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Most chess pieces are abstractions. The king is a cross on a column, the queen a coronet. This set does something different: the king and queen carry carved human faces, cut by hand into the finial of each piece.
It is a collector edition rather than a playing set, and the proportions say so. The king stands at 130mm and the queen at 128mm, almost the same height, which no tournament design would allow but which lets the two carved faces sit as a matched pair. Bishops at 107mm and knights at 106mm continue the unusually tall, close ranked profile.
These sit at the top of our luxury chess pieces collection, and they are bought for what they look like as much as for how they play.
Luxury chess sets usually justify their position through material and weight: rarer timber, denser wood, more lead in the base. The carving stays within the Staunton vocabulary and the value sits in the substance of the thing.
This set takes the other route. The timber is ebonised boxwood rather than ebony and the weighting is modest, but the king and queen carry hand carved faces, which is labour that cannot be mechanised or hurried and which no amount of premium timber substitutes for.
Whether that trade is right depends on what you want. For density and heft, the ebony sets in our luxury chess pieces collection are the better buy. For a piece that starts a conversation, this one is.
Figurative chess sets are an old tradition and usually an all or nothing one. Either every piece becomes a character, which makes the board hard to read, or the set stays fully abstract.
The approach here is narrower. Only the king and queen carry faces; the bishops, knights, rooks and pawns keep conventional forms. The board therefore still reads as a chess position rather than a tableau, while the two most important pieces carry the detail. It is a more disciplined solution than a fully figurative set, and a more playable one.
At 1,140g across 34 pieces this set averages around 33g each, which is light for its height. The pieces are tall rather than dense, and they will not have the planted feel of a weighted tournament set.
That is consistent with what the set is. The carving on the king and queen rewards being seen at eye level on a sideboard or a dedicated table, and the near equal height of the two pieces is a compositional decision rather than a functional one. Felt bases protect a timber surface underneath.
The supplier specifies 50mm squares, which follows from the 39mm king base. Note that this is a narrow base under a very tall king, so the set is more sensitive to a knocked table than its height might suggest, and a firm surface matters more than usual.
No board is included. Our chess boards collection lists square size on every product so you can match the 50mm requirement directly.
The reason to buy this set is the hand carved faces on the king and queen, which is genuine labour and something no premium timber can substitute for, and the restraint of applying it only to those two pieces so the board still reads normally. The honest caveats are that this is a display set first: at roughly 33g a piece it is light, and a 39mm base under a 130mm king is narrow, so it wants a firm table and will not feel like a weighted tournament set. We would put it in front of a collector or someone furnishing a room, rather than a competitive player.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
The king and queen finials carry hand carved human faces rather than the conventional cross and coronet. That carving is done by hand on every piece and cannot be mechanised, which is what separates it from a standard set.
Squares of 50mm, which follows from the 39mm king base. The base is narrow relative to the 130mm height, so a firm and level table matters more than usual.
No. This listing is for the 34 pieces only, including the two spare queens. Boards are sold separately and no storage box ships with the set.
They are playable, but they are designed for display first. At around 33g a piece they are light for their height, and the tall narrow profile is more easily knocked than a tournament set.
So the two carved faces sit as a matched pair. It is a compositional choice rather than a functional one, and it is not something a tournament design would permit. Compare against the conventional sets in our Staunton chess pieces.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
King height |
130mm (5.10 inch) |
|
King base diameter |
39mm (1.54 inch) |
|
Queen height |
128mm (5.04 inch) |
|
Queen base diameter |
39mm (1.54 inch) |
|
Bishop height |
107mm (4.20 inch) |
|
Knight height |
106mm (4.17 inch) |
|
Rook height |
89mm (3.50 inch) |
|
Pawn height |
82mm (3.21 inch) |
|
Dark pieces |
Ebonised boxwood (Gardenia latifolia) |
|
Light pieces |
Boxwood (Gardenia latifolia) |
|
Weighting |
Felt bases |
|
Piece count |
34, including two spare queens |
|
Total set weight |
1,140g |
|
Recommended square size |
50mm |
|
Origin |
Hand carved in India |
|
Board |
Not included |
32 chess pieces in ebonised and natural boxwood
2 spare queens, one per colour
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.
