Buying My First Premium Chess Set – Thoughts on Striped Ebony & Championship Series Pieces?

Hi everyone!

I’m planning to get my first high-quality chess setup and wanted to hear your opinions. I’ve got my eye on the Striped Ebony and Maple Classic Chess Board and The Championship Series chess pieces (3" king) from House of Staunton.

For anyone who owns or has experience with similar premium boards and pieces:

What do you think about the look and feel of striped ebony for a chess board?
Do the Championship Series pieces live up to expectations for quality and playability?Are the Championship Series chess pieces worth the investment, especially for a first-time high-end purchase?
How do these items compare to other sets at a similar price point in terms of quality and playability?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this combination and any advice you might have. Thanks!

Links to the products:

1)https://www.houseofstaunton.com/chess-boards/clearance-striped-ebony-and-maple-classic-traditional-chess-board-25

2)https://www.houseofstaunton.com/chess-products/the-championship-series-chess-pieces-3-king

Those are HoS's least expensive set outside of clearance and the unweighted cheap stuff. No one here would consider it high end. You can probably find the same pieces for less elsewhere. HoS is generally a bit higher priced than other vendors, but sometimes their selection and/or sales make it worthwhile. That set is a generic German knight Staunton available from any chess vendor.

That 2.5 inch square board is way too big for those 3 inch kings. A rule-of-thumb is the square size should be about 4/3rds the king base diameter. That set's king base is 1.125 inches which suggests a square size of 1.5 inches. A 3.75 inch king on a 2.25 inch board is pretty standard for playability. You probably only want a 3 inch king if you want to be able to play on a small board to save space, and the 2.5 inch board defeats that. The clearance boards at HoS (and most others they sell) are laminate from Rechapados Ferrer and are generally nice boards. HoS has excellent selection of such laminate boards, as long as you don't want anything smaller than 2.25 inch squares.

They also sell their 'Championship Series' with a 3.75-inch king. I have that set and wouldn't think of it as high-end; it's good for play, though. In my case, there were tool marks and cracking issues, and I had to get replacements from them.

The 3-inch set that I like from HoS is the more expensive 1925 Series Chess Pieces. I don't have that set, but if I could take back some modern chess set purchases I've made over the years, I would have just gotten that instead.

Regarding the board: As mjeman said, that 2.5-inch square board is too big for a 3 inch king (or even a 3.75-inch one). You should either shop for a larger chess set or seek a smaller board size. Of course, you could buy that board now since it is on clearance and then buy a larger chess set later.

I think a good chessboard square size for a 3-inch king (depending on diameter) is 1.5 inch to 2 inches.

3" or 3.5"? Product specifications are not consistent with description of the chess pieces. I also support mjeman's above feedback.

I thought the striped ebony looks good. In general, 2.5 inch squares is pretty big, so (to echo what everyone else is saying) I think the specific pieces you're looking at would seem puny on that board.

In terms of playability, you can't really go wrong with the classic tournament design. No sharp edges or weird ornaments that are prone to breaking if your pieces fall on the ground.

I don't own anything by HOS but I would guess that you'll find pretty consistent quality between the various major chess companies at that price point.

Also, at the end of the day, whether or not you like what you're using is all that matters. Hope you enjoy your first quality set!

I did that and I have yet to acquire pieces big enough for the 2.5 inch board. HoS also has 2.25 inch boards on clearance. I often think I should have bought another 2.25 inch board instead. I probably will buy one while they still have them on clearance. It's good to have multiple boards to provide contrast when playing with pieces of different woods or colors. The OP also ought to consider contrast between board and pieces for playability.

Thanks for all the advice – really helpful! Based on what you all shared, I’m thinking of exploring other options in the $100-150 range.

Does anyone have recommendations for sets at that price point that balance quality and aesthetics well? I’m especially looking for a classic Staunton design and something that feels solid for regular play, with pieces and boards that match proportionally.

