Recently we have seen yet another thing The Regency Chess Company have done that none of their competitors have, well, that is until they see it, they will doubtless copy it. They have signed up to Trust Pilot, a website review company who’s system allows customers to write an unbiased review of their buying experience. What is most important about this process is that The Regency Chess Company have no control or powers to edit or approve reviews. So as long as your review relates to a real order, it’s going to get published.

You would only expect a company who has real confidence in their products and service to make such a bold move. If there are rafts of unhappy customers out there then all those opinions are going to be broadcast on the web for all to see. Thankfully for them they are scoring nearly nine out of ten on their reviews so far, in fact some of the comments are really complimentary to the company and it’s products.

The Regency Chess Company have often been seen as the posh end of the market, with prices to match. Whats interesting is the number of reviews from customers who express delight in the low prices and superb value for money. Read The Regency Chess Company reviews for yourself and see what others are saying about this great company.

There is little doubt that a fine chess set is something to treasure and marvel. People will get excited about one finely crafted ornament but a nice chess set is thirty two fine ornaments! So there is little wonder they are seen as items of value.

Themed chess sets are usually licenced by the brand owner and often designed and made alongside consultation from the rights owner. One of the most popular themed chess sets is the Lord Of The Rings Chess Set. The most prominent one being the official SAC version that is produced under licence from New Line Productions. This superb chess set is made from crushed stone composite and each one is hand painted to an excellent level of finish and quality.

Themed chess sets are a great way to sell a fairly expensive chess set to someone who would ordinarily never buy one. If you are a dedicated fan of Lord of the Rings the chess set might be too tempting to miss out on. Fans of themes like this are often collectors, so producing a highly collectable chess set is always going to appeal to the die hard fans.

It’s fair to say that actually playing chess is not so easy on a themed chess set. Identification of the chessmen is seldom easy so trying to tell your bishops apart from your rooks can be a challenge. Serious chess playing needs a Staunton set, there is little doubt in that. But there no getting away from the fact that a themed chess set is a great thing to own and treasure.

Chess is a game that can be played at any age and some forward thinking schools actually teach it as part of the school day simply because of its known benefits in improving thinking skills. In your area there’s likely to be a club where beginners and professionals are welcome. Chess is like riding a bicycle, once you have mastered the rules you never forget.

One of the great things about board games is that most people know how to play them and they can be carried with you and whipped out practically anywhere. At the airport when your flight is delayed, on long and boring car journeys, at home, or in a hotel foyer – with a chess board in your bag you are never alone as it provides you the opportunity to find some company and make new acquaintances and friends.

The game is so popular that there are some great travel versions, magnetic boards are ideal for playing on planes, trains, buses or in the car – relieving boredom and improving your thinking skills in one go! Many travel options also have the game of set backgammon printed on the reverse side so you get 2 for the price of 1! Backgammon involves 2 players and 15 pieces on a board of 24 spaces. The checkers are moved according to how the dice rolls and the aim of the game is that each player has to try and bring their pieces home and bear them off before his opponent, blocking and hitting the opposing checkers during the attempt. If you are keen to learn this game of both skill and luck then there are plenty of board options that are just as high in quality and carry the same standard of workmanship as chess products.

Also convenient for travelling are electronic set chess where you can play games either with another person or against the computer, playing against such an expert opponent allows you to learn from your mistakes and perfect your game. There are different levels from beginners to professional and it’s a great way to practice. The other advantage is that you can stop midway through a game and save it until later – some also give players advice on how to play and feature electronic lessons for learners so you can improve as you go along.

Hand held electronic chess sets are particularly neat as you can play practically anywhere you like, at the beach, on the bus or waiting for the washing to dry!  Its small size, games offered at beginner and intermediate levels, LCD screen, and ability to record the game, undo the move, and more, make this a popular choice with travellers.

Folding and travel chess sets made using graded hardwoods come in all sizes with some really miniature versions perfect for carrying around from place to place. Velcro and magnetic sets are another option, velcro holds the pieces to the board and magnets are located under the board to prevent pieces being knocked off so you can play anywhere.

Buy your travel set online for convenience, with free UK delivery and low prices.  Unique and contemporary designs, solid, sturdy and good value for money they are shipped in just a few days – this will be one decision you’ll never regret.

Chess sets are often highly decorative and can be displayed as a beautiful ornamental piece in the home as well as having a practical and entertaining use. You can easily buy boards for just a few pounds, or pay a lot of money for an exquisite set and keep it as an heirloom. The most important thing you need to do before buying your board and pieces should be to identify its purpose.

