What changes at each price
Two chess sets can look similar in a photograph and cost £100 and £280. This page lists what changes between the price bands sold here.
Around £100
- Board decoration: pyrography, burnt into the wood.
- Pieces: unweighted, hand-carved.
- Storage: a tray inside the folding board.
Around £150
- Board: mahogany and sycamore marquetry, cut and laid into the surface.
- Pieces: weighted, with the weight set in the base under felt.
Around £280
- Squares: boxwood for the light squares and ebony for the dark squares.
- Finish: gloss lacquer built up in coats.
- Storage: a drawer instead of a tray.
Sizing
- A king between 85 mm and 100 mm is the usual range for a board used at home.
- The king's base is usually about three quarters of the square width.
- A 10 cm king suits squares near 50 mm, which makes the board around 45 cm across.
- A king under 55 mm is a travel size.
Complete sets are supplied with their own board and pieces. Boards sold on their own state the square size where available, and the pieces are sold separately. If a dimension you need is not listed on a product page, email us before you order and we will confirm it.
Naming
Size 4 or No.4 is a continental convention for a medium set, usually a king near 95 mm to 100 mm. A 3-inch king is the British and American way of saying about 76 mm. Neither indicates the square size on its own, so we list the millimetres where they are known.
Delivery and returns
Delivery to the United Kingdom only, with a UK shipping cost of £0.00. You have 30 days from delivery to change your mind. Full terms: shipping policy and refund policy.