Any thoughts on sets from House of Staunton, ChessBazaar, or other brands? Also curious if anyone’s come across any hidden gems or great deals around this budget. Thanks again!

Spend it all on pieces and wait to purchase a board in the future imo

I'd buy a cheap vinyl board for $5 and then go to a manufacturer like Staunton Castle, wait until they have a deal (typically every holiday) and then buy the best set you can afford.

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Chess-Mall-Championship-Fischer-Spassky/dp/B07RZR9WKY

There are plenty of options in that price range for just pieces from the usual suspects. Black Friday sales have begun so keep your eyes open.

@byebyebyebyebyea, I recommend my first wooden tournament-spec setup, purchased from the vendor shown below. For context, this is the exact setup most major tournaments use, barring the DGT electronics.

DGT Timeless Non-Electronic Pieces ($56.54 USD):

https://chessgamesemporium.com/en/shop/sahovske-figure/wooden-chess-pieces/wooden-chess-pieces-dgt-timeless/

DGT Non-Electronic Board ($67.06 USD):

https://chessgamesemporium.com/en/shop/sahovnice/wooden-chess-boards/wooden-chessboard-dgt-walnut-55-mm/

Anything leftover (and up to $150) should easily cover accessories (storage bags/boxes, et cetera), shipping, and taxes.

I like striped ebony, that is my opinion. I do know from the conversations I have had with Indian manufacturers that many dye their ebony black. I was told buyers demand pitch black color. I would rather have a natural great-looking striped ebony set even if some people say it's a cheaper wood. At least I know it's natural and what I have.

Don't forget to check out Chess House - you may find some good options to consider.

I’m assuming you want a wooden chess set, but I got my wife this 3.75" Euro Series woodtek set as a more luxury alternative to the plastic set she had been using for casual play, and I think it looks pretty nice. It’s only marginally lighter than the set you were considering getting. And I think it looks beautiful on this blue Erable chess board with 2.25" squares which I got on clearance.

Did you look at HoS’ chess sets on clearance? I recently got my wife this Tal set on clearance for $115. With the thick bases and pretty rounded design language, it’s really nice to play with. I wish the set was a bit heavier, but at 51.3 ounces (1.45 kg) it’s fairly hefty for a set in this price range.

If you want a more conventional Staunton design, HoS offers the 1972 Skopje Olympiad repro at clearance for $115 for the ebonized version, with a 4.4" king and a total weight of a very impressive 68.9 ounces (1.95 kg).

There is also the Margate Series on clearance for $135, with a weight of 72 ounces (2 kg), and it contains two different knight designs. So I guess if you exclude 4 knights, the total weight would be close to 64 ounces (1.8 kg).

And then there is the Modern Series for $159 with some very unconventional-looking knights. I like them a lot, but it’s probably an acquired taste. But the set in general looks really robust and pleasant to play with, and at 52.6 ounces (1.49 kg) the weight is decent as well.

In this price range, I don’t think I would consider any of the sets an investment though. Get any of these sets if you like the design and the weight, but they’re unlikely to increase in value.

If you want to invest in a chess set, I would probably look for a vintage chess set in your price range. That link I just gave lists vintage chess sets on Etsy, ordered from $150 chess sets to $72. I’m immediately seeing some Lardy chess sets that seem nice to play with, and which may increase in value over time. The weight is usually not listed, but you can always ask the seller.

I think most of these sets in that price range are pretty light though; like 600 grams to almost a kilo. So if heftier chess pieces are your preference, you might have to go for a contemporary set.

Suggest you might also consider The Indian Chess Company; I recently purchased a nice set at fair price from them.

1950 Dubrovnik, Padauk & Boxwood 3.7", €182.80 - available cheaper in Sheesham & Boxwood (today €122.44)

The Skopje that Wandel mentioned would fit on and look great on the 2.5 inch clearance board proposed by the OP. He'd be all set for a total of $175 plus shipping and tax.