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✔ Questions? Call Us: (03) 7037 0931
This is a reproduction of the Staunton design itself, drawn by the woodturner John Jaques and registered by his associate Nathaniel Cooke on 1 March 1849. Every Staunton set you have played with since is a reading of it.
The knights are the reason the pattern has been reinterpreted ever since rather than improved on. They were inspired by the horses of the Elgin Marbles, the Parthenon sculptures, and it is the one place the design reached outside the game.
Symbols do the rest of the work, and they read from across a table: a castle for the rook, a mitre for the bishop, a cross for the king and a coronet for the queen.
The king stands 97mm, which is tournament size, and the complete 34 pieces weigh 1,400 grams in each of the three finishes offered.
It belongs with our reproduction chess pieces.
What made the 1849 design win was legibility rather than beauty, and it got there by giving every rank a job and a symbol of its own.
The rook is a castle, drawn with walls meant to look impregnable rather than decorative. The pawn is deliberately minimal, because a pawn should be the least assertive thing on the board.
The king is identified by his cross, unmistakable from any angle, and the queen by a coronet. The step down from king to queen is the widest in the army, which is what makes the two easy to tell apart at speed.
The corner is where the drawing does something unexpected. Of the bishop, knight and rook, the rook is the shortest and stands on the widest foot of the three, so the ends of the back rank read as braced rather than tapering away.
These want squares of 55mm to 60mm, and the roomier end is the one to aim for. At the bottom of the range the corners tighten, though the set still plays perfectly well there.
The pattern is identical across all three. Every height, every base, the weight and the square window are the same, so what you are choosing is the pairing and nothing else.
Bud rosewood against boxwood is the traditional collector's choice: strong figure, a warm reddish brown, and two natural timbers in conversation. It is the option that most looks like a nineteenth century set.
Ebony against antiqued boxwood is the harder read and the more period looking. Ebony is naturally dark, dark in the timber rather than brought there, and the boxwood opposite it is mellowed rather than fresh cream.
Red and white lacquered is the outlier, and it is a colour rather than a timber. The lacquer has real sheen to it, and a red army is an uncommon thing to see on a board.
That is the one to take if you want the 1849 shapes without the antique palette. There is no grain in it at all, which is worth knowing before ordering rather than after.
Care is the same on all three with one qualification. Keep the set out of direct sunlight and away from heaters and air vents, dust with a dry soft cloth and nothing else, and skip oil, furniture polish and solvent based cleaners entirely.
Be particularly careful with solvents on the lacquered option. A mark in lacquer cannot be polished out the way a mark on bare timber sometimes can.
The reason to buy this one is that it reproduces the original argument rather than a descendant of it. Drawn by John Jaques, registered by Nathaniel Cooke on 1 March 1849, with knights inspired by the Parthenon horses and a symbol on every rank.
The rook is the detail I would point at. It is shorter than the bishop and the knight and yet stands on a wider foot than either, and that is what anchors the corners of an 1849 board.
On the three options: bud rosewood for the traditional collector's choice, ebony and antiqued boxwood for the hardest contrast and a set that looks as though it has a history, and red and white lacquered for the shapes without the antique palette. There is more of the pattern's family across our staunton chess pieces.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
55mm to 60mm, and the roomier of the two is the better. The corners tighten at the bottom of the range, though the set plays well at either end of it.
Only the finish itself. Every dimension, the weight and the square window are identical. Bud rosewood gives two natural timbers, ebony and antiqued boxwood gives the hardest contrast and a period look, and red and white lacquered is a colour rather than a timber.
The Staunton design, drawn by the woodturner John Jaques and registered by his associate Nathaniel Cooke on 1 March 1849. Every subsequent tournament set has been a reading of it.
They are inspired by the horses of the Elgin Marbles, the sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens. It is the one place in the pattern where the designers reached outside the game for a reference.
It is deliberate. The rook is the shortest of the three and yet stands on the widest foot of them, and that is what gives an 1849 board its anchored corners.
