Frequently asked questions

A complete set includes board and pieces. Boards sold on their own are listed as boards, and the pieces are sold separately. If you already own pieces, check the king height against the square size given on the board's page, or email us before you order.

Weighted pieces have a weight set in the base under felt and are more stable on the square. Unweighted hand-carved pieces are lighter in the hand. Weighted pieces are listed as weighted in the title or the specifications; if you are not sure, email us before you order.

For a board used on a table at home, a king between 85 mm and 100 mm is the usual range. Under 55 mm is a travel size. The king's base is usually about three quarters of the square width. Complete sets are supplied with their own board and pieces.

Multiply the square size by eight and add a few centimetres of border. A 10 cm king suits squares near 50 mm, which makes the board around 45 cm across. Board dimensions are given in the description where available; if the one you need is not listed, email us the width of your table before you order.

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.

Magnetic pieces stay in place when the board moves, for example when travelling. Folding boards close over their own pieces for storage. Boards with drawers store the pieces in the board while it stays on the table.

The UK shipping cost is £0.00 for every order, regardless of the order amount. UK import duties and taxes are included in the price, so there are no customs fees on delivery.

Orders are dispatched within 1 to 2 business days (order cut-off Monday to Friday at 3:00 pm Paris time) and delivered in 5 to 7 business days from order confirmation. A dispatch email is sent with tracking information when available. Delivery times are estimates.

No. We deliver to the United Kingdom only.

The available payment methods are shown at checkout. The total charged is shown before you place the order.

You have 30 days from the day your order arrives to cancel and return it. Email contact@montelli-chess.com first; then send the item back within 14 days, complete and in its original condition, with the order number. Return postage for a change-of-mind return is paid by the customer. Refunds are issued to the original payment method within 14 days of receiving the return. Full details are in our refund policy.

Email us with your order number, a description of the issue and a photograph of the item and the packaging. Depending on the situation we will offer replacement parts, a repair, an exchange, a return or a refund. If we ask you to send a faulty, damaged or incorrect item back, we cover the reasonable return postage. Your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are unaffected.