Chess · Backgammon · Clocks
Meant to be left out.
Chess and backgammon sets from 9.4 to 19.3 inches, each with its board size in inches, so you know what you are giving before you order. Free shipping across the US, and nothing to pay at the door.
Christmas: order by Tue, Dec 8 for an estimated delivery by Thu, Dec 24.Christmas is close: write to us before you order and we will tell you whether it can arrive in time.
Free shippingEvery US order, no minimum
Nothing at the doorImport duties and taxes covered by us
7 to 11 business daysTracked from the day it leaves
14 daysFrom delivery, no restocking fee
Shop
Every set, with its size.
A set that gets put away stops being played.
So the numbers come first: the board in inches on every set, the weight and the contents wherever the maker gives them. Wood or metal, it is made to sit out between games.
How to choose a setThe catalogue
Two games and a clock.
Chess boards from 9.4 to 19.3 in, in wood or metal. Backgammon in cases that close over their own checkers. And the clock that sits beside them.
The table test
Measure the table, not the player.
Measure the table they will play on, from one player's side to the other. The board is drawn on it to scale, with a clock beside it, and the sets that fit come up below.
We leave 4 inches on each side of the board for elbows and captured pieces.
Buying it as a gift
Choosing for someone who plays.
You don't need to know chess. Check four things, then the date.
-
Pick the board size.
If you can't measure their table, take 15 inches. It is the safe answer, in the middle of our range.
-
Choose wood or metal.
Wood is lighter and warm in the hand. Metal has real weight and catches the light; check the contrast between the two sides in the photos.
-
Order ahead.
Delivery takes 7 to 11 business days to any of the 50 states.
-
If it isn't right.
You have 14 days from delivery to send it back, with no restocking fee. We pay the return if the set arrived damaged or not as described; if you changed your mind, the postage is yours.
Dates are estimates from our shipping policy: prepared in 2 to 3 business days, delivered in 5 to 8, Monday to Friday, Eastern Time.
Made to stay out
It stays where you set it down.
Solid wood on gold-tone feet, weighted inlaid metal pieces, and storage under the playing surface.
Wooden Chess Set with Storage · 15 x 15 in board
- Solid wood construction
- Pieces: inlaid metal, weighted
- Feet: gold-tone decorative
- Storage: beneath the playing surface
What players look at
Up close.
The three things the player you're buying for will check first.
Wooden pieces
Players judge a set by its knight first. Zoom in on it in the photos, and look for weighted pieces in the specifications.
Metal pieces
Bronze, brass, chrome, aged patina. Metal sits darker than wood on the board, so check the contrast before you choose.
Drawer or fold
Most of our chess sets keep their pieces in a drawer under the board; the folding ones close shut over them. Either way, the set goes back together after the game.
How a piece is made
From a square blank to a piece.
A wooden Staunton piece starts as a square blank. It is spun on a lathe and cut to its profile with chisels. The knight is the exception: it cannot be turned, so its head is carved by hand. That is why players look at the knight first.
-
01
A square blank
Cut from a plank, a little larger than the finished piece.
-
02
Into the lathe
Held at one end and spun on its axis.
-
03
Turned round
The chisel takes the corners off until the blank is a cylinder.
-
04
Cut to its profile
Foot, collar and neck follow the outline of a Staunton piece.
-
05
The knight, by hand
No lathe can cut a horse head. It is carved, then smoothed by hand.
Questions
Before you order.
Answers taken from our shipping and refund policies.
What size should I buy?
If you can't measure the table, 15 inches is the safe answer. The range runs from 9.4 in, which travels and stores easily, up to 19.3 in, which stays where you put it. Every chess and backgammon page gives the board size in inches.
Will it arrive by Christmas?
Order by Tue, Dec 8 for an estimated delivery by Thu, Dec 24. The estimate counts 7 to 11 business days, Monday to Friday, Eastern Time, excluding US public holidays. After that date, write to us before you order and we will tell you whether it can arrive in time.
Our estimated cut-off for Christmas delivery has passed. Write to us before you order and we will tell you whether it can arrive in time. Delivery takes 7 to 11 business days, Monday to Friday, Eastern Time.
How long does shipping take?
Orders are prepared in two to three business days and delivered in five to eight, so seven to eleven business days in total. Shipping is free on every order, with no minimum.
Will I pay anything on delivery?
No. Import duties and taxes, where they apply, are covered by us and not charged to you on delivery. Sales tax, where your state applies it, is shown at checkout before you pay.
Wooden pieces or metal pieces?
Wood is lighter and warmer in the hand. Metal has real weight and catches the light, and it costs more. Check the contrast between the two sides in the photos before you choose.
What if I get it wrong?
You have fourteen days from delivery. If the set arrived damaged, faulty or not as described, we pay the return and replace it or refund you in full. If you simply changed your mind, the return postage is yours. There is no restocking fee.
Do you ship outside the US?
No. We ship to all fifty states.
New sets, first.
One email when a new set arrives.