Dal Rossi

Dal Rossi chess sets are the middle of the market done properly: full size boards, correctly weighted Staunton pieces, and a finish you would be happy to leave out between games. Sterling Chess is an authorised Dal Rossi reseller and this page is the complete range, sets and boards and pieces together.

It is also more than chess. The same brand supplies our backgammon, mahjong, checkers and solitaire ranges, and backgammon alone accounts for more than a quarter of what is listed here. Everything below is grouped so you can go straight to the part you came for.

Dal Rossi chess sets

The 50cm Staunton sets

Five sets on the same footprint, separated only by timber: Black and Erable, Palisander and Maple, Walnut Inlaid, Walnut Gloss Finish and Mahogany and Maple. Each pairs a 95mm king with 50mm squares on a 50cm inlaid timber board, double weighted with felted bases, so the only real decision is which timber suits the room. They also sit in our Staunton chess sets range.

Folding sets

The 45cm folding set and its 38cm and 40cm siblings fold flat with the pieces stored inside the board, so nothing needs a second bag. These are the ones that go to club nights and holiday houses. Compare them against the rest of the format in our folding chess sets range.

Themed and metal sets

Four sets step away from plain Staunton. The Isle of Lewis 40cm set reproduces the 12th century Scandinavian carvings, the Queens Gambit 50cm set is a Dal Rossi reading of the pattern from the series, and the Dark Titanium and Silver and Copper and Bronze sets swap timber pieces for metal on a 50cm board.

Dal Rossi chess boards

Five boards are sold on their own, without pieces, and this is the part of the range most buyers never find. Every one is built the same way: each dark and light square set from solid timber rather than printed, on a solid non-folding board with a smooth polished surface.

• Palisander and Maple. Deep palisander rosewood against pale maple, the warmest contrast in the range.
• Black and Erable. The highest contrast of the five, black against light maple.
• Mahogany and Maple. A softer, more traditional pairing that suits older furniture.
• Walnut. Matte walnut, the quietest board here.
• Walnut Gloss Finish. The same timber with a high gloss surface.

Each comes in two sizes and the square size follows: the 40cm board carries 40mm squares, which suit a king of roughly 70mm to 76mm, and the 50cm board carries 50mm squares, which suit a king of roughly 90mm to 95mm. If you already own pieces, measure the king before choosing. For other timbers and formats, our chess boards collection covers the rest of what we stock.

Dal Rossi chess pieces

The pieces are sold separately too. The Ebony and Boxwood 95mm double weighted Staunton pieces are the full size option, and three French Lardy sets sit alongside them, all listed in Dal Rossi chess pieces. Boxed piece sets are available at 85mm and 95mm as well.

Because the boards and the pieces are sold apart, you can build the combination you actually want rather than accepting the pairing in a box: a 95mm king on the timber you prefer, then the matching storage box for pieces up to 95mm to keep them in. Very few brands at this level let you do that.

Who Dal Rossi are

Dal Rossi Italy began in the board game industry in 1980s Italy and is family owned. Their published range runs well beyond chess: backgammon, mahjong, roulette, chess tables and pewter figurines all sit under the same name, and they state that materials are ethically and sustainably sourced. Sterling Chess is an authorised Dal Rossi reseller, so everything on this page is genuine stock carrying full manufacturer warranty support.

Dal Rossi backgammon

Eleven sets, and the largest single part of the brand at Sterling Chess. Nine are 45cm cases in tan, black, grey, walnut, sandstone, obsidian black, luxury mosaic and two crocodile engraved finishes, and two are 38cm cases in sandstone and obsidian black. The case is the product as much as the board is. Each closes into a briefcase form with a carry handle and clasps, and the checkers, dice, dice cups and doubling cube travel inside it.

The 45cm size is the one to buy if the set will live on a table and get played properly. The 38cm cases are for travel and for smaller spaces. Both sit in our backgammon range alongside everything else we stock for the game.

Dal Rossi mahjong

Two tile sets and a rack set, all for the four player tile game rather than the single player matching puzzle that shares the name. The Executive Edition arrives in a 62cm wooden case with 144 tiles, four wooden racks and a full set of counting sticks, so there is nothing to source separately. Additional mahjong racks are listed on their own for groups that need more. The full range is in our mahjong collection.