1,400 grams for the complete 34 pieces, a moderate weight for a king of this height rather than a heavy one. Pieces settle when they are put down and hold their place through ordinary play. No board is included.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
King |
97mm high (3.8 inch), 45mm base |
|
Queen |
77mm high (3.0 inch), 43mm base |
|
Bishop |
68mm high (2.7 inch), 37mm base |
|
Knight |
64mm high (2.5 inch), 37mm base |
|
Rook |
57mm high (2.2 inch), 40mm base |
|
Pawn |
50mm high (2.0 inch), 33mm base |
|
Bud Rosewood option |
Bud rosewood dark pieces, boxwood light pieces, 1,400 grams (3.1 lbs) |
|
Ebony & Antiqued Boxwood option |
Ebony dark pieces, antiqued boxwood light pieces, 1,400 grams (3.1 lbs) |
|
Red & White Lacquered option |
Red lacquered dark pieces, white lacquered light pieces, 1,400 grams (3.1 lbs) |
|
Recommended square size |
55mm to 60mm (2.16 inch to 2.36 inch) |
|
Piece count |
34 |
|
Chess board |
Not included |
34 chess pieces in the finish chosen
Two pieces more than a standard game array uses
Chess board not included
Storage box not included
All products sold by Sterling Chess are backed by a 12 month limited manufacturer warranty. This covers manufacturing defects and cracking, and ensures every product is 100% genuine. If you need assistance, our team is only a call or email away.
Is shipping really free?
Yes — we offer free standard shipping on all orders across Australia, with no minimum spend. The price you see at checkout is the price you pay.
Are there any exceptions to free shipping?
No exceptions. Every order ships free, regardless of size, weight, or order value.
How long will my order take to arrive?
Orders are typically dispatched within 1–2 business days, with delivery times depending on your location. You'll receive tracking details by email once your order is on its way.
Do you ship to all areas of Australia?
Yes, we deliver Australia-wide, including regional and remote areas — all at no shipping cost to you.
Can I track my order?
Absolutely. As soon as your order ships, we'll email you a tracking number so you can follow its journey to your door.
What if I need my order quickly?
Get in touch before ordering and we'll do our best to help. Standard shipping is free, and we'll advise on the fastest available option for your area. To contact us, simply email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au, call (03) 7037 0931 or open the live chat.
Changed your mind? You can return unused, unopened items within 100 days of your order date, provided they’re in original packaging and resaleable condition. Sterling Chess will cover the cost of shipping return items under our 100-day free returns policy.
All Sterling Chess products are backed by Australian Consumer Law and include a minimum 12-month Australian warranty. If there’s an issue with your product, our team is here to help and will work to make it right.
Click here to view our full returns policy.
If you're shopping for a new chess set, you're in the right place—and here's why.
1. We know chess inside and out
At Sterling Chess, we're not just another online store. We’re chess lovers, players, collectors, and game night fanatics.
That means we care about quality, balance, and feel—and we only stock sets we’d use ourselves. From tournament-grade boards to handcrafted wooden pieces, we’ve got what real players want.
2. Unmatched variety for every player
Whether you're just learning or a lifelong grandmaster, we have something for you.
Looking for a folding set for travel? A stunning showpiece for your home? A kid-friendly set for your budding chess champion? We’ve got it all—and more.
3. Fast and FREE shipping on all orders
Shipping is FREE on all Sterling Chess orders.
We ship quickly from local and international warehouses, so you’re not waiting weeks to get your game on.
Most orders are packed and sent within 24–48 hours. Plus, you’ll get tracking updates every step of the way.
4. Customer support that actually helps
Have a question? Need help choosing a set? Our friendly team is ready to help—no scripts, no bots, just real people who care about your experience.
You can call our team anytime between business hours on (03) 7037 0931 or email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au. Alternatively, you can use our live chat during business hours to contact our helpful support team.
5. Thousands of happy customers
Don't just take our word for it—our reviews speak for themselves. Sterling Chess is trusted by thousands of players who keep coming back for more. Great products. Great service. No hassle.
6. Classic games, too
We're all about chess—but we also carry backgammon, checkers, poker and other timeless strategy games. If you love the classics, you’ll feel right at home.
Ready to make your move?
Choose a chess set that fits your style, skill level, and space—and enjoy the Sterling Chess difference. You’ll love how it looks. You’ll love how it plays. And you’ll love buying from a team that loves the game just as much as you do.
