black boards being unfolded. I was in eighth grade and there was a special hour of the school day that I looked forward to. Activity period was the time we put away our books and engaged in an activity for pure fun. There were several choices for us: string art, paint-by-numbers and rock-sculptures were a few I can remember. But there was one activity that really struck a chord with me – Chess. The thought that I could control powerful pieces that could zip across the board to capture enemy pieces thrilled me! For me, the choice was obvious – Chess it was! And so began a life-long journey, attempting to master this classic game.

 

 Jerry Hoffmann and Chuck Everett, my two closest friends, were just as eager to sign up for Chess as I was. We started our understanding of the game from scratch. During that hour, we learned how the pieces moved and the rules of checkmating the King. Nothing was more glorious or magical than the joy of playing during those first few weeks of activity period. We were all equally-matched too, no one knew who would win – it was truly “anyone’s game.” I’m sure it was painful for any decent player to look over our shoulders while we displayed all the chess-playing-strategies our eighth-grade minds could muster. Onlookers would have a difficult time biting their tongues and remaining silent while we made blunder after blunder in our struggle to victory. What fun days those were! There was nothing like it!

 

 Well, I’m no longer a 13-year-old boy with only a novice understanding of the game. Thirty-seven years later, I still enjoy the game with the same level of excitement that first hooked me. As a parent, I also had the wonderful experience of teaching my own son to play. We started when he was 12. He’s now 17, and dominates the game when we play. His skills are remarkable for his short history with the game.

 

 Having such a fondness for the game, you would think I’ve always had a luxury set. Actually, I’ve never owned a luxury set before finding Chessbazaar online just over a year ago. That’s when the top of my King-piece broke – and I began to think about upgrading my set. After looking online for a few days, the Arabian Knight design seemed to call out my name. This set was not only well designed, but was about half the cost of comparable sets from other vendors. I love the flared out castle tops, that you can see through the King’s ferrel, and that the Knight’s mane was hand carved in beautiful detail – basically, it was all the luxury additions to the classic Staunton style that hooked me! Having played this set for a year now, I can say it has only increased my joy of playing the game. (My son doesn’t know it yet, but he will soon receive one of these sets as a surprise before he heads off to college.)

 

 There is always something special about quality time between a father and his son. Usually that involves doing something both are passionate about. With my Dad, that pastime was fishing. For others it might involve hunting or camping, or perhaps working on a car engine. For me and my son – well – we share time together by setting up a board, pouring a hot cup of coffee, and just talking about what’s going on in our lives … and all this while enjoying some friendly competition that involves strategic ideas with pieces dancing across squares over a timeless game – the game of chess.

“Hey Justin …
What are you up to right now?
Do you have a little time son?
How about a nice game of Chess?”

  By: Richard Walters (USA)

 

 

 

 I was born into a chess playing-family and my passion for the game has bred the love for beautiful chess sets. I always wanted to have one, but back in the pre-internet days, there was nothing to be had in the Philippines except the bamboo variety. I used only to draw the kind of sets I wished to own, thinking that someday I could obtain them somewhere when I would have opportunities to travel. Not long after the internet came. The world shrunk and chess sets became available, but the beautiful ones were still far beyond my reach. The sets themselves were expensive, and shipping costs to the Philippines doubled the expense. I thought owning a beautiful set, if possible, was downright impractical, until I came across Chessbazaar. Finding Chessbazaar has really been a stroke of fortune. Not only are its sets priced just half of those of other online stores, but it also ships them for free. I have acquired nearly ten sets from Chessbazaar and each of them is of high-quality and impressive workmanship, which speaks of the standard of excellence Chessbazaar commits itself to. My favorite is turning out to be my latest acquisition, theCirca 1870-1900. The Circa1870-1900 combines elegance and functionality perfectly. It doesn’t come in the bare design of a Staunton set -- its rooks and king are something to behold – but neither is it too decorated and sophisticated to make handling clumsy especially in time pressure. It stands out for its robust motif, the pieces being given thick and heavy bases. My friends also love this set, and playing with it throws you back to the days of the great romantic masters - Anderssen, Zukertort, and Blackburne.

 

Thanks to Chessbazaar the sets that I used to draw now grace my home as my proud collection. I will always love chess because of the endless adventure, exploration and learning it brings, and I have made it a personal quest to get as good in it as I could be. For someone like me who wishes to play the game with the extra elegance and style, I will always look to Chessbazaara my source of sets and future pieces of my collection.

