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The knight is what the Colombian series is built around: a broad, heavy head on a thick neck with a squared jaw, deliberately more solid than the fine boned knights on most luxury patterns. It sets the tone for the whole set, which runs to a 99mm king on an unusually wide 42mm base.
That carving is the same whichever option you take. What changes is the timber on the dark side and the board that comes with it. Bud rosewood against boxwood arrives with a 55cm board in red ash burl and maple, a figured veneer with swirl in the dark squares. Sheesham against boxwood arrives with a 53.3cm board in sheesham and maple, a considerably heavier board at 20mm thick.
Thirty four pieces either way, including two spare queens, hand carved in India. It sits in our luxury chess sets collection.
Both options are the same New Colombian Staunton carving at 99mm, on the same 42mm king base, with 55mm squares underneath. The choice is the dark timber on the pieces and the board it ships with, and the two boards are genuinely different objects rather than two sizes of one thing.
The bud rosewood option comes with a 55cm board in red ash burl against maple. It is a veneer, which is what makes a board that wide possible at 12mm and 2,950g, and the dark squares carry a swirled, knotted figure that shifts across the surface rather than reading as one flat tone. It is the decorative board of the two.
The sheesham option comes with a 53.3cm board in sheesham against maple, 20mm thick and 5,600g, felted underneath with green velvet. It is slightly smaller across and close to twice the weight, and it is also the more affordable of the two options, which is not the order most people would guess. The same pattern is sold as pieces on their own if you already own a board with 55mm squares.
Bud rosewood is a figured cut taken from around the growth buds of the tree, which is why the grain swirls rather than running straight. Every piece is slightly different and the colour ranges from warm red brown to a deeper purple brown depending on how the light falls.
Sheesham is the closely related timber without that figuring. The grain runs in visible straight lines through the body of each piece in a mid to dark brown, and it reads as a working timber rather than a decorative one. Boxwood is the light side either way, so the contrast stays warm rather than stark whichever you choose.
Ninety nine millimetres is an ordinary height for a Staunton. Forty two millimetres is not an ordinary base to put under it, since most sets at this height sit on 38mm or 40mm. The extra few millimetres change the character of the whole back rank, which reads as planted rather than poised.
The knight is the other half of it. The head is broad and deep with a squared jaw and a thick neck, carved with more mass than the fine boned knights on most luxury patterns, and it is what makes the set recognisable across a room. Both options carry exactly the same carving, so nothing about the pattern changes with the timber.
Both boards are cut to 55mm squares, which is the right fit under a 42mm king base: correct rather than generous, and that suits a set with this much bulk low down. The 55cm red ash burl board is 12mm thick at 2,950g, a figured veneer face over a stable core. The 53.3cm sheesham board is 20mm thick at 5,600g, with its underside felted in green velvet. Neither board carries notation.
Thirty four pieces including two spare queens, plus the board, either way. No storage box is included. The boards are handmade and the pieces are hand carved, so weights vary a little from set to set. Timber and veneer both move in strong sunlight, so keep the set out of it. Other pairings sit across our chess boards collection.
The knight is the reason to look at this pattern at all: a broad, deep head with real mass in it, sitting over a 42mm base that gives the back rank a planted look most sets at this height do not have. Choosing between the options is really a choice of board, and the two are not equivalent. Red ash burl at 12mm is a figured veneer face, decorative and light, a playing surface rather than furniture, while the sheesham board is 20mm and 5,600g with the substance you can feel when you lift it, and none of the swirl. Take the bud rosewood if you want the figured board and the deeper timber on the pieces, and the sheesham if you would rather the weight went underfoot.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
The carving, the 99mm king and the 42mm base are identical. The bud rosewood option pairs bud rosewood and boxwood pieces with a 55cm red ash burl and maple board. The sheesham option pairs sheesham and boxwood pieces with a 53.3cm sheesham and maple board. Both sit within our Staunton chess sets collection.
The bud rosewood option comes with a 55cm x 55cm board, 55mm squares, 12mm thick and around 2,950g, in red ash burl and maple veneer. The sheesham option comes with a 53.3cm x 53.3cm board, 55mm squares, 20mm thick and around 5,600g, in sheesham and maple.
Thickness, mostly. The 55cm red ash burl board is 12mm and around 2,950g, a figured veneer face over a stable core. The 53.3cm sheesham board is 20mm and around 5,600g, with a green velvet felted underside. The sheesham board is the more substantial object to lift; the red ash burl board is the more decorative surface.
