The progenitor to chess, Chaturanga, is thought to have been developed in India around 5 A.D; although there are some chess historians that trace chess’ origin back to the Chinese game of Xiang-Qi in 2 B.C.  Regardless of its argued origins, chess playing enthusiasts keep the game of strategy alive and treat their chess sets as gates to a higher, more enlightened plane of thought.

From the very first monotone chessboard to the digital opponent, chess sets are continuing to be made from a myriad of materials and a multitude of designs.  All of this variation of quality and construction is confusing to inexperienced buyers and may result in over-paying for marginally higher quality chess sets. 

How much should you pay for a chess set?  To answer that you must first ask yourself the following question. 

What are your needs and what is your budget?

Are you a chess junkie and can’t even ride the bus without wanting to play? Handheld chess games, a.k.a. digital chess sets, range anywhere from $29.95 for a unit that requires you to place pins into electronically monitored holes and displays those results via LCD display, to the breeds of super cell phones that will run you almost $600 for the pleasures of linked real-time play.

Do you play the occasional game when friends or family come to visit?  Chess sets that you can fold up and store in the game closet can range from as low as $8.00 without sacrificing size.  Hardier chess sets start around $20.00 and will stand up better to abuse.  This may be good to consider if you’re purchasing a child’s first chess set or your uncle isn’t very good at controlling his temper when you mate him in twelve moves.

Are you a traveler who isn’t finished packing until you’ve tucked away a chess set into your luggage?  Well, there is the aforementioned digital option, but what if you hate opponents made of blinking lights and beeps?  Well you can experience human interaction and physical game play for as little as $8.00.  However, some of the budget models don’t stand up well to the actual traveling part of their duties.

Are you a snob when it comes to chess sets?  Do you believe that chess sets are elegant and functional pieces of furniture?  Well, your price range can reach astronomical amounts.  One of the most expensive chess sets ever sold took thirty artisans six months to handcraft.  It was constructed with 14K white gold and nearly 10,000 black and white diamonds.  The asking price was a modest $500,000.

If you aren’t in the privileged position of looking for chess sets while getting your yacht repainted, you will be happy to know that there is a large selection of moderately priced chess sets available online from a variety of suppliers.  Good quality chess sets that can be played with great satisfaction and handed down for generations are priced as low as $45.00 to as much as $500.  The optimal combination of price, durability and visual quality can be found in chess sets ranging from $80 to $300.  It all depends on your desire and budget.

John Sokol is the creator of Quality Chess. Quality Chess is a provider of a large selection of unique and classical chess boards in many designs and beautiful materials.

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