 By: EUGENE MANLAPAO (Bacolod City, Philippines)

 

 

 

 

 

I have played chess when I was in elementary school and I thought I was mediocre. There was no tactics or strategy involve while I was playing with my friends and classmates. Any victory was just luck or error made by my opponents. During that time my mom brought me a plastic chess set and I tried practicing at home. That didn't go well since no one in my family knows how to play or just wasn't interested in chess at all. I ended up playing by myself pretending I was also the opponent. Obviously that didn't work out for me since I knew what my own opponent was thinking. 

 

Fast forward to 25 years later and my daughter recently learned how to play chess through her after school program. She showed interest and passion for it so I wanted to buy her a nice classic wooden chess set but my wife instead wanted to get something cute. After many failed searches for chess set that we could both agree on, I finally decided to abandon my wife's interest and look for Staunton style instead. I have a general idea what I was looking for but I really didn't know the details between a standard and high end chess pieces. So I began looking for online chess communities and YouTube videos which gave me a great understanding of what makes an expensive chess set. There were 2 sites that I came across, House of Staunton and Chessbazaar. After looking through the selections on both sites I decided to order from Chessbazaar because of the value and quality. Shipping and processing was quick. When I finally received my Bridle Stained Dyed Series Chess Pieces in Dyed Box Wood 4.0" King (SKU M0033), I was delighted. The pieces were exactly as described and shown in their site. I'm such a happy customer that now I'm considering ordering a high end luxury set along with a nice chess board. I currently have the vinyl tournament mat so we can bring the chess set where ever we go. 

 

The way my daughter is currently playing reminds me of my childhood when I first learn the game. No strategy at all, just looking to eliminate the pieces. I gave her general strategy tips and also educated her on unique moves like en passant and the correct way of castling. I constantly have to remind her to keep practicing to become a great chess player like daddy and she indeed listen. She constantly request to play and I'm so happy she is so passionate about chess. Speaking about my daughter, I have to end this story short now since she is currently waiting for another game. 

 

By: Kyan Man (USA)

 

 

 

 I bought several chess sets from Chess Bazaar and they're among the finest in my collection. Besides collecting chess sets, I'm also an avid player. That's why I only collect sets in the classic Staunton style, which has become the world wide standard.

 

The set on the left is the largest I own. The pieces are made from box wood and ebony, are very heavily weighted and beautifully crafted. It's a real pleasure to play with them. But it's a huge set to carry, so if I visit a chess friend, I usually bring the smaller set pictured on the front right side, made in box wood and sheesham. I love the way the bridled horse is made.
The two sets in the back I bought because I love chess history, and these are reproductions of historical sets. The right one is the Russian Zagreb set, as it was used during the candidate matches in 1959. It has beautiful knights, which are very typical for a Zagreb set, and I always love my chess rooks to have six crenellations. The one on the far left is my all time favourite: the Reykjavik set. It's a reproduction of the set used during the legendary match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in their 1972 world championship match. I remember that match as if it was yesterday. Even though the pieces are made in a very traditional Staunton style, I would recognize those knights and bishops anywhere.
The service that Chess Bazaar provides is wonderful. One time I received a slightly damaged Queen, but just one e-mail was enough to receive a replacement within days. Chess Bazaar also provided three custom made pieces for an antique 19th century set which I own, and is now complete thanks to them.

 

By: Hans Walther (Netherlands)

 

 

 

 

 

As I start writing this story, it takes back me to almost a quarter of a century. I grew up watching amateur people playing chess at nearby ‘PAANWALA’ shop. I was too young to understand chess by then but what I remember even today is that, Paanwala had a wooden pieces (if I remember correctly, it was 3.5” King) and acrylic board (which my uncle made) with 2 ¼” square. As time passed by I began to lean towards cricket (like most of Indian Boys) and chess was cornered as a sweet memory from childhood days and it remained so until 2015 when I had to move to Bahrain for professional reasons. It was difficult to find a slot to play cricket there, given most of the time of year, it remains very hot so I had to come up with something interesting for entertainment. That’s when I took out chess from bottom drawer of my memories and started playing it online. I was surprised to know that I could play this game fairly good and could beat my opponents. This gave me confidence and I started following it online (Youtube, professional tournaments) to take it to next level. Though online is a good way to play chess but playing OTB is different experience all together. I bought a vinyl board to carry which came with small plastic pieces (Obviously, I was looking for good pieces at affordable price). After lot of online search, I read about CHESSBAZAAR. I browse through the site and felt that it could be the place where I can get what I need that too in my affordable range. After lot of deliberation and inputs from Sapna, I decided to order Staunton series 3.8” king (M0013). I just unboxed it yesterday (I was so anxious to feel the pieces in my hand that I called a day at office a bit early  ) and I was not disappointed at all for what I received. It is a very well-crafted and double weighted pieces. I recommend CHESSBAZAAR to any chess lover as it provides premium quality chess accessories at affordable price. By the way I am just 29 (in case you are wondering from opening line) September 20, 2016and this is my first purchase from CHESSBAZAAR but definitely not the last.

