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Every piece in this set stands on a 20mm square base. Not similar, not close: the same. The pawn is a 20mm cube, and the king is that cube extended upward to 71mm. The design reduces a chess set to one repeated module and varies only the height and the top.
Lanier Graham drew it in 1966, working from the idea that a chess piece needs only to state its rank and its position, and that anything beyond that is decoration. The set has been shown as a design object as often as it has been played with.
This reproduction is offered in sheesham or ebonised boxwood. It is unlike anything else in our reproduction chess pieces, and it comes with two things you should know: it is unweighted and unfelted, and it is 32 pieces without spare queens.
Every other reproduction in our range reproduces a set that was made to be played with under tournament conditions. This one reproduces an idea. It came out of the 1960s appetite for stripping objects back to their function, and the question it answers is how little a chess piece can be and still work.
That means it fails several tests we would normally apply. It is unweighted, so pieces move if the table is knocked. It has no felt, so it will mark a polished board. It has no spare queens. At 310g the whole set weighs less than a single rook from some of the pieces in our luxury chess pieces collection.
None of that is a manufacturing shortcut; it is the design. Buy it for what it is, and keep a conventional set for club night.
The design starts from a single form: a 20mm square section. The pawn is one cube. The bishop, knight and rook are all 40mm columns of that section, distinguished by what happens at the top. The queen runs to 61mm and the king to 71mm.
Because every base is identical and every section is the same, the pieces stack. Arranged off the board they form a rectangular block rather than a jumble, which is part of why the set reads as a designed object rather than a simplified one. On the board the ranks are identified by height and by the cut of the head, with nothing else to go on.
These three facts are the ones to be clear about before ordering. The set weighs 310g in total, which is roughly a tenth of a heavy Staunton set. There is no ballast in the bases and no felt on them, so the pieces sit directly on the board surface and will move under a knock.
There are 32 pieces and no spare queens, which means promotion needs an inverted rook or a piece borrowed from elsewhere. All three are faithful to the original rather than corners cut in reproduction, and none of them will bother a buyer who wants the design. All three will bother a buyer who wants a club set.
The 20mm base gives unusual latitude. The pieces will sit on almost any board without crowding, and the choice becomes aesthetic rather than dimensional: a smaller board keeps the set compact and object-like, a larger one gives each form room to be seen.
No board is included. Our chess boards collection is filtered by square size, and because the base is so narrow you can browse the whole range rather than a narrow band of it.
This is the only set we carry that I would happily describe as a design object first and a chess set second, and that is a compliment. Reducing every piece to one 20mm module and varying only height is a genuinely rigorous idea, and the reproduction executes it cleanly. Be clear on the trade though, because it is unusually large: unweighted, unfelted, and 32 pieces with no spare queens. It will move on a knocked table and it will mark a polished board. Buy it because you want the object, and own something else to play club chess with.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
No. It is deliberately unweighted and the bases carry no felt, which is faithful to the original 1966 design. Total set weight is 310g. The pieces will move if the table is knocked.
32, with no spare queens. That is the original specification rather than an omission. Pawn promotion needs an inverted rook or a piece from another set.
Almost any. Every piece stands on a 20mm square base, so crowding is not a constraint and the choice is aesthetic. A smaller board keeps the set compact, a larger one gives the forms more room.
Possibly. There is no felt on the bases, so the timber sits directly on the board surface. On a polished or lacquered board that is worth thinking about before you play on it regularly.
Dimensions are identical. Sheesham gives a warm mid brown dark side with visible grain. Ebonised is near black for higher contrast. Both are paired with natural boxwood. Other minimalist patterns are in our chess pieces collection.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
King height |
71mm (2.79 inch) |
|
Queen height |
61mm (2.40 inch) |
|
Bishop height |
40mm (1.57 inch) |
|
Knight height |
40mm (1.57 inch) |
|
Rook height |
40mm (1.57 inch) |
|
Pawn height |
20mm (0.78 inch) |
|
Base diameter |
20mm (0.78 inch), identical on every piece |
|
Dark pieces |
Sheesham or ebonised boxwood, by option |
|
Light pieces |
Natural boxwood (Gardenia latifolia) |
|
Weighting |
None. Unweighted and unfelted, as the original |
|
Piece count |
32, with no spare queens |
|
Total set weight |
310g approximate |
|
Design |
Reproduction of the 1966 Lanier Graham minimalist pattern |
|
Origin |
Hand carved in India |
|
Board |
Not included |
32 chess pieces in the option you select
No spare queens are included with this set
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.
