✔ Australian Owned & Operated
✔ FREE Shipping On All Orders
✔ 100 Day FREE Returns
✔ Authorised Australian Dealer
✔ Questions? Call Us: (03) 7037 0931
The Queens Gambit Staunton takes its name from the set used in The Queen's Gambit, and it keeps the plain upright outline that made that set read so clearly on screen.
The pattern has one proportion worth noticing. The queen stands well below the king, but her base is as wide as his, so she has the same footprint on the board and the same presence in the opening position.
The knight is cut with the head carried forward and slightly down, which is the posture the pattern is known for, and it steps just under the bishop beside it rather than matching it.
The king stands 93mm, the bases are weighted, and the complete 34 pieces come to 800 grams. Two timbers are offered on the identical pattern.
It belongs with our staunton chess pieces.
Nothing dimensional moves between the two options. Both come off the same pattern, the weight is the same, and a board that suits one suits the other exactly.
The ebonised option is the higher contrast of the two. Boxwood taken to a near black gives a dark army with almost no visible figure, which throws the shape of every piece forward and makes the position legible from across a room.
Golden rosewood trades some of that separation for warmth. It is brown rather than black, with grain that runs and occasionally figures, so the dark side has depth under a lamp and movement in it.
The cost is that in poor light, or in a photograph taken at an angle, the two sides sit closer together than the ebonised pairing does. If the set is going to live somewhere dim, take the ebonised option; if it is going to be looked at as much as played on, the rosewood is the more interesting timber.
These want squares of 50mm to 55mm, and the roomier end is the one we would choose. Go under that and the set crowds badly; go over it and the pieces start to look undersized against the timber around them.
800 grams across 34 pieces is a light army for a king of this height, and it is worth being plain about what that means before ordering.
The bases are weighted, so the pieces stand properly and do not tip when a sleeve passes over them. What they do not have is the low planted thud of a heavily loaded tournament set.
They lift easily, they place with a light tap, and they are quick to move around during an analysis session where pieces are going back and forth constantly.
That is often the better trade. A light set is faster to set up, faster to put away and far easier to carry, and it is the more forgiving choice for a folding or a thin board.
Where it will disappoint is if you have come from a double or triple weighted set and expect the same feel. The pieces are stable and they stay where they are put, but the anchored quality that heavy bases give you is not part of this set.
Care is simple on both options. Keep the set out of direct sun and away from heaters, which is what makes turned hardwood check, and dust with a dry soft cloth. Do not use oil or furniture polish on either option: it yellows boxwood unevenly and does the dark army no good either. Golden rosewood deepens in colour slowly over years, which is normal and generally counted an improvement.
The appeal here is a clean, familiar Staunton at a genuinely usable size, in two timbers that give you a real choice rather than a cosmetic one.
The queen sharing the king's base width gives the back rank a settled look, and the knight's forward head stops the army reading as a row of similar cylinders. Take the ebonised option for maximum legibility, the golden rosewood if you want to see the timber.
The honest caveat is weight. This is light for the height, and anyone stepping across from a double weighted set will notice it immediately. The pieces are stable and they do not rock, but they place with a tap rather than a thud. Anyone chasing a heavy, anchored feel should start instead with our luxury chess pieces.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
50mm to 55mm, and the roomier of the two is the more comfortable. At the tighter end the opening back rank sits closer together and the army looks fuller. Below the window it crowds badly, and above it the pieces start to look undersized.
Only the dark timber. Both come off the same pattern, every dimension matches, the weight is the same, and the light army is boxwood either way.
The bases are weighted, which is what keeps a set this light standing properly and stops a piece tipping when a sleeve passes over it. It is not the anchored feel of a loaded tournament set.
Boxwood brought to a near black rather than a naturally dark timber. The dark side shows almost no visible figure, which is what gives the pairing its hard contrast.
The set used in The Queen's Gambit, which is why the outline is as plain as it is. Nothing here is decorated for the sake of it; the proportions do the work.
34 chess pieces, two more than a game actually uses. No board is included, so it is chosen separately.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
Chessmen dimensions |
Identical across both timber options |
|
King |
93mm high, 38mm base |
|
Queen |
78mm high, 38mm base |
|
Bishop |
70mm high, 33mm base |
|
Knight |
66mm high, 33mm base |
|
Rook |
52mm high, 33mm base |
|
Pawn |
45mm high, 28mm base |
|
Ebonised option |
Ebonised boxwood dark pieces, boxwood light pieces |
|
Golden Rosewood option |
Golden rosewood dark pieces, boxwood light pieces |
|
Weighting |
Weighted bases |
|
Recommended square size |
50mm to 55mm (1.96 inch to 2.16 inch) |
|
Total weight of pieces |
800 grams (1.77 lbs) |
|
Piece count |
34 |
|
Chess board |
Not included |
34 chess pieces in the timber option you select
Boxwood light pieces on both options
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.