This is a reproduction of the Staunton design itself, drawn by the woodturner John Jaques and registered by his associate Nathaniel Cooke on 1 March 1849. Every Staunton set you have played with since is a reading of it.
The knights are the reason the pattern has been reinterpreted ever since rather than improved on. They were inspired by the horses of the Elgin Marbles, the Parthenon sculptures, and it is the one place the design reached outside the game.
Symbols do the rest of the work, and they read from across a table: a castle for the rook, a mitre for the bishop, a cross for the king and a coronet for the queen.
The king stands 97mm, which is tournament size, and the complete 34 pieces weigh 1,400 grams in each of the three finishes offered.
It belongs with our reproduction chess pieces.
What made the 1849 design win was legibility rather than beauty, and it got there by giving every rank a job and a symbol of its own.
The rook is a castle, drawn with walls meant to look impregnable rather than decorative. The pawn is deliberately minimal, because a pawn should be the least assertive thing on the board.
The king is identified by his cross, unmistakable from any angle, and the queen by a coronet. The step down from king to queen is the widest in the army, which is what makes the two easy to tell apart at speed.
The corner is where the drawing does something unexpected. Of the bishop, knight and rook, the rook is the shortest and stands on the widest foot of the three, so the ends of the back rank read as braced rather than tapering away.
These want squares of 55mm to 60mm, and the roomier end is the one to aim for. At the bottom of the range the corners tighten, though the set still plays perfectly well there.
The pattern is identical across all three. Every height, every base, the weight and the square window are the same, so what you are choosing is the pairing and nothing else.
Bud rosewood against boxwood is the traditional collector's choice: strong figure, a warm reddish brown, and two natural timbers in conversation. It is the option that most looks like a nineteenth century set.
Ebony against antiqued boxwood is the harder read and the more period looking. Ebony is naturally dark, dark in the timber rather than brought there, and the boxwood opposite it is mellowed rather than fresh cream.
Red and white lacquered is the outlier, and it is a colour rather than a timber. The lacquer has real sheen to it, and a red army is an uncommon thing to see on a board.
That is the one to take if you want the 1849 shapes without the antique palette. There is no grain in it at all, which is worth knowing before ordering rather than after.
Care is the same on all three with one qualification. Keep the set out of direct sunlight and away from heaters and air vents, dust with a dry soft cloth and nothing else, and skip oil, furniture polish and solvent based cleaners entirely.
Be particularly careful with solvents on the lacquered option. A mark in lacquer cannot be polished out the way a mark on bare timber sometimes can.
The reason to buy this one is that it reproduces the original argument rather than a descendant of it. Drawn by John Jaques, registered by Nathaniel Cooke on 1 March 1849, with knights inspired by the Parthenon horses and a symbol on every rank.
The rook is the detail I would point at. It is shorter than the bishop and the knight and yet stands on a wider foot than either, and that is what anchors the corners of an 1849 board.
On the three options: bud rosewood for the traditional collector's choice, ebony and antiqued boxwood for the hardest contrast and a set that looks as though it has a history, and red and white lacquered for the shapes without the antique palette. There is more of the pattern's family across our staunton chess pieces.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
55mm to 60mm, and the roomier of the two is the better. The corners tighten at the bottom of the range, though the set plays well at either end of it.
Only the finish itself. Every dimension, the weight and the square window are identical. Bud rosewood gives two natural timbers, ebony and antiqued boxwood gives the hardest contrast and a period look, and red and white lacquered is a colour rather than a timber.
The Staunton design, drawn by the woodturner John Jaques and registered by his associate Nathaniel Cooke on 1 March 1849. Every subsequent tournament set has been a reading of it.
They are inspired by the horses of the Elgin Marbles, the sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens. It is the one place in the pattern where the designers reached outside the game for a reference.
It is deliberate. The rook is the shortest of the three and yet stands on the widest foot of them, and that is what gives an 1849 board its anchored corners.
