Gifts for the Avid Chess Fan

My dad has been playing chess since before he could walk, and he knows all of the nuances of the game. It is not even fun to play with him, as he usually has my king under siege within the first ten moves. As can be imagined, he has nearly every chess book and piece [...]

Wooden Chess Boards

Wood is the most common and popular material of mid to high-end chess sets. Many chess players prefer wooden sets over sets of other materials because of the natural look and elegant feel. Wooden chess boards are also used for sets that contain pieces made of alternate materials such as glass and wood/metal combinations.
Wooden chess [...]

Genuine Leather

Chess boards come in a variety of different materials. Some are made from wood, some from marble, some from resin, some from glass and other materials. One of my favorite chess board materials is pressed leather. I love the feel of the leather, the look of the leather and the smell of the leather.
Customizing a [...]

The Ancestry of Chess

Who invented Chess and where did it come from? Nobody really knows. There are several theories though.
One theory is that chess evolved from the ancient Chinese game of Xiangqi. Another theory states that it evolved from an old game Chaturanga from India or Afghanistan. Yet others say it evolved out of Persia. Many other cultures [...]

The Very Basics of Chess

The game of chess is a two player strategic game played on a chess board which is a square board of eight rows and eight columns. The name that is assigned to the colors of the 64 squares is referred to as light squares and dark squares, which alternate. The board is placed between the [...]