Consider whether you just like the look of chess sets and would like one as a decorative piece for the study or to fill up that empty space in the dining room, or will it actually be used for games. If it’s to be used on a regular basis then invest in a set that is practical and durable, and easy enough to carry around if needs be.

Next set yourself a budget, once you start looking it’s very easy to get carried away as there are some really beautiful and interesting sets available. Unless you budget yourself to a certain figure you may end up coming home with a really expensive item that doesn’t fit your needs. Saying that it is essential to invest in a quality product as it can last a lifetime and a beautifully crafted set will be admired and even encourage you to play more than a cheaper version might.

Look carefully at what the board and pieces are made from – if you intend on taking it to tournaments or chess groups then you need something substantial that won’t show the wear and tear too much, but not too heavy as you will get fed up carrying such a weight around! There are plenty of good quality plastic and wooden chess sets available online that are reasonably priced too. A portable set is advisable for trips and whilst travelling around as they’re compact, manufactured from lightweight materials and often magnetic so you can play in the car, on the plane or practically anywhere you like.

The online market has an extensive range of chess board and pieces that can be bought separately or as a set, and the ability to open many websites at one time means you can compare prices and quality very simply and quickly. Boards can be made from rubber, plastic, glass or wood, or even finer materials like stone or metal casting, be aware that the finer crafted they are the more fragile they’ll be.

Glass options are beautiful but not particularly practical; generally they’re not used in real game play and are just for decorative purposes. If you’re trying to get the kids interested in the game then check out novelty sets, they’re a fun way to encourage the younger generation to learn this ancient game. You can find pieces carved and moulded into the Simpsons, characters from Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland, even Sherlock Holmes.

There are pros and cons to wood and plastic sets, plastic is usually the most affordable but can also be the plainest.   A wooden chess set can be folded in half safely storing the pieces inside where they can’t get lost which is handy for travelling, get one with a handle and you can even carry it around like a bag.

If you decide to go for wood then the better the quality the longer it will last and the more beautiful it looks! They are particularly solid and wood always improves with age. Best suited for your home there are lots of variety in price, size and quality. Pine, oak and walnut are generally the lowest-priced whilst you’ll pay more for ebony, rosewood, and boxwood and pieces that have been intricately carved. A set backgammon is another possibility and just as much fun to play.

Chess boards are made from a variety of materials including marble, plastic, veneer and glass. For many players wood is the first choice due to its durability and beauty, even if just used for display purposes sets carved from sandalwood, ebony, walnut, maple, boxwood or rosewood when polished and varnished to bring out the grain of the wood are beautiful items to be admired.

Wooden chess sets come in all shapes and sizes and you can buy them in very plain designs, with elaborate etchings, or carved in exquisite detail with moulded edgings. Some sets have wooden boards with the pieces manufactured from a different material such as steel or marble for an interesting contrast, whilst others use the same material throughout to complement each other.

Wooden boards vary in size, buy a miniature folding board convenient for taking on holiday or your travels, you can even play in the car if you opt for a magnetic board.  A large 21 inch tournament standard sized board is recommended if you’re a serious player, or for kids a 16 inch junior board is made specifically to accommodate their shorter arm length.

Prices start from under £10 to over £1000, and then some more! Obviously it all depends on the material and amount of craftsmanship that has gone into every chess piece. Wood is the traditional material to produce a quality chess set and you will find some that date back centuries still in existence and a testament to their durability. Whilst many are mass produced others have been lovingly carved by craftsmen and are very detailed in their design.

Luxury products come from all over the world and made by the finest chessmakers in Italy, Spain, Poland, Holland, Germany, India and the USA.

You can buy a chess set in a combination of ways, either buy the board and pieces together as a set, or buy a board and then the pieces as a separate purchase, the choice is yours really. There are plenty of places that sell boards and pieces separately and the mix and match can give it a totally unique look.

Before you decide to buy consider the following questions; where you will be playing – at home or whilst travelling around the country; the ability of the player – are they beginners or seasoned players; and your budget. If you are looking for a set for children who haven’t played before then investing in a simple lower-priced set makes more sense as they may lose interest in a few weeks. However if you are skilled and keen to play regularly then go ahead and spend more on a quality product, the amount of detail in the workmanship, the type of wood it’s made from and the size will all have an effect on the total cost.

Of course, when it comes to playing a game of chess it really isn’t important how much your chess set cost or how detailed the pieces are or what your chess board is made from! Chess is an academic game and what is important is acquiring the skills and knowledge required to win your opponent.

A beautifully finished, handcrafted chess set can make a stunning gift for a good friend, member of the family or even for you. As well as entertaining you for hours a quality piece of merchandise can also make a bold and elegant statement in your home – invest in a luxury item today and it will last you a lifetime.

