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Glossy or Matte - Finding the Right Finish for Your Chess Board

Chess Board. They are so often overlooked as part of a chess set, yet a poorly chosen chess board will cause a chess set to look completely mismatched. One of the most important choices when selecting a chess board is to decide on the correct finish.

There are two options for a chess board finish, either a glossy finish or a matte finish.

Glossy finish are just the name implies. The protective finish of the board is a gloss or a semi-gloss. Glossy finishes are great for metal chess pieces and for wood chess pieces. The natural luster of metal complements well with the gloss of the boards, especially boards that are made from Burl wood. Also, chess pieces that have a high luster finish (more expensive, especially made from ebony and bud rosewood) are complementary to these chess boards. 

Matte finishes are the other option. Satin-matte finishes are muted in comparison to their glossy counterparts. While it is not a lustrous an options, it is still a classy and dignified option that works well for a chess board, regardless of it use. A matte finish is an excellent choice that is used for wood chess pieces. Chess boards that have a matte finish are the choice for any wood chess pieces, especially sheesham, rosewood, and ebonized pieces. This finish is what FIDE dictates in their regulations that a tournament chess board must have for play.

Glossy or Matte? The right finish is the final key for producing a chess board that will complement your chess pieces. If you need further information for selecting a chess board, be sure to visit us at http://www.braroechess.com , or e-mail me at Bradford@braroechess.com.

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Tags: Chess Sets, Chess Boards by BraRoeChess
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Weighted Chess Pieces – A Matter of Convenience

Chess pieces by themselves are impressive to look at. Their shapes, curves, and lines intertwine with each other in a lucidity that can rarely be imagined, yet manifests so perfectly in front of our eyes.

By themselves are great. When the pieces are in your hands and moving across the board, it feels almost like they are being moved across on air as they dance from one position to the next. What gives the pieces that extra delight is the additional weighting.

Chess Pieces will come in standard (or single), double or triple weighted. Weighting is added to the pieces to increase the stability of the chess set overall. Some materials, like plastic and wood are light and can easily be moved with a simple nudge with the finger. This consideration should be taken into account by outdoor players, and those who will leave a chess set and game on display in a home. Nothing could be worse than wining a match and accidentally knocking the whole game over.  

Metal, Alabaster and Marble Chess Sets are all immune from these concerns. The weighting of the material is naturally substantial enough that there is no need to make them any heavier.

Chess pieces are an amazing feat in craftsmanship. With a little help to increase their weight, that feat is complimented with an added feeling of buoyancy when traveling in your hand.

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Tags: Chess Pieces, Chess Boards by BraRoeChess
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Christmas in July Chess Set Sale

BraRoe Chess Sets is offering an early ease for Christmas shopping. Starting July 23, 2008, through July 31, BraRoe Chess’s Christmas in July Blowout will be in effect.

All items in the BraRoe catalog will be offered at an unprecedented 40% off the retail price. This is the first time that BraRoe Chess has offered items at such a low price.

The deal will include all , pieces, boards and supplies. It should be noted that no manufacture’s brands will be excluded, including all electronic chess sets. 

This event will not effect any of BraRoe Chess’s current coupons and free shipping offers. Currently, free shipping is offered for order that exceed $125, and will remain at this level for the event.

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Tags: Online Shopping by BraRoeChess
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What is a Tournament Chess Set?

There is a lot of credence given to whether or not a chess set is a tournament chess set. For anyone interested in testing their skills in a