The Best Chess Set: A Complete Buying Guide

The best chess set is not a single product; it is the one that suits how you play, where it will live, and what you want to spend. A tournament player, a collector, a parent buying a child's first set and someone after a handsome piece for the living room all want something different, and the good news is that there is an excellent set for each. This guide explains what separates a quality set from a cheap one, then walks through the best type of set for every kind of player, so you can buy with confidence.

Let us start with what actually makes a set worth owning, because it is the same handful of things whatever your budget.

What makes a quality chess set

Before choosing a style, it helps to know what quality looks like, because the same markers apply from an entry-level set to an heirloom. Three things matter most.

Weighted pieces. A good set has pieces weighted so they sit firmly and move with a satisfying heft. Weighting is the single clearest difference between a quality set and a toy; unweighted pieces feel hollow and topple easily. Better sets are double or triple weighted.

A felted base and a clean finish. Quality pieces have felt on the base so they glide and protect the board, and a smooth, even finish with no rough edges or seams. Run a knight through your fingers; on a good set it feels solid and considered.

A board sized to the pieces. The board and pieces have to be proportioned to each other, with the king's base about three quarters of the width of a square. A set sold complete has already handled this; if you buy board and pieces separately, our guide on what size chess board to get explains how to match them.

Get those three right and the set will look good, play well and last. With that in mind, here is the best type of set for each kind of player.

The best set for tournament and club play

If you play competitively or at a club, you want a tournament-standard Staunton set: the classic, instantly recognisable piece design that every player knows and every competition uses. The priorities are a regulation king height around 95mm, well-weighted pieces for fast, stable play, and the standard shapes so nothing is ambiguous when the clock is running.

A proper Staunton set is also the best foundation for study, because every book and diagram assumes those shapes. Our range of Staunton chess sets covers the tournament-standard options, from club workhorses to finer pieces for serious players.

The best set for a collector or a statement piece

If the set will be displayed as much as played with, you are choosing craftsmanship and materials as much as playability. This is the territory of fine timbers, marble, and hand-finished detail, sets that hold their presence in a room and often become keepsakes.

Our luxury chess sets range gathers the finest pieces we stock, and for a genuine statement a marble set is hard to beat: the Sterling Chess Oceanic and White Marble Set is a solid stone set with real weight and a look that belongs on a sideboard. For more on stone sets, our guide to marble chess boards and pieces covers what to look for.

The best set for a beginner or a first set

For someone learning, or a child's first set, the priorities flip: durability and practicality matter more than luxury. A complete, well-made standard set with weighted pieces they can learn on, ideally one nice enough to keep using as they improve, is the sweet spot. A set with a storage box or drawer is a bonus, since it keeps everything together and tidy between games.

Avoid the temptation to buy the cheapest thing available; a genuinely good starter set costs little more and makes the game far more enjoyable to learn on. Our full range of chess sets includes plenty of complete, dependable options that suit a first set without being disposable.

The best set for travel

If you play on the move, a compact or magnetic set is what you want, with smaller pieces that hold to the board and a folding or roll-up design that packs away. The trade-off is finger room and presence, so a travel set is best thought of as a second set rather than your only one. Prioritise a design where the pieces stay put in a bag, because loose pieces are the thing that makes a travel set frustrating.

The best set for something different

Not every set has to be a classic Staunton. Themed and figurative sets, where the pieces are sculpted as characters or motifs, make wonderful gifts and display pieces, and for many people they are what makes the game feel personal. They are less suited to serious play, since the shapes are not standard, but as an object to own and enjoy they are a category of their own. Our themed chess sets range runs from elegant to characterful.

How to choose

Bringing it together, the best chess set for you comes down to how and where you will use it. For club and tournament play, a tournament-standard Staunton set. For display or collecting, a luxury or marble set that earns its place in the room. For a beginner or a first set, a durable, complete standard set you will not outgrow. For travel, a compact or magnetic design. For a gift or something personal, a themed set. In every case, hold out for weighted pieces, a felted base and a board sized to match, and you will have a set worth keeping.

When you are ready, browse the full range of chess sets to find the one that fits how you play. Every set is backed by our 100 day free returns, so you can be sure it is right in your own home before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best chess set to buy?

The best chess set is the one that suits how you play. For club and tournament play, a tournament-standard Staunton set; for display, a luxury or marble set; for a beginner, a durable complete set; for travel, a compact or magnetic set. Whatever the style, look for weighted pieces, felted bases and a board sized to the pieces.

What makes a chess set high quality?

Three things above all: weighted pieces that sit firmly and move with heft, a felted base and a smooth even finish, and a board proportioned to the pieces (king base around three quarters of a square). Double or triple weighting, clean carving and quality materials separate a lasting set from a toy.

What size should a chess set be?

A tournament-standard set has a king around 95mm on squares of 50 to 57mm. For home play, slightly smaller is fine and often more comfortable. The key is that the board and pieces are proportioned to each other, with the king's base about three quarters of the square width.

What is a Staunton chess set?

A Staunton set uses the standard, instantly recognisable piece design adopted as the tournament standard in the 19th century. It is the pattern every competition uses and every book and diagram assumes, which makes it the best choice for both serious play and study.

How much should I spend on a chess set?

There are excellent sets at every level. A good complete starter set costs modestly, a quality wooden club set more, and a luxury or marble display piece more again. Spend according to how you will use it, but never drop below the level of weighted pieces and a felted base, which is where quality begins.

Finding your set

The best chess set is simply the one you will most enjoy playing on, matched to how and where you play. Decide whether it is for competition, display, learning, travel or as a gift, hold out for the marks of quality, and choose the style that suits.

Browse our full range of chess sets to find yours, or explore the luxury chess sets range for something truly special. Every Sterling Chess order is backed by our 100 day free returns, so you can choose with complete confidence.

Written by Karl Matias, Customer Experience at Sterling Chess. Karl helps customers choose the right set every day, from a child's first board to a collector's centrepiece, and knows that the best chess set is rarely the most expensive one, it is the one matched to how the person actually plays. He believes the marks of quality, weighted pieces, a felted base and a board sized to match, matter far more than the price on the box.