Unique Chess Sets

Many people will scour the stores this Christmas season in hopes of finding that perfect gift for someone special. Some will go without knowing what to get in hopes that they will find something that looks good to them.

Why not get that special person a chess set. Chess is one of the oldest and most loved games around the world. It is a fun and enjoyable game for every member of your family, young and old alike.

Chess has been found to increase a child’s IQ, improve mental clarity and has also been proven to reduce the risks of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dimentia. It is a great game to exercise your brain.

You can find chess sets to fit any person’s budget and lifestyle. If your just starting out you may want to get a beginner’s chess set or an electronic chess set.

How about a history fan? There are chess sets that represent famous historical events like the US Civil War or Revolution.

How about a unique chess set? Maybe a 3 player chess set or a giant outdoor chess set will suit your style.

Is your special someone a golfer? A golf chess set would be an exceptional gift for the avid golfer.

With so many benefits to playing chess and so many choices you can’t go wrong with getting chess sets for Christmas or Hannukah.

So if a chess set is what you want to get for someone I’ve got some special coupons just for you from our friends at Chess House.

Click here to go to the Chess House website.

 Coupon # A525        $5 off $25 or more                                                                     
Coupon # A5NC         5% off first order                                                                        
Coupon # AKP101    $15 off Learn Chess Kit                                                            
Coupon # AC115        Save $15 on Advanced Electronic Chess

Hurry on over to the Chess House to ensure your gifts arrive in time for Christmas!

“The British are coming!!”

It’s time to play chess with the Revolutionary War Chess Pieces.

This Holiday Season, as we count our blessings, take a moment to remember America’s Fight For Independence.  And what better way to relive the battle and enjoy the liberties we do today with the Revolutionary War Chess Pieces.

These beautiful hand painted pieces are ideal for any chess board, and can help kids remember their heritage while playing a fun game.

We have worked out a deal with our friends at the Chess House and they are giving a 20% discount on this set by clicking on the link below.

Click Here To Get 20% Off Through November

What a great conversation piece at your Thanksgiving table. The best part is the very low price. See it now before they are gone.

Chess strategies Are So Many That Even Computers Can’t Figure Them All Out

Playing chess without some sort of chess strategies would be almost unthinkable as it requires both the players to have some sort of conceptual strategy if they really want to consistently win at the game. Essentially, chess involves playing a game on a square board that has both eight rows as well as eight columns. In addition, the game begins with each player having sixteen pieces, which the opposing player needs to eradicate and capture the opposing king, which would lead to the defeat of the opposing player.

Helps Understand The Nuances Of The Game

The game of chess has for long enjoyed enviable popularity and is both an art as well as science that require concerted thinking as well as plenty of patience. In fact, the various chess strategies employed help in making a player understand the finer aspects of the game as well as all of its intricate features. Chess strategies must necessarily deal individually with the three segments that make up a chess game.

Click here for Chess Success Secrets

The first segment or the chess opening requires it to be deeply analyzed so that the player can devise an appropriate chess strategy with which to commence his or her game. There are many subtleties as well as compound variations to consider, and the opening move can dictate the course of the game. Then, follows the middle game.

The middle game refers to the portion of the game that lies between the opening game and the end game and here, one would need to have an effective chess strategy that will help a player reinforce his or her position, and also weaken the opponent’s position. The final segment of the chess game or the end game requires chess strategies that were used in the opening game as well as middle game coming to fruition.

As can be inferred, chess requires a detailed knowledge about the various moves as well as the best means to be employed under various conditions that will all play a vital role in devising the best chess strategy to be used to achieve victory in the end. The best chess strategies are meant to act as guidelines that will help ensure that the player gets to play a good game of chess.

As anyone who loves chess will have realized, chess strategies as well as tactics comprise some very intricate and complicated steps that even computers have trouble working out. With millions of possibilities to contend with, it is almost impossible to have a strategy to meet with every possible move. Still, with advances in technology and more study of the game, there are constantly appearing newer chess strategies that are the brainchildren of various chess masters and experts that can help one improve one’s game of chess.

flickr:paulgorman

According to various studies conducted in different parts of the world, it has been seen that playing chess games and solving chess puzzles actually increases the person’s concentration, perception as well as self-discipline, and also helps a person to plan ahead and do many more good things. Chess puzzles are good for the development of kids who can then combine development of their thought processes with better enjoyment that they experience by solving puzzles.