Bud rosewood is a figured cut taken from around the growth buds of the tree, so the grain swirls and no two pieces look identical. Sheesham is the closely related timber without that figuring, straighter in the grain and quieter to look at.
A 42mm king base wants 55mm squares, which is what both supplied boards use. On 50mm squares this set would crowd badly, so check your square size before assuming the pieces will move across.
No. Either option is the 34 pieces and one board. Storage boxes are sold separately.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
King height |
99mm (3.89 inch) |
|
King base diameter |
42mm (1.65 inch) |
|
Queen height |
81mm (3.18 inch) |
|
Queen base diameter |
39mm (1.53 inch) |
|
Bishop height |
70mm (2.75 inch) |
|
Knight height |
67mm (2.63 inch) |
|
Rook height |
52mm (2.04 inch) |
|
Pawn height |
48mm (1.88 inch) |
|
Officer base diameter |
35mm (1.37 inch), bishop, knight and rook |
|
Dark pieces |
Bud rosewood, or sheesham, by option |
|
Light pieces |
Boxwood |
|
Piece count |
34, including two spare queens |
|
Chess pieces weight |
1,200g bud rosewood option, 1,100g sheesham option |
|
Board, bud rosewood option |
55cm x 55cm (21.6 inch), 55mm squares, 12mm thick, 2,950g |
|
Board timbers, bud rosewood option |
Red ash burl and maple veneer |
|
Board, sheesham option |
53.3cm x 53.3cm (21 inch), 55mm squares, 20mm thick, 5,600g |
|
Board timbers, sheesham option |
Sheesham (Dalbergia Sissoo) and maple (Acer oblongum) |
|
Board underside, sheesham option |
Felted with green velvet |
|
Notation |
Neither board is notated |
|
Total set weight |
4,150g bud rosewood option, 6,700g sheesham option |
|
Pieces origin |
Hand carved in India |
|
Storage box |
Not included |
34 chess pieces, including two spare queens, in bud rosewood and boxwood or sheesham and boxwood
One chess board: 55cm red ash burl and maple with the bud rosewood option, or 53.3cm sheesham and maple with the sheesham option
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.
The knight is what the Colombian series is built around: a broad, heavy head on a thick neck with a squared jaw, deliberately more solid than the fine boned knights on most luxury patterns. It sets the tone for the whole set, which runs to a 99mm king on an unusually wide 42mm base.
That carving is the same whichever option you take. What changes is the timber on the dark side and the board that comes with it. Bud rosewood against boxwood arrives with a 55cm board in red ash burl and maple, a figured veneer with swirl in the dark squares. Sheesham against boxwood arrives with a 53.3cm board in sheesham and maple, a considerably heavier board at 20mm thick.
Thirty four pieces either way, including two spare queens, hand carved in India. It sits in our luxury chess sets collection.
Both options are the same New Colombian Staunton carving at 99mm, on the same 42mm king base, with 55mm squares underneath. The choice is the dark timber on the pieces and the board it ships with, and the two boards are genuinely different objects rather than two sizes of one thing.
The bud rosewood option comes with a 55cm board in red ash burl against maple. It is a veneer, which is what makes a board that wide possible at 12mm and 2,950g, and the dark squares carry a swirled, knotted figure that shifts across the surface rather than reading as one flat tone. It is the decorative board of the two.
The sheesham option comes with a 53.3cm board in sheesham against maple, 20mm thick and 5,600g, felted underneath with green velvet. It is slightly smaller across and close to twice the weight, and it is also the more affordable of the two options, which is not the order most people would guess. The same pattern is sold as pieces on their own if you already own a board with 55mm squares.
Bud rosewood is a figured cut taken from around the growth buds of the tree, which is why the grain swirls rather than running straight. Every piece is slightly different and the colour ranges from warm red brown to a deeper purple brown depending on how the light falls.
Sheesham is the closely related timber without that figuring. The grain runs in visible straight lines through the body of each piece in a mid to dark brown, and it reads as a working timber rather than a decorative one. Boxwood is the light side either way, so the contrast stays warm rather than stark whichever you choose.
Ninety nine millimetres is an ordinary height for a Staunton. Forty two millimetres is not an ordinary base to put under it, since most sets at this height sit on 38mm or 40mm. The extra few millimetres change the character of the whole back rank, which reads as planted rather than poised.
