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William Pinney made tournament sized chessmen for the North American market between the 1930s and the 1950s, and this is a reproduction of that design.
The profiling is simple and there is not a sharp protruding point anywhere on the army, which is why the same pieces suit a serious event and a Sunday game at the kitchen table equally well.
That plainness is a durability argument as much as an aesthetic one. Not much on a Pinney piece can chip, snap or wear away, and the design was built to give a player decades of use.
Two dark timbers carry it. Rosewood is the warmer and redder of the two; ebonised boxwood is the darker, taken down to a near black. Boxwood makes the light side on both.
It sits with our reproduction chess pieces.
Durability is the argument this design makes, and it makes it through shape rather than bulk. Nothing on a Pinney piece sticks out far enough to catch, the surfaces are plain, and there is no delicate work anywhere to be spoiled.
You feel that in ordinary use. Pieces come out of a bag without hooking on each other, a knocked man takes the knock, and setting the board up is a job you can do without paying attention to it.
The scale is generous. The king is a tall piece and the queen follows it closely, so the two centre files carry real height and the array has some architecture to it from the side of the board.
Both timbers are weighted and both make a substantial army, though the two builds do not weigh the same. Rosewood is the heavier of them and the ebonised boxwood comes in under it.
These pieces suit boards with squares of 50mm to 55mm. Either figure is a tournament square, which is where a design drawn for tournament players belongs, so what decides it is the board on your table rather than anything about the chessmen.
The two options carry the same shapes and the same dimensions, so the army standing on the board is the same army. Where they part company is the timber on the dark side, and the weight that comes with it.
Rosewood is the heavier build. It is a deep red brown beside a pale boxwood king, and it is the richer of the two boards to look at.
The ebonised option is the lighter build. Its dark army is boxwood taken almost to black, which puts the strongest contrast on the board and keeps a position legible under poor light.
So the dark timber settles the weight as well as the colour, and neither answer is the wrong one. Pick the contrast you want to play against, and think about the board it is going on.
Looking after them is the same simple job whichever you choose. Keep the set out of direct sunlight and away from heaters, which is what makes hardwood check. Dust with a dry soft cloth, and leave oil, polish and solvents alone.
This is the set I would buy for a club that loses things. It was designed to be used and not to be looked after, and the shapes leave almost nothing on a piece that can come to harm.
The king gives it real presence once the board is set, and the weighting means it plays as seriously as it looks. This was a pattern drawn for people who played, and it shows.
If you want a set to admire, this is not it. The profiling is deliberately simple and the ornament is minimal, so anyone buying for fine detail should begin in our luxury chess pieces.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
A chessmen manufacturer who made tournament sized pieces for the North American market from the 1930s into the 1950s. This set reproduces that design.
Squares of 50mm to 55mm, and go to the wider end where you can. The king and queen carry the widest feet, so the extra room tells most on the two of them.
No. The rosewood set comes to 1,270 grams and the ebonised to 1,180 grams. Both are weighted, and rosewood is the heavier of the two builds.
Not easily, and that is much of the idea. The shapes are plain and nothing protrudes sharply, so there is no fine detail sitting there waiting to be broken off.
34 chess pieces, including a spare queen of each colour. What is in the box is listed in full below.
No, neither one is included. This listing is the chessmen on their own, so a board and a box are both separate purchases. Match whatever board you buy to the square window in the specifications below.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
King |
95mm high (3.7 inch), 41mm base |
|
Queen |
86mm high (3.4 inch), 39mm base |
|
Bishop |
70mm high (2.8 inch), 35mm base |
|
Knight |
67mm high (2.6 inch), 35mm base |
|
Rook |
55mm high (2.2 inch), 35mm base |
|
Pawn |
46mm high (1.8 inch), 31mm base |
|
Rosewood option |
Rosewood dark pieces, boxwood light pieces |
|
Ebonised option |
Ebonised boxwood dark pieces, boxwood light pieces |
|
King height, both timbers |
95mm |
|
Weighting |
Weighted |
|
Recommended square size |
50mm to 55mm (1.96 inch to 2.16 inch) |
|
Total weight of pieces |
1,270 grams (2.8 lbs) on the Rosewood option, 1,180 grams (2.6 lbs) on the Ebonised option |
|
Piece count |
34 |
|
Chess board |
Not included |
34 chess pieces in the timber option you select, including a spare queen of each 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.