Increases Kids’ Intelligence Quotient

Kids are prime candidates for solving chess puzzles as it seems to increase their intelligence quotient, and also help kids in becoming more adept at solving problems as well as helps them to make difficult as well as abstract decisions without depending on their parents. The various chess puzzles are instrumental in teaching children how to think in a more logical way as well as to think efficiently.

In the process of solving chess puzzles, they will also learn the advanced techniques and they will also be encouraged to read, which is a most desirable attribute for children to develop and have.

With the help of chess puzzles, children will also be able to develop their game skills through practice as well as experience. There are online chess puzzles as well that kids can use, which provides them with the fastest method as well as the most enjoyable one to further their chess skills. Playing against a computer is also possible using different chess software packages.

It really does not matter what the level of skill of the player is, as chess puzzles can help beginners as well as advanced level players. Even parents are realizing the benefit of giving their children chess puzzles so that they help to advance their knowledge about the game as also develop latent skills. Each piece on the chess board has a value, and kids must learn which have more value and thus will help them win, and which are of lesser value and not so important to winning.

Chess puzzles are also wonderful for the betterment of brain functions and trying out things like checkmate in four moves puzzles will require that the player solve the problem in quick time. Solving such puzzles will also help in real life games as you will learn to become a problem solver, and in the process be able to come up with more solutions.

There are many chess puzzles and they address different levels of competence having something for beginners, intermediate as well as advanced players. All you need to do is to try one level, and having mastered it, progress on to the next level.

Chess openings Are Perhaps The Most Important Aspect Of Good Chess Play

Chess opening is a very important aspect of good chess play and is the subject of many theories that are practiced throughout the world that also sees many variations to the opening play made by different chess players. Such variations in chess openings prove the point that this is a very important as well as complex aspect to the game of chess, and some variations are deemed to be good enough for both white and black play.

True Mastery Comes With Experience

You will learn these openings, but it is only with experience that chess players can master the different chess openings, which requires logical thinking as well as healthy thinking that goes a long way into making the game of chess so interesting. Every different chess openings play has a unique name, which requires that you know the characteristics of the particular opening play, and even variations to particular opening plays have their own names.

The chess opening play requires that you move your pawn either one or two squares forward and even such a simple move requires a lot of thinking ahead of the actual move. You should know beforehand what your objective is and the manner in which you wish to play the game out. There a number of different classifications to the chess openings that include open, semi or closed opening.

Each opening play is classified according to the first move made and an Open opening move involves moving the white pieces and the black player responds similarly. The semi-open move will see the white player begin the move while the black player does not respond. The closed play involves the white player not starting the move 1.e4.

Chess openings are different in the Italian game as well as for the Spanish, Four Knights Game, and Scotch as well as Phillidor’s Defence, and on to the Russian Game, Bishop’s Opening and also the King’s Gambit. As far as the semi chess openings are concerned you will find that the French Defence, Caro-Cann Defence as well as Scandinavian Game, Alechkin’s Defence as well the Sicilian Defence are most often used. In the case of closed opening play you will generally be using Queen’s Gambit, English Game, King’s Indian Defence, Dutch Defence as well as Slav Defence.

Learn more about the history of chess

A good chess player will know all these various chess openings and should also be able to play them with ease, which naturally will come with experience as well as knowledge about the intricacies of each opening. There is always a key idea to each opening play, which becomes easy to implement after one gain a thorough understanding of each such chess opening.

If someone asked you what a chess board looks like, you’d probably think of the cardboard fold-up board you used for checkers and chess as a child.  But these boards come in a wide range of textures and finishes, and they are designed to be used in many different locations.

The Perfect Chess Board For Beginners

If you are new to chess and you want to try it out before committing to a more expensive set, a good quality thick cardboard fold up board is your best option.  You can either buy a basic chess set on its own, or buy a games compendium that has chess as one of the components.  In this case the chess board will probably have a backgammon board or similar game board printed on the reverse.

What About More Advanced Chess Players?

If you enjoy and play chess on a regular basis, you’ll want to invest some money in a better chess board with better and more heavily weighted pieces.  Some chess sets are designed to be seen, and many expert chess players display theirs as an ornament.