 

By: Hardik (India)  

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, my name is Santiago and I am a chess addict! Chess has been my passion ever since a young age since I moved to Thailand 10 years ago I never had much chance to play anymore until my wife and daughters finally were able to play a game of chess. Since then I have been looking around for a good set but it is impossible to buy a decent set and board of western chess here in Thailand. So that's when I met Chess Bazaar who sells chess sets at least of the same quality as other houses like the House Of Staunton, Official Staunton etc.... at a fraction of their prices. Besides the prices, the free shipping and the support are second to none. So I started buying one and another and another and another and .... the worse part of this all it is that Thanks to Chess Bazaar I am not the only one addicted to chess in this house anymore, so I fear these sets we have ordered are not going to be the last ones. Many thanks.

 

By: Santiago ( Thailand )

 

 

 

 

 

 

It all started when I was a teenager, and there was a chess club offered at the junior high school. I attended in Long Island New York. I started to learn about chess and battle some of my classmates. It was a lot of fun. I would also play with family when we would gather together for the holidays. I drifted away from chess, one of my favorite hobbies, as I grew up and had more responsibilities in life. It wasn’t till a fellow co­worker brought a chess set out at work, when there was downtime at the workplace, which is when I realized how much I missed chess, I love how it brings out the competitiveness in me. I spent a lot of time doing research and found many vendors of beautiful sets, House of Staunton, Chess Bazaar and House of Chess, are some examples. I quickly realised what beautiful higher quality products Chess Bazaar offers and how great the value and service is compared to these other vendors.  

 

Vik and Sapna are great to deal with and are so helpful. The Chess Set allowed me to re­live my childhood and bring back memories of my youth. You earned a loyal customer by providing great customer service and amazing products. I am looking forward to my next set already. I give both the products and service a 10/10 rating. 

 

By: Andy

 

  

 

 

 

 

I can still remember seeing my first chess set in a store window some 68 years ago on a trip into our small rural New York town with my father and being fascinated by the little plastic figurines on the chessboard. They were, as I later learned, Staunton design chess pieces. I asked him to buy it for me, which he did and which I in fact still own.  After learning how the pieces moved as explained on the instruction sheet enclosed, I taught him, and he became my first opponent.

 

 A lifetime has passed since then, but my interest in chess has never waned.  When an émigré chess Expert came to our town to be the new librarian while I was in high school and started a chess club at the library, I learned that there were more aspects to the game than just moving the pieces - such as tactics and strategy. I bought a wooden set and board shortly thereafter, the first of many I would own. I read library books about the early chess masters such as Paul Morphy and Adolf Anderssen from the mid-19th century Romantic era of chess when play was characterized by daring attacks, combinations and sacrifices and winning with style was more important than just gaining the point, and I tried to emulate their dynamic play.

 

Ironically the national chess federation headquarters was located in the nearby city of Newburgh, and after later joining their club I was able to play against many very strong players, including such International Champion Grandmasters as Bent Larsen, Tigran Petrosian and Maxim Dlugy in simultaneous exhibitions, even winning one such game against the 1972 U.S. Open Champion IM Norman Weinstein.  I also acquired more plastic and wooden sets from their chess store and first learned about the early Jaques sets which were a significant part of chess history. To acquire one of those would become a lifelong dream.  But the prices were prohibitive. 

 

In more recent years I found out about the sellers of modern reproductions of these early masterpieces on the Internet and decided that owning one of them would be a desirable alternative. Searching this source, I located "chessbazaar" as one of the primary sellers.  Learning that master restorer Alan Dewey had worked with them on a reproduction of the first 1849 Jaques set and finding its price very reasonable compared to similar sets from other vendors such as HoS, I decided to buy it. Vik and Sapna were very cooperative and helpful to me in this endeavour. I'm glad that I did, since it really captures the look and feel of the initial 1849 Jaques set, and I'm proud to own this masterpiece. It helps me to identify more directly with that early golden age of chess that I find so appealing. 

 

Chess is and always has been an important part of my life for relaxation and intellectual stimulation as well as solace during periods of adversity. Admiring the little works of art that are my chess sets is a great source of pleasure for me. My chess history has now come full circle, since I've been the director of a chess club at the library in Durham, North Carolina for the past 7 years, for which I also produce a monthly newsletter.  Chess will continue to be very important to me as the years go by, with the Jaques1849 reproduction set and future reproduction antique set purchases from "chessbazaar" as significant parts of my chess collection."