1,400 grams for the complete 34 pieces, a moderate weight for a king of this height rather than a heavy one. Pieces settle when they are put down and hold their place through ordinary play. No board is included.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
King |
97mm high (3.8 inch), 45mm base |
|
Queen |
77mm high (3.0 inch), 43mm base |
|
Bishop |
68mm high (2.7 inch), 37mm base |
|
Knight |
64mm high (2.5 inch), 37mm base |
|
Rook |
57mm high (2.2 inch), 40mm base |
|
Pawn |
50mm high (2.0 inch), 33mm base |
|
Bud Rosewood option |
Bud rosewood dark pieces, boxwood light pieces, 1,400 grams (3.1 lbs) |
|
Ebony & Antiqued Boxwood option |
Ebony dark pieces, antiqued boxwood light pieces, 1,400 grams (3.1 lbs) |
|
Red & White Lacquered option |
Red lacquered dark pieces, white lacquered light pieces, 1,400 grams (3.1 lbs) |
|
Recommended square size |
55mm to 60mm (2.16 inch to 2.36 inch) |
|
Piece count |
34 |
|
Chess board |
Not included |
34 chess pieces in the finish chosen
Two pieces more than a standard game array uses
Chess board not included
Storage box not included
All products sold by Sterling Chess are backed by a 12 month limited manufacturer warranty. This covers manufacturing defects and cracking, and ensures every product is 100% genuine. If you need assistance, our team is only a call or email away.
Is shipping really free?
Yes — we offer free standard shipping on all orders across Australia, with no minimum spend. The price you see at checkout is the price you pay.
Are there any exceptions to free shipping?
No exceptions. Every order ships free, regardless of size, weight, or order value.
How long will my order take to arrive?
Orders are typically dispatched within 1–2 business days, with delivery times depending on your location. You'll receive tracking details by email once your order is on its way.
Do you ship to all areas of Australia?
Yes, we deliver Australia-wide, including regional and remote areas — all at no shipping cost to you.
Can I track my order?
Absolutely. As soon as your order ships, we'll email you a tracking number so you can follow its journey to your door.
What if I need my order quickly?
Get in touch before ordering and we'll do our best to help. Standard shipping is free, and we'll advise on the fastest available option for your area. To contact us, simply email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au, call (03) 7037 0931 or open the live chat.
Changed your mind? You can return unused, unopened items within 100 days of your order date, provided they’re in original packaging and resaleable condition. Sterling Chess will cover the cost of shipping return items under our 100-day free returns policy.
All Sterling Chess products are backed by Australian Consumer Law and include a minimum 12-month Australian warranty. If there’s an issue with your product, our team is here to help and will work to make it right.
Click here to view our full returns policy.
If you're shopping for a new chess set, you're in the right place—and here's why.
1. We know chess inside and out
At Sterling Chess, we're not just another online store. We’re chess lovers, players, collectors, and game night fanatics.
That means we care about quality, balance, and feel—and we only stock sets we’d use ourselves. From tournament-grade boards to handcrafted wooden pieces, we’ve got what real players want.
2. Unmatched variety for every player
Whether you're just learning or a lifelong grandmaster, we have something for you.
Looking for a folding set for travel? A stunning showpiece for your home? A kid-friendly set for your budding chess champion? We’ve got it all—and more.
3. Fast and FREE shipping on all orders
Shipping is FREE on all Sterling Chess orders.
We ship quickly from local and international warehouses, so you’re not waiting weeks to get your game on.
Most orders are packed and sent within 24–48 hours. Plus, you’ll get tracking updates every step of the way.
4. Customer support that actually helps
Have a question? Need help choosing a set? Our friendly team is ready to help—no scripts, no bots, just real people who care about your experience.
You can call our team anytime between business hours on (03) 7037 0931 or email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au. Alternatively, you can use our live chat during business hours to contact our helpful support team.
5. Thousands of happy customers
Don't just take our word for it—our reviews speak for themselves. Sterling Chess is trusted by thousands of players who keep coming back for more. Great products. Great service. No hassle.
6. Classic games, too
We're all about chess—but we also carry backgammon, checkers, poker and other timeless strategy games. If you love the classics, you’ll feel right at home.
Ready to make your move?
Choose a chess set that fits your style, skill level, and space—and enjoy the Sterling Chess difference. You’ll love how it looks. You’ll love how it plays. And you’ll love buying from a team that loves the game just as much as you do.