Every piece in this set stands on a 20mm square base. Not similar, not close: the same. The pawn is a 20mm cube, and the king is that cube extended upward to 71mm. The design reduces a chess set to one repeated module and varies only the height and the top.
Lanier Graham drew it in 1966, working from the idea that a chess piece needs only to state its rank and its position, and that anything beyond that is decoration. The set has been shown as a design object as often as it has been played with.
This reproduction is offered in sheesham or ebonised boxwood. It is unlike anything else in our reproduction chess pieces, and it comes with two things you should know: it is unweighted and unfelted, and it is 32 pieces without spare queens.
Every other reproduction in our range reproduces a set that was made to be played with under tournament conditions. This one reproduces an idea. It came out of the 1960s appetite for stripping objects back to their function, and the question it answers is how little a chess piece can be and still work.
That means it fails several tests we would normally apply. It is unweighted, so pieces move if the table is knocked. It has no felt, so it will mark a polished board. It has no spare queens. At 310g the whole set weighs less than a single rook from some of the pieces in our luxury chess pieces collection.
None of that is a manufacturing shortcut; it is the design. Buy it for what it is, and keep a conventional set for club night.
The design starts from a single form: a 20mm square section. The pawn is one cube. The bishop, knight and rook are all 40mm columns of that section, distinguished by what happens at the top. The queen runs to 61mm and the king to 71mm.
Because every base is identical and every section is the same, the pieces stack. Arranged off the board they form a rectangular block rather than a jumble, which is part of why the set reads as a designed object rather than a simplified one. On the board the ranks are identified by height and by the cut of the head, with nothing else to go on.
These three facts are the ones to be clear about before ordering. The set weighs 310g in total, which is roughly a tenth of a heavy Staunton set. There is no ballast in the bases and no felt on them, so the pieces sit directly on the board surface and will move under a knock.
There are 32 pieces and no spare queens, which means promotion needs an inverted rook or a piece borrowed from elsewhere. All three are faithful to the original rather than corners cut in reproduction, and none of them will bother a buyer who wants the design. All three will bother a buyer who wants a club set.
The 20mm base gives unusual latitude. The pieces will sit on almost any board without crowding, and the choice becomes aesthetic rather than dimensional: a smaller board keeps the set compact and object-like, a larger one gives each form room to be seen.
No board is included. Our chess boards collection is filtered by square size, and because the base is so narrow you can browse the whole range rather than a narrow band of it.
This is the only set we carry that I would happily describe as a design object first and a chess set second, and that is a compliment. Reducing every piece to one 20mm module and varying only height is a genuinely rigorous idea, and the reproduction executes it cleanly. Be clear on the trade though, because it is unusually large: unweighted, unfelted, and 32 pieces with no spare queens. It will move on a knocked table and it will mark a polished board. Buy it because you want the object, and own something else to play club chess with.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
No. It is deliberately unweighted and the bases carry no felt, which is faithful to the original 1966 design. Total set weight is 310g. The pieces will move if the table is knocked.
32, with no spare queens. That is the original specification rather than an omission. Pawn promotion needs an inverted rook or a piece from another set.
Almost any. Every piece stands on a 20mm square base, so crowding is not a constraint and the choice is aesthetic. A smaller board keeps the set compact, a larger one gives the forms more room.
Possibly. There is no felt on the bases, so the timber sits directly on the board surface. On a polished or lacquered board that is worth thinking about before you play on it regularly.
Dimensions are identical. Sheesham gives a warm mid brown dark side with visible grain. Ebonised is near black for higher contrast. Both are paired with natural boxwood. Other minimalist patterns are in our chess pieces collection.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
King height |
71mm (2.79 inch) |
|
Queen height |
61mm (2.40 inch) |
|
Bishop height |
40mm (1.57 inch) |
|
Knight height |
40mm (1.57 inch) |
|
Rook height |
40mm (1.57 inch) |
|
Pawn height |
20mm (0.78 inch) |
|
Base diameter |
20mm (0.78 inch), identical on every piece |
|
Dark pieces |
Sheesham or ebonised boxwood, by option |
|
Light pieces |
Natural boxwood (Gardenia latifolia) |
|
Weighting |
None. Unweighted and unfelted, as the original |
|
Piece count |
32, with no spare queens |
|
Total set weight |
310g approximate |
|
Design |
Reproduction of the 1966 Lanier Graham minimalist pattern |
|
Origin |
Hand carved in India |
|
Board |
Not included |
32 chess pieces in the option you select
No spare queens are included with this set
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.