 

By: Conrad Conero (USA) 

 

 

 

Like many people around my age, I learned to play chess in 1972; a very easy year to remember because it was the year that the Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky match captured the World. My first chess set was rather like my first car: been through a number of uncaring owners and pretty clapped-out. One of the white pawns was from a different set and this was swapped on the board as soon as a ‘good’ one was captured.

 

I have reached an age where quality matters and is much appreciated. My car is now a Jaguar; my chess set(s) are now Chess Bazaar. My last purchase was a Folding Travel Set (SKU: D0105). As usual, it turned up in amazingly quick time, was excellently packaged, and a joy to first admire. Not that it does much travelling – I actually brought it as a variations board so that I could look at sub-variations without needing to figure out where everything was on the main board after a long complicated line. Sitting in my chess spot surrounded by such quality equipment is a wonderful place to be. Shame my chess isn’t the same standard! 

 

By: Kevin Gallagher (England)

 

 

 

 

 

Once upon a time there was an 8-10 year old poor boy who lived in a small European country. He was always very happy when he had summer-vacation because he spent it with his grandfathers and uncles who lived in a tiny dusty village, far from the noisy towns. The summer was hot, so the simple hard working peasants often went to the tavern to "clean the dust from their throat" with 1-2 (o maybe more) mugs of cold beer. His uncle did the same and every time bought the boy some cold soda. Usually the tavern was full of cigarette smoke (and sometimes drunk guys too). One day the boy saw 2 guys who were playing some game at a table. On a black-and-white wooden board there were many strange-looking wood-carved pieces. Some of them looked like Christmas tree, some looked like horse, others like some kind of bastion. The board and the pieces were very old and shabby-looking. This was the first time when the boy saw a chess set. He did not know anything about the rules of the game but he was very amazed of the game and the pieces. One night a fairy appeared in his dream and said: One day you will move to a huge, remote country and you will have your own brand new chess pieces, exactly the same like you saw in the village's tavern. The chess pieces will come from the opposite side of the world from a seller, called ........... Read Full Story

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm 71 years old this past February 2016 and had resumed playing chess last year July after not having played for 50 years. I was delighted to see my appreciation for the game had improved tremendously. In this "new" beginning I bought some plastic sets and inexpensive small wood sets in Staunton style. Then I joined Chess.com and found the forums and learned about fine chess sets available from HOS (House Of Staunton) and CB (ChessBazaar). Wow! I chose CB because of the high quality compared to HOS and the more realistic pricing by buying directly from India. The first set I bought from CB was a 1950 Dubrovnik chess set - mainly because of my love for Bobby Fischer and the CB quality I had read about in the Chess.com forums. The set arrived in five days in Georgia USA from India. Several months later I bought my Edinburgh Upright in rosewood. This set is by every measure the most elegant set I own. Thank you CB.

 

By: Tom (Georgia, USA)

 

 

 

 

 

 I definitely remember my first contact with chess, I was about 13 years old when I saw chess board for first time and I thought: What game is this? I was excited from the first moment. I learned to play with my uncle, played many tournaments together, he was a great encourager. I thank him for teaching. " Chess is more than just a game, is an intellectual fun that has something a lot of art and science, is also a means of social and intellectual approach." - JR Capablanca. Chess pieces arrived from Chess Bazaar are very beautiful. Customer service with Chess Bazaar is top notch. Thank you very much.

 

 By: Peterson (Brazil)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am a chess enthusiast in all of its many many facets, not only about the game itself, and one of these is chess set collecting. Chess occupies a very relevant place as I devote some time and thinking to it almost every day.  I truly consider my customized set from Chessbazaar the most beautiful and imposing I own, along with the 1849 Staunton designed by Alan Dewey with Chessbazaar.  I use my customized set to reproduce historical great grandmaster fights in history, but not for playing in any occasional game with somebody. Every time I take a close look on the pieces I bought from chessbazaar and feel them, I get amazed and so pleased about its fineness.  I know I'm not a top collector and chess addict, but I believe that my collection is not bad at all, and in terms of carving and turning, weight, balance and stability and materials, altogether your chessmen aren't matched by any of my other sets.  Keep it up chessbazaar!

