Solid Wood Internationalized Chinese Chess Set
Product Description
Say it with me: Shee-ahng-chee. Also known as Chinese Chess or Elephant Chess, this is the most popular board game on earth. Played in China for nearly 2,000 years, it has been largely unknown to the west until recent… More >>
This game is certainly fun as billions of people will tell you, but if you are looking for a high quality professional set worthy of the Franklin Mint look elsewhere. The set is fairly basic and well suited for casual play or beginners looking to learn and master the game. It is also very travel friendly. The light color wood is medium grain and not much stronger than balsa. It is not well sanded and appears to have been varnished with a large brush. The pattern on the board is stamped in red and the pieces are pattern pressed and stylistically painted. The Hànzì and symbols are large and easily legible. The instruction booklet is entirely in English and well written for the beginner, including some basic tactics and strategy.
It may be hard to find a real xiangqi set of any quality in the states but many cheep ones are made of cardboard or plastic. The other option may be to spend hundreds on a high quality import. For being made of wood and having a modest price; it deserves at least three out of five stars. As for delivery, I was surprised to find it arriving at my door within 36 hours of ordering despite the standard shipping method I chose. Overall, I am greatly satisfied.
Rating: 4 / 5
Comment by J. Tyler — June 16, 2010 @ 10:17 am
If you like Chess, but want to play something different every once in a while, Xiangqi is an excellent game. It is very Chess-like, but with just enough differences to make it a new challenge. Like Chess, it can be learned in a moment, but played at all levels from beginner to grandmaster. Despite being played by hundreds of millions of people, especially in China, there is no computer program that can beat the best grandmasters.
This edition of the game is well made. I liked the international symbols. The construction is basic, but pretty solid. You would have to abuse it to cause damage. It was delivered from the supplier promptly on order.
Rating: 5 / 5
Comment by Meadmaker — June 16, 2010 @ 12:01 pm