I think Christmas 2010 will see plenty of bargains made available in the chess set market. As competition becomes fierce between rival retailers who battle it out to win over the Christmas shoppers. Just when we thought things were improving in terms of product quality, it seems the drive for cheaper than cheap sets has left certain retailers relying heavily on cheap far eastern sets of highly questionable quality.

Remember, a chess set isn’t just for Christmas! You will most certainly get what you pay for & be sure you avoid the cheap nasty sets from retailers who are obsessed with price and nothing else!

Merry Christmas!

A quick look on any search engine will reveal a good couple of handfuls of online shops who claim to be selling the best chess sets, at the best prices. The fact of the matter is that all but a couple of these online shops are very small home run businesses with a bedroom style office and stock piled up in the garage. Indeed one such retailer was so dishonest he stole an image of a huge computer game distribution warehouse and published it on his amateur chess retail site in an attempt to fool buyers into thinking he was a proper legitimate company!

It’s very easy for a budding chess retailer to get started selling online, mainly because most chess wholesalers will supply in very low minimum order quantities. There is certainly nothing wrong with buying from the underdog with a garage full of boxes. But remember that the small one man band won’t be able to offer you the same level of service and backup as a dedicated retail company.

These days it’s all too easy to buy extremely cheap imported chess sets from abroad and sell them online using images copied from a genuine retailers website. The professionals in the market place will have dedicated retail showrooms where they are happy to show off their stock in it’s physical form, not just from a load of carefully adjusted images.

If you want to buy the cheapest set possible and are not fussed about the quality, delivery time or back up service then the Internet is your oyster! If you care about what you buy, and you should, then stick to the professionals and remember that you will get what you pay for.

If you insist upon the best you should opt for turned metal chessmen. These are made on a metal working lathe instead of moulded. The finish and quality is immediately visible as being far superior to the moulded metal sets.  Turned metal chess pieces also exhibit the lathe lines, which are seen as a desirable feature.

All metal chessmen are usually solid metal and therefore extremely heavy. There are now many excellent designs to choose from, many of which are made in Europe.

So what makes this collection so special? The first thing is the design of the chessmen, they are by far some of the most elegant and beautiful chess pieces available on the market today. The second thing is the quality of the chessmen. We are told that they are all sourced from the worlds finest manufacturers of chess pieces, the same people responsible for the range that made House of Staunton a household name and the same people who manufacture the Jacques reproduction Staunton chessmen.

Chess sets in the collection are not made in huge quantities, all are limited editions and certified as such.  If you are looking for something really special then The Regency Collection should be your only choice.

One huge factor to consider when you choose a board is if you would like a solid wooden board or a veneer one. Some people will refuse to entertain the idea of a veneer board, assuming that they are somehow inferior. There are however plenty of advantages to veneer boards. Firstly they tend to be extremely consistent, in a batch of 50 boards you can expect each one to be almost identical. Because they are more ‘manufactured’ than their solid wooden counterparts they should be without flaw, precise and very clean.

Veneer boards are also a lot less expensive than solid wooden boards. If you desire a luxury hardwood such as ebony you will pay huge sums for a solid ebony board whereas a veneer version might be one third of the price. The solid ‘board snobs’ should certainly take a few moments to check out some really high quality veneer boards. They may well be pleasantly surprised!

Solid boards, while a lot more expensive are not to everyone tastes. Because each one has to be completely hand made there are plenty of inconsistencies. I like to think of solid wood boards as being something you would expect to find in an antique shop in years to come, whereas a veneer board would sit better in an ultra modern designer home.

Due to the nature of their construction solid wooden boards will certainly age better. Over the years we can expect our chess board to receive the odd dent or knock, of course no chess board is immune to this (apart from maybe a plastic one) but dents in solid wood certainly look a lot nicer than they do in veneered wood.

Another factor is that solid wooden chess boards are a lot thicker and heavier than veneer boards. A veneer board might only be 10 or 12mm thick compared to 25mm on a solid board.

What about the finish? Veneer boards are often finished in thin satin varnishes with the wood grain left open. This gives off a nice natural look and feels good to the fingers. It’s also easy to maintain as it does not require polishing. Solid boards however tend to be lacquered to quite a fine gloss finish. Which does look very elegant, especially when the reflections of the fine chessmen can be seen in the board. It does however require plenty of polishing and will pick up finger prints like you wont believe!

But lets not get too hot under the collar about chess boards. After all, if you choose the wrong one and you have bought online you are within your rights to send it back and exchange it for another type. Of course make sure you try to avoid those retailers selling cheap Chinese chess boards. Instead stick to reputable sellers who import from Europe.