The Queens Gambit Staunton takes its name from the set used in The Queen's Gambit, and it keeps the plain upright outline that made that set read so clearly on screen.
The pattern has one proportion worth noticing. The queen stands well below the king, but her base is as wide as his, so she has the same footprint on the board and the same presence in the opening position.
The knight is cut with the head carried forward and slightly down, which is the posture the pattern is known for, and it steps just under the bishop beside it rather than matching it.
The king stands 93mm, the bases are weighted, and the complete 34 pieces come to 800 grams. Two timbers are offered on the identical pattern.
It belongs with our staunton chess pieces.
Nothing dimensional moves between the two options. Both come off the same pattern, the weight is the same, and a board that suits one suits the other exactly.
The ebonised option is the higher contrast of the two. Boxwood taken to a near black gives a dark army with almost no visible figure, which throws the shape of every piece forward and makes the position legible from across a room.
Golden rosewood trades some of that separation for warmth. It is brown rather than black, with grain that runs and occasionally figures, so the dark side has depth under a lamp and movement in it.
The cost is that in poor light, or in a photograph taken at an angle, the two sides sit closer together than the ebonised pairing does. If the set is going to live somewhere dim, take the ebonised option; if it is going to be looked at as much as played on, the rosewood is the more interesting timber.
These want squares of 50mm to 55mm, and the roomier end is the one we would choose. Go under that and the set crowds badly; go over it and the pieces start to look undersized against the timber around them.
800 grams across 34 pieces is a light army for a king of this height, and it is worth being plain about what that means before ordering.
The bases are weighted, so the pieces stand properly and do not tip when a sleeve passes over them. What they do not have is the low planted thud of a heavily loaded tournament set.
They lift easily, they place with a light tap, and they are quick to move around during an analysis session where pieces are going back and forth constantly.
That is often the better trade. A light set is faster to set up, faster to put away and far easier to carry, and it is the more forgiving choice for a folding or a thin board.
Where it will disappoint is if you have come from a double or triple weighted set and expect the same feel. The pieces are stable and they stay where they are put, but the anchored quality that heavy bases give you is not part of this set.
Care is simple on both options. Keep the set out of direct sun and away from heaters, which is what makes turned hardwood check, and dust with a dry soft cloth. Do not use oil or furniture polish on either option: it yellows boxwood unevenly and does the dark army no good either. Golden rosewood deepens in colour slowly over years, which is normal and generally counted an improvement.
The appeal here is a clean, familiar Staunton at a genuinely usable size, in two timbers that give you a real choice rather than a cosmetic one.
The queen sharing the king's base width gives the back rank a settled look, and the knight's forward head stops the army reading as a row of similar cylinders. Take the ebonised option for maximum legibility, the golden rosewood if you want to see the timber.
The honest caveat is weight. This is light for the height, and anyone stepping across from a double weighted set will notice it immediately. The pieces are stable and they do not rock, but they place with a tap rather than a thud. Anyone chasing a heavy, anchored feel should start instead with our luxury chess pieces.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
50mm to 55mm, and the roomier of the two is the more comfortable. At the tighter end the opening back rank sits closer together and the army looks fuller. Below the window it crowds badly, and above it the pieces start to look undersized.
Only the dark timber. Both come off the same pattern, every dimension matches, the weight is the same, and the light army is boxwood either way.
The bases are weighted, which is what keeps a set this light standing properly and stops a piece tipping when a sleeve passes over it. It is not the anchored feel of a loaded tournament set.
Boxwood brought to a near black rather than a naturally dark timber. The dark side shows almost no visible figure, which is what gives the pairing its hard contrast.
The set used in The Queen's Gambit, which is why the outline is as plain as it is. Nothing here is decorated for the sake of it; the proportions do the work.
34 chess pieces, two more than a game actually uses. No board is included, so it is chosen separately.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
Chessmen dimensions |
Identical across both timber options |
|
King |
93mm high, 38mm base |
|
Queen |
78mm high, 38mm base |
|
Bishop |
70mm high, 33mm base |
|
Knight |
66mm high, 33mm base |
|
Rook |
52mm high, 33mm base |
|
Pawn |
45mm high, 28mm base |
|
Ebonised option |
Ebonised boxwood dark pieces, boxwood light pieces |
|
Golden Rosewood option |
Golden rosewood dark pieces, boxwood light pieces |
|
Weighting |
Weighted bases |
|
Recommended square size |
50mm to 55mm (1.96 inch to 2.16 inch) |
|
Total weight of pieces |
800 grams (1.77 lbs) |
|
Piece count |
34 |
|
Chess board |
Not included |
34 chess pieces in the timber option you select
Boxwood light pieces on both options
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.