Most chess pieces are abstractions. The king is a cross on a column, the queen a coronet. This set does something different: the king and queen carry carved human faces, cut by hand into the finial of each piece.
It is a collector edition rather than a playing set, and the proportions say so. The king stands at 130mm and the queen at 128mm, almost the same height, which no tournament design would allow but which lets the two carved faces sit as a matched pair. Bishops at 107mm and knights at 106mm continue the unusually tall, close ranked profile.
These sit at the top of our luxury chess pieces collection, and they are bought for what they look like as much as for how they play.
Luxury chess sets usually justify their position through material and weight: rarer timber, denser wood, more lead in the base. The carving stays within the Staunton vocabulary and the value sits in the substance of the thing.
This set takes the other route. The timber is ebonised boxwood rather than ebony and the weighting is modest, but the king and queen carry hand carved faces, which is labour that cannot be mechanised or hurried and which no amount of premium timber substitutes for.
Whether that trade is right depends on what you want. For density and heft, the ebony sets in our luxury chess pieces collection are the better buy. For a piece that starts a conversation, this one is.
Figurative chess sets are an old tradition and usually an all or nothing one. Either every piece becomes a character, which makes the board hard to read, or the set stays fully abstract.
The approach here is narrower. Only the king and queen carry faces; the bishops, knights, rooks and pawns keep conventional forms. The board therefore still reads as a chess position rather than a tableau, while the two most important pieces carry the detail. It is a more disciplined solution than a fully figurative set, and a more playable one.
At 1,140g across 34 pieces this set averages around 33g each, which is light for its height. The pieces are tall rather than dense, and they will not have the planted feel of a weighted tournament set.
That is consistent with what the set is. The carving on the king and queen rewards being seen at eye level on a sideboard or a dedicated table, and the near equal height of the two pieces is a compositional decision rather than a functional one. Felt bases protect a timber surface underneath.
The supplier specifies 50mm squares, which follows from the 39mm king base. Note that this is a narrow base under a very tall king, so the set is more sensitive to a knocked table than its height might suggest, and a firm surface matters more than usual.
No board is included. Our chess boards collection lists square size on every product so you can match the 50mm requirement directly.
The reason to buy this set is the hand carved faces on the king and queen, which is genuine labour and something no premium timber can substitute for, and the restraint of applying it only to those two pieces so the board still reads normally. The honest caveats are that this is a display set first: at roughly 33g a piece it is light, and a 39mm base under a 130mm king is narrow, so it wants a firm table and will not feel like a weighted tournament set. We would put it in front of a collector or someone furnishing a room, rather than a competitive player.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
The king and queen finials carry hand carved human faces rather than the conventional cross and coronet. That carving is done by hand on every piece and cannot be mechanised, which is what separates it from a standard set.
Squares of 50mm, which follows from the 39mm king base. The base is narrow relative to the 130mm height, so a firm and level table matters more than usual.
No. This listing is for the 34 pieces only, including the two spare queens. Boards are sold separately and no storage box ships with the set.
They are playable, but they are designed for display first. At around 33g a piece they are light for their height, and the tall narrow profile is more easily knocked than a tournament set.
So the two carved faces sit as a matched pair. It is a compositional choice rather than a functional one, and it is not something a tournament design would permit. Compare against the conventional sets in our Staunton chess pieces.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
King height |
130mm (5.10 inch) |
|
King base diameter |
39mm (1.54 inch) |
|
Queen height |
128mm (5.04 inch) |
|
Queen base diameter |
39mm (1.54 inch) |
|
Bishop height |
107mm (4.20 inch) |
|
Knight height |
106mm (4.17 inch) |
|
Rook height |
89mm (3.50 inch) |
|
Pawn height |
82mm (3.21 inch) |
|
Dark pieces |
Ebonised boxwood (Gardenia latifolia) |
|
Light pieces |
Boxwood (Gardenia latifolia) |
|
Weighting |
Felt bases |
|
Piece count |
34, including two spare queens |
|
Total set weight |
1,140g |
|
Recommended square size |
50mm |
|
Origin |
Hand carved in India |
|
Board |
Not included |
32 chess pieces in ebonised and natural boxwood
2 spare queens, one per colour
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.