15" Drueke Walnut Chess Board

A luxury chess board can be made from many different materials.  Two opposing shades of wood – walnut and oak for example – can be made into a chess board which usually has a highly polished finish.  Other materials commonly used are glass, metal and ivory.

What If You’re Going On Holiday?

If you enjoy playing chess on the move, you might like to invest in a chess board with built in storage for all your chess pieces.  You could try something completely different and buy a travel chess set.  These are usually magnetic and ideal for the beach.

Alternatively, how does the idea of rolling up your chess board sound?  As strange as it may seem, this is now possible with new wipe clean nylon boards.  These are perfect for travelling as they can be stored easily in a convenient space.

The other alternative is to buy an electronic chess game. 

Ivan II Electronic Chess Set

These are programmable to play at several different levels of difficulty, and the pieces usually take the form of pegs which slot into their places on the chess board and indicate your move to the computer.

As you can see, buying a chess board is not a decision to make lightly.  Consider how often you play the game and how much you are willing to spend.  Once you know the answers, you will be able to buy the best board for you and your needs.

History of chess Is Shrouded In Doubt About Who Exactly Invented The Game

There is no real clear cut notion available from studying the history of chess as to who invented the game because many a country is laying claim to having invented the game and some of these countries are China, Egypt, Greece as well as Uzbekistan and believe it or not, even Ireland. However, there is strong evidence that points in the direction of sixth century India as being the originator of the game of chess whence from, according to early history of chess,  it was refined in Persia to later wended its way into Europe and ultimately came to America.

‘The King Is Finished’

According to experts, the word chess owes its origins to the Persian term “shah” (King) and “checkmate” or ‘shah mat’ which is the Persian term used to mean ‘the King is finished’. One of the notable aspects of chess is that it does not involve any dice being used, and so no luck element is present in the game. According to Indian folklore, it was invented by a wise man who was asked by a king to make a game that would sharpen his mental abilities and which did not require the element of luck being present in the game.

The history of chess certainly points to India as being the originator, though claims that are vehemently put forward by other countries of which China is a prime example dispute this claim. The Chinese claim that their own version of Go that is older as well as more difficult to master has been around since 2000 B.C. and it also does not require any dice thus making a strong case for it as being the inspiration behind the game of chess.

There is a further twist to the history of chess as Iran or Persia as it was then known also claims that chess was derived from its very own invention of the game of backgammon and can even refer to writings as well as poems that place a date further than the Indian ones. And, one can be sure that this version of chess is the one that has made its way to Europe, though one still does not have any clear understanding about where the Persian version itself drew its inspiration from.

In any case, much like golf, there are many claimants to being the inventors of the game of chess and thus the history of chess has yet to clearly make it clear as to who among these countries including the Arabs, Persian, Greeks as well as the Indians can really be said to have invented the game. To lend credence to India as being the originator of chess it should be noted that it was the only country having three animals in its cavalry that represented the knight, bishop as well as rook and these animals were the horse, camel and elephant.

Improving Mental Clarity

As the population of the baby boomers age, the beginning signs of “senior moments” start to appear.  Because more people now want to stay healthy and sharp, they are always looking for ways to improve themselves.  Some people may overlook certain ways to improve mental clarity and miss a golden opportunity to stay sharp.  One of the best ways to improve mental clarity is to start playing chess.  For those people who already play chess, the opportunity to win more games by improving mental clarity should be at the forefront.  Chess of course is a game of strategy and the person with the mental edge will win more games than their opponent.  The ability to think ahead while strategizing gives the individual command of the board. 

Drueke Chess Set

Studies show that chess is a large factor in improving mental clarity.  Because of its affects in helping memory, many doctors now recommend to their patients to begin to play.  Those who start to play chess report back saying that their mental clarity is better than its been for years.  No drugs, no therapy, just playing the game is enough.  This can be the beginning of a new life where a person improves their mental clarity which improves their overall health.

Winning More Games

Once a person begins to play chess, they soon find out that they want to win.  It’s not very much fun losing every game and that’s what hooks people.  This game has been played for centuries by both peasants and noblemen alike.  It’s funny that the way to improve mental clarity is to play more chess, and the way to win more games is to improve ones mental clarity. 