The knight is the other half of it. The head is broad and deep with a squared jaw and a thick neck, carved with more mass than the fine boned knights on most luxury patterns, and it is what makes the set recognisable across a room. Both options carry exactly the same carving, so nothing about the pattern changes with the timber.
Both boards are cut to 55mm squares, which is the right fit under a 42mm king base: correct rather than generous, and that suits a set with this much bulk low down. The 55cm red ash burl board is 12mm thick at 2,950g, a figured veneer face over a stable core. The 53.3cm sheesham board is 20mm thick at 5,600g, with its underside felted in green velvet. Neither board carries notation.
Thirty four pieces including two spare queens, plus the board, either way. No storage box is included. The boards are handmade and the pieces are hand carved, so weights vary a little from set to set. Timber and veneer both move in strong sunlight, so keep the set out of it. Other pairings sit across our chess boards collection.
The knight is the reason to look at this pattern at all: a broad, deep head with real mass in it, sitting over a 42mm base that gives the back rank a planted look most sets at this height do not have. Choosing between the options is really a choice of board, and the two are not equivalent. Red ash burl at 12mm is a figured veneer face, decorative and light, a playing surface rather than furniture, while the sheesham board is 20mm and 5,600g with the substance you can feel when you lift it, and none of the swirl. Take the bud rosewood if you want the figured board and the deeper timber on the pieces, and the sheesham if you would rather the weight went underfoot.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
The carving, the 99mm king and the 42mm base are identical. The bud rosewood option pairs bud rosewood and boxwood pieces with a 55cm red ash burl and maple board. The sheesham option pairs sheesham and boxwood pieces with a 53.3cm sheesham and maple board. Both sit within our Staunton chess sets collection.
The bud rosewood option comes with a 55cm x 55cm board, 55mm squares, 12mm thick and around 2,950g, in red ash burl and maple veneer. The sheesham option comes with a 53.3cm x 53.3cm board, 55mm squares, 20mm thick and around 5,600g, in sheesham and maple.
Thickness, mostly. The 55cm red ash burl board is 12mm and around 2,950g, a figured veneer face over a stable core. The 53.3cm sheesham board is 20mm and around 5,600g, with a green velvet felted underside. The sheesham board is the more substantial object to lift; the red ash burl board is the more decorative surface.
Bud rosewood is a figured cut taken from around the growth buds of the tree, so the grain swirls and no two pieces look identical. Sheesham is the closely related timber without that figuring, straighter in the grain and quieter to look at.
A 42mm king base wants 55mm squares, which is what both supplied boards use. On 50mm squares this set would crowd badly, so check your square size before assuming the pieces will move across.
No. Either option is the 34 pieces and one board. Storage boxes are sold separately.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
King height |
99mm (3.89 inch) |
|
King base diameter |
42mm (1.65 inch) |
|
Queen height |
81mm (3.18 inch) |
|
Queen base diameter |
39mm (1.53 inch) |
|
Bishop height |
70mm (2.75 inch) |
|
Knight height |
67mm (2.63 inch) |
|
Rook height |
52mm (2.04 inch) |
|
Pawn height |
48mm (1.88 inch) |
|
Officer base diameter |
35mm (1.37 inch), bishop, knight and rook |
|
Dark pieces |
Bud rosewood, or sheesham, by option |
|
Light pieces |
Boxwood |
|
Piece count |
34, including two spare queens |
|
Chess pieces weight |
1,200g bud rosewood option, 1,100g sheesham option |
|
Board, bud rosewood option |
55cm x 55cm (21.6 inch), 55mm squares, 12mm thick, 2,950g |
|
Board timbers, bud rosewood option |
Red ash burl and maple veneer |
|
Board, sheesham option |
53.3cm x 53.3cm (21 inch), 55mm squares, 20mm thick, 5,600g |
|
Board timbers, sheesham option |
Sheesham (Dalbergia Sissoo) and maple (Acer oblongum) |
|
Board underside, sheesham option |
Felted with green velvet |
|
Notation |
Neither board is notated |
|
Total set weight |
4,150g bud rosewood option, 6,700g sheesham option |
|
Pieces origin |
Hand carved in India |
|
Storage box |
Not included |
34 chess pieces, including two spare queens, in bud rosewood and boxwood or sheesham and boxwood
One chess board: 55cm red ash burl and maple with the bud rosewood option, or 53.3cm sheesham and maple with the sheesham option
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.
