Tips for Choosing Your Chess Set

So many choices available now for purchasing chess sets it is hard to know where to start Do you buy a practical set for your use, a display set only and use as a decorative piece or are you a chess fanatic and need of a suitable travel chess set

So many choices available now for purchasing chess sets it is hard to know where to start! Do you buy a practical set for your use, a display set only and use as a decorative piece or are you a chess fanatic and need of a suitable travel chess set? Here are some ideas to go through before you get to the purchasing stage.

Why do you want the chess set?

First decide if you are going to use the set yourself, and then decide whether you perhaps you will need a travel chess set if you travel a lot. Or is the set purely to be used for decoration in your home if so then you want something that is fitting with your d?cor.

How much do you want to pay?

Of course you want the best set that you can find for the price you are willing to spend. Some chess sets are designed to last for a very long time and can in fact be passed down through the generations. Of course you want a set that is practical if you are going to be using it a lot and if you are traveling you want a Travel chess set that allows you to play comfortably but also does not take up too much room. If the set is for display purposes only then you need to make decisions regarding materials and suitability to your home or office surroundings.

How long do you expect to have the set?

If you are planning to use your set regularly and perhaps in tournaments then you need a long lasting material choice. If you are choosing the travel chess set option then you need a practical size but also one that will last a reasonable period ? unless you just plan a one off holiday you can buy a very cheap travel chess set with no expectations on longer term use.

What material do you want your set made of?

If your intended purchase is of a high quality wood set then you need to make sure you are getting the quality you are after for the price you will be required to pay. The wooden sets look very nice as well as being practical for game play so wood may be a choice either for the player or just for the display option. Wooden sets for example are not your best choice for the Travel chess sets as they will more likely be heavy and in this instance you would perhaps go for a plastic set. If you are looking for other types of materials then your budget may be the deciding factor in what it is you will go home with.

Whatever the set is that you end up with you need to make sure that all the pieces are similar in size especially the matching pieces and that you are happy with the style and layout of the pieces, this is especially important for game play. If you purchase chess boards that are too small for the pieces you have selected play may be difficult so make sure you are aware of this fact when doing your shopping.

For the travel chess sets make sure that the item is compact and will be able to travel with you where ever it is that you intend to take it. You don?t necessarily want a set that is too small or that is too flimsy, unless you are not planning to use the set again, because you could end up loosing pieces if the set itself is not able to be well closed. Nothing worse than setting up the chess board only to find you are missing some of the pieces! Some tips when searching for travel chess sets would be to choose sets that are magnetic or have Velcro as these will help to ensure that all the pieces remain on the board in their appropriate places while you are traveling and playing at the same time.

Whatever your choice these few tips should get you started with your purchase and if you start your search to find the perfect set with these ideas in mind you will find you have your set much quicker than if you don?t make a plan. There are so many different chess sets available that you could end up spending hours looking if you don?t at least follow some of these ideas.

Michiel Van Kets writes articles for Regency Chess Company, suppliers of the UK''s finest, chess boards travel chess sets and chess books. The company?s ever expanding range of products covers everything from tiny travel chess set combinations to exclusive hand crafted sets of Staunton chess pieces.