William Pinney made tournament sized chessmen for the North American market between the 1930s and the 1950s, and this is a reproduction of that design.
The profiling is simple and there is not a sharp protruding point anywhere on the army, which is why the same pieces suit a serious event and a Sunday game at the kitchen table equally well.
That plainness is a durability argument as much as an aesthetic one. Not much on a Pinney piece can chip, snap or wear away, and the design was built to give a player decades of use.
Two dark timbers carry it. Rosewood is the warmer and redder of the two; ebonised boxwood is the darker, taken down to a near black. Boxwood makes the light side on both.
It sits with our reproduction chess pieces.
Durability is the argument this design makes, and it makes it through shape rather than bulk. Nothing on a Pinney piece sticks out far enough to catch, the surfaces are plain, and there is no delicate work anywhere to be spoiled.
You feel that in ordinary use. Pieces come out of a bag without hooking on each other, a knocked man takes the knock, and setting the board up is a job you can do without paying attention to it.
The scale is generous. The king is a tall piece and the queen follows it closely, so the two centre files carry real height and the array has some architecture to it from the side of the board.
Both timbers are weighted and both make a substantial army, though the two builds do not weigh the same. Rosewood is the heavier of them and the ebonised boxwood comes in under it.
These pieces suit boards with squares of 50mm to 55mm. Either figure is a tournament square, which is where a design drawn for tournament players belongs, so what decides it is the board on your table rather than anything about the chessmen.
The two options carry the same shapes and the same dimensions, so the army standing on the board is the same army. Where they part company is the timber on the dark side, and the weight that comes with it.
Rosewood is the heavier build. It is a deep red brown beside a pale boxwood king, and it is the richer of the two boards to look at.
The ebonised option is the lighter build. Its dark army is boxwood taken almost to black, which puts the strongest contrast on the board and keeps a position legible under poor light.
So the dark timber settles the weight as well as the colour, and neither answer is the wrong one. Pick the contrast you want to play against, and think about the board it is going on.
Looking after them is the same simple job whichever you choose. Keep the set out of direct sunlight and away from heaters, which is what makes hardwood check. Dust with a dry soft cloth, and leave oil, polish and solvents alone.
This is the set I would buy for a club that loses things. It was designed to be used and not to be looked after, and the shapes leave almost nothing on a piece that can come to harm.
The king gives it real presence once the board is set, and the weighting means it plays as seriously as it looks. This was a pattern drawn for people who played, and it shows.
If you want a set to admire, this is not it. The profiling is deliberately simple and the ornament is minimal, so anyone buying for fine detail should begin in our luxury chess pieces.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
A chessmen manufacturer who made tournament sized pieces for the North American market from the 1930s into the 1950s. This set reproduces that design.
Squares of 50mm to 55mm, and go to the wider end where you can. The king and queen carry the widest feet, so the extra room tells most on the two of them.
No. The rosewood set comes to 1,270 grams and the ebonised to 1,180 grams. Both are weighted, and rosewood is the heavier of the two builds.
Not easily, and that is much of the idea. The shapes are plain and nothing protrudes sharply, so there is no fine detail sitting there waiting to be broken off.
34 chess pieces, including a spare queen of each colour. What is in the box is listed in full below.
No, neither one is included. This listing is the chessmen on their own, so a board and a box are both separate purchases. Match whatever board you buy to the square window in the specifications below.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
King |
95mm high (3.7 inch), 41mm base |
|
Queen |
86mm high (3.4 inch), 39mm base |
|
Bishop |
70mm high (2.8 inch), 35mm base |
|
Knight |
67mm high (2.6 inch), 35mm base |
|
Rook |
55mm high (2.2 inch), 35mm base |
|
Pawn |
46mm high (1.8 inch), 31mm base |
|
Rosewood option |
Rosewood dark pieces, boxwood light pieces |
|
Ebonised option |
Ebonised boxwood dark pieces, boxwood light pieces |
|
King height, both timbers |
95mm |
|
Weighting |
Weighted |
|
Recommended square size |
50mm to 55mm (1.96 inch to 2.16 inch) |
|
Total weight of pieces |
1,270 grams (2.8 lbs) on the Rosewood option, 1,180 grams (2.6 lbs) on the Ebonised option |
|
Piece count |
34 |
|
Chess board |
Not included |
34 chess pieces in the timber option you select, including a spare queen of each 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.
