Are you a chess player looking to buy your first chess set? Or maybe you’re a long-time tournament player looking to upgrade from your plastic mat board and plastic pieces? Or perhaps you’re simply looking for an affordable quality chess set for your home or to take on the go. Whatever your level of chess experience, the Tournament Staunton Complete Chess Set by Sunrise Poland is a beautiful, versatile chess set that can be set up permanently in your home, stored in a closet, or conveniently folded up and taken on the go to tournaments or chess club meetings.
Pros/Features:
- The Tournament Staunton Complete Chess Set, handmade in Poland, was constructed without the use of child labor, and made in an ecologically sensitive way from plantation-grown wood.
- The board’s dimensions are 21 X 21 X 2 inches and it weighs in at a reasonable 6.5 pounds, making it easy to transport.
- The board features painted lettering along the borders denoting the ranks and files.
- The pieces are of the standard Staunton design and dimensions, the King measuring in at 3.9 inches tall. They feel solid in your hand, definitely durable, although they don’t feel particularly heavy for their size.
- The board is designed to fold in half and clasp shut to hold the pieces inside a felt-lined molded inset.
- The hand-carved pieces are made from two shades of natural wood, as are the squares of the board itself.
- The pieces are smooth and have felt linings on the bottom to prevent scratching, yet they still have that rustic “hand-made look.”
Cons:
There are only a couple of downsides to Sunrise Poland’s Tournament Staunton Complete
- One is that it doesn’t have a handle or a carrying case.
- Other consumers have also complained about an oily smell to the set, particularly the darker pieces. However, I’ve found that unless you get your nose right up to them, you can’t really tell. Also, if given time to sit out in the open air, the smell dissipates and eventually disappears.
Bottom Line: Priced at $67.99, the Tournament Staunton Complete Chess Set is an excellent value for a chess enthusiast or a beginner’s first set. Note that this is not one of those luxury sets made of crystal or marble, or a novelty set with specially designed pieces. However, it is a durable, elegant set, one that you could surely keep on the coffee table as a permanent living room fixture, and one that will give you many years of great use.