Checkers, Chinese checkers and solitaire

Three more games under the same name. The Dal Rossi checkers set and the 37cm Chinese checkers board are both presented to the same standard as the chess range, and the solitaire set is the one that tends to get bought last and played most. All three also appear in traditional games.

Choosing a Dal Rossi set

Four questions settle it quickly:

• Playing or presenting? The 50cm Staunton sets and the 45cm backgammon cases are built to be played on regularly. The themed and metal sets are bought at least as much for how they look on the shelf.
• Set, or board and pieces apart? If you already own pieces you like, buy the board alone. If you already have a board, the piece sets stand on their own. Only buy the boxed set when you want both together.
• Will it move? Folding chess sets and the 38cm backgammon cases are built to travel. A 50cm board and a 45cm case are not, and are better for it.
• Is it a gift? Almost everything here arrives presentation ready, which is the single most common reason people choose this brand over a cheaper equivalent.

Where Dal Rossi sits in the range

Against the rest of what we stock, Dal Rossi is full size, well finished and consistent from one product to the next. For competition sizing and historic patterns, our tournament chess sets range goes deeper. For genuine ebony, bud rosewood and hand carving, the luxury chess sets range is the step up. Everything we stock across every brand is in all chess sets.

Dal Rossi FAQs

Which Dal Rossi chess set should I buy?

For regular play, one of the five 50cm Staunton sets: a 95mm king on 50mm squares is full competition scale and the five differ only in timber. For a set that packs away, a folding set. For display or a gift, one of the themed or metal sets. If you want to choose the board and the pieces separately, both are sold on their own.

Which Dal Rossi chess board should I buy?

Match the board to the pieces you own. The 40cm boards carry 40mm squares and suit a king of roughly 70mm to 76mm; the 50cm boards carry 50mm squares and suit a king of roughly 90mm to 95mm. After that it is timber: palisander for warmth, black and erable for contrast, mahogany for a traditional look, walnut in matte or gloss. All five are inlaid solid timber rather than printed.

Is Dal Rossi only a chess brand?

No, and that is the thing most people get wrong about them. Backgammon is the largest part of the range we stock, and they also make mahjong, checkers, Chinese checkers and solitaire sets. Their own published range extends further again, to roulette, chess tables and pewter figurines.

Are these genuine Dal Rossi products?

Yes. Sterling Chess is an authorised Dal Rossi reseller and every product here is sourced through that channel, so it carries full manufacturer warranty support. Australian stock, held locally.

Can I buy a Dal Rossi board without the pieces?

Yes. All five boards are listed on their own, in palisander and maple, black and erable, mahogany and maple, walnut, and walnut gloss finish. The piece sets are listed separately as well, so you can pair them however you like.

What size are the Dal Rossi chess pieces?

The Staunton piece sets run to a 95mm king, with an 85mm option in the boxed piece sets. Both are double weighted with felted bases. A 95mm king suits squares of around 50mm, which is what the 50cm Dal Rossi boards are cut at.

Which backgammon size should I choose?

The 45cm cases if it will live on a table and be played regularly, the 38cm cases if it needs to travel or share space with other things. The playing experience is the same; the difference is footprint and how much room the checkers have.

Are the mahjong sets for the tile game or the matching puzzle?

The four player tile game. These are physical tile sets in a fitted case, not the single player matching game that shares the name online. The Executive Edition includes four wooden racks; additional racks are listed separately.

What warranty do Dal Rossi products carry?

A 12 month limited manufacturer warranty covering manufacturing defects and cracking, backed by Sterling Chess with 100 day free returns.

Backed by Sterling Chess

Every Dal Rossi product is handled and set up before it goes into the catalogue. We check that the case closes cleanly and holds its contents, that the board finish is even across the playing surface, and that the pieces are weighted consistently from king to pawn. As an authorised reseller we source directly, so what arrives is genuine stock with the warranty intact. All of it is held in Australia with local support behind it and 100 day free returns.

If you are deciding between two timbers, or matching a board to pieces you already own, our team is a call or email away on (03) 7037 0931. Tell us the king height and we will tell you which board fits.