While there will probably never be major chess tournaments played in a outside arena like a football stadium or baseball venues, with the crowd cheering for their favorite player, this should in no way take away from the popularity of the game.  Check the local papers or get onto the internet and find where a chess tournament will be held at a location close to where a person lives. 

While the crowd won’t be screaming, there will be no less intensity in the room.  Just seeing the level of play from the best players should make most people strive to improve mental clarity.  There isn’t a maximum age to play chess and unlike sports where age erodes the player’s abilities, chess improves a person’s abilities.  To begin a new life filled with mental clarity, purchase a new chess set and play away.

A Family Keepsake – How To Purchase an Heirloom Chess Set

If you are considering buying a chess set, then it is important to determine how often and what it will be used for.  For example, if the purpose of the chess set is solely for sport, then you may want to go with a more inexpensive option, such as a chess set made from plastic.

English Staunton

However, if you are looking to purchase a chess set that you can pass down through your family as an heirloom, you should take a whole different set of criteria in mind.  There is a wide variety of exquisite chess sets available, and any of them have the potential to be a family keepsake that your family would treasure for years to come.  All you have to do is go about selecting the one you want.

Rule Number One—Decide On A Price Range

The first thing you should do before purchasing any heirloom chess sets is determine how much money you are willing to spend.  Chess sets range in price; some of the plastic ones (which would obviously not make good heirloom chess sets) cost a mere $7.95, while the more expensive ones can be as expensive as $9,700.

It is important to understand that, because you are buying an heirloom chess set, you should be willing to spend a fair amount of money.   The characteristics that make chess sets potential heirlooms tend to be the ones that make the set cost more.

Selecting From A Variety Of Chess Sets

It can be difficult to choose an heirloom chess set.  After all, how is one to predict what has the potential to become a family heirloom?  Well, there are some basic rules that you can follow when purchasing heirloom chess sets to make the process easier.

Firstly, figure out which brand you wish to purchase.  There are few “brand name” chess sets available; however, those chess sets that are marked with a brand name are considered top-of-the-line, high quality sets.  Brand name chess sets typically have a more predictable appearance, and are of better quality as well.  The level of quality will be reflected in the style, carving, packaging, finish, and documentation of the set.  Some common brand names include: Studio Anne Carlton, ItalFama, and artist Amnon Caspi.

The material is another consideration you should make when buying an heirloom chess set.  You should purchase a chess set that is durable and will last a long time.  One of the first choices in this situation is ebony, because it is a hard wood.  This is also a very exotic wood and is great for a unique collectable or heirloom.

Remembering The Past

By selecting the right heirloom chess set, you will be providing the future generations of your family with not only a unique collector’s item, but memories that they will treasure for the rest of their lives.

Home Décor – Enhance it with a Chess Set

Find Chess Sets That Compliment Your Style Of Home Decor

Are you looking for an elegant and stylish accessory to accent your home?  A chess set is the perfect solution!  One of the most important aspects of accessorizing your home is ensuring that each piece matches your pre-existing home decor.  From modern to traditional, from metal to wood, or from unique to classic, there are many different options to select from!

Players Series Chess Set

Chess Sets To Fit Your Home Decor

Before you purchase a chess set, it is important to determine which of the chess sets will best match your home decor.  There is a wide selection of chess sets available, but any of them would ad style and elegance to your home decor.

Unique chess sets, such as the Art Deco Set or the Antique Chess Set, are sure to bring an eye-catching center of interest to any room in your home.  Or, express your personality through a theme chess set, like the Fantasy Chess Set or the Golf Chess Set.  Any of these chess sets would be a stylish addition to your home decor.

Is your style more traditional?  Perhaps the wood or marble chess sets might appeal to you.  There are even more options within these categories; for example, the wood chess sets include both red and black boxwood chess sets.  Choose the one that would most match your home decor for an elegant addition to your home.

Chess Sets To Fit Your Price Range

Not only do the chess sets vary in style, but they also vary in price.  While you can find exquisite heirloom chess sets for higher prices, the modest consumer can find more affordable options as well.

One of the more exquisite options available is the Discus Thrower Chess Set.  This chess set, which was made in Athens, Greece, is made from metal and brass and is a true collector’s set.    

Guaranteed Satisfaction

Your style might be modern, or it might be traditional.  You may be seeking a collector’s item, or you may be looking for something less expensive.  Whatever your budget and home decor style, a chess set will surely enhance your home.