 

By: Xavier Pedregosa García (Spain)

 

 

 

 

 

I must admit that I feel a great pleasure to admire these wooden chess pieces that I have received from chessbazaar. Even if people say that: when it's really beautiful it's really expensive. How wrong they are! Chessbazaar has proved it to me. Because despite my small income, I can often buy a chess set. Why! Come and have a look at chessbazaar prices for wooden chess sets...You'll understand that. For now, the gorgeous "California Chrome Staunton Series" is my favorite chess set. It has sort of a collector's item feel to it, which I thought is nice. The pieces look glorious on the board. Looks like it cost much more than what I paid.

 

PS: I just realize that, despite I am close 60 years old, I am demanding, very demanding, and I often act like a spoiled child. Thank you chessbazaar for providing me with these little wonders at such affordable prices. Without a doubt, for me chessbazaar has the best relation to customers on the Internet.  

 

By: Hervé T.  (France)

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to Vik and ChessBzaar for fueling my passion for quality Staunton style chess sets. I discovered the ChessBazaar website a few years ago while surfing the internet and have purchased many of their wonderful sets since then. Many of my sets have come from ChessBazaar's line of Reproduced Antique Chess Sets. I was really impressed with their Dubrovnik 1950 Bobby Fischer Series and have this set in many woods and colors in both their the 3.6" and 4" sizes. I am also very appreciative after consulting with Sapna that ChessBazaar was able to make custom Dubrovnik sets for me according to my specifications. Along with the Dubrovnik Series, their 1849 and 1870 reproduced antique sets are among my favorites. But recently ChesBazaar released, in cooperation with Alan Dewey, their spectacular 1935 Botvinnik Flohr Soviet 4" set in ebony and boxwood. After purchasing this historic reproduction set and getting it in my hands I was blown away by its magnificence! Each piece is simply gorgeous. The unique wide base King with its narrow stem, The queen with its large ball finial, the sleek miter-less bishop, the wide turret hefty rook, the wide collar pawn and the captivating long neck knight with its aggressive appearance and those teeth. That said, and with its historical significance, the 1935 Botvinnik Flohr set has become my most favorite set. As a serious collector, its exciting that ChessBazaar will continue offering more Reproduced Antique Sets in the future. Thanks again to Vik and his ChessBazaar team.

 

By: Mike Ladzinski (USA)

 

 

 

 

 

I took and chance and ordered a set of luxury chess pieces from Chessbazaar, located far away in Punjab, India. Would the set ever arrive? Would the quality of the pieces even approximate that shown in the photographs on the Chessbazaar internet site? Would a regret my purchase, and then be forced to fight with them to get my money back? A mere 3 ½ days after placing my order, it arrived! Each piece was double wrapped in foam. And what pieces! Each one was cut exactingly from very fine boxwood and ebony, and then polished to perfection. This is a stunning set! I am confident I will win more games with these pieces when my opponents are dazzled and distracted by their beauty. Thank you, Chessbazaar.

 

By: James (USA)

 

 

 

 

I consider myself a recurring client of ChessBazaar with more than 10 orders so far. The chess pieces are wonderful and I really appreciate the fact they have excellent options for Reproduced Antique sets - many of them not so easy to find around. I have needed to replace 3 or 4 defective pieces and ChessBazaar has always attended to it, promptly. Sapna has always been so kind and immediately provides a return for all sorts of issues that I have faced. If 5 stars is the maximum, I rate ChessBazaar at 5. Sapna is a celebrity and deserves another 5 stars for the professionalism. Each chess set, for me, causes a tremendous happiness. Although I have 30+ different chess sets, each one is very special and I appreciate CB for having so many different and outstanding reproduced/antique chess pieces (as well as some other ones). Since I started reading chess books, I usually faced some Russian Masters playing with pieces like this one in the picture - It is very nice having a reproduction of that just in front of me and in my hands! It puts more responsibility on my shoulders to play accurately, since I have "the same" type of pieces they managed to play.

 

 By: SERGIO (Brazil)

 

 

 

 

Mike talks about his legendary chess set! I am a retired University lecturer / manager who has been playing chess for 55 years, both correspondence and OTB. I am an enthusiastic amateur who, besides playing chess, collects Staunton sets. I have about 60 or so and am always on the lookout for new ones. I was impressed by the Dubrovnik set after a player produced one his mother gave him over 40 years ago. Bobby Fischer was right in selecting the Dubrovnik as his favourite set. Subsequently I have acquired various Dubrovnik versions, including your earliest versions. But this version 2.0 …the S1299…Is the best of them from India and the USA so far. Was ‘well received’ by chess club members the other evening. I look forward to receiving the boxwood and black version in a few months. Best wishes….keep up the improvements and innovations such as in the soviet sets you produce.

 

By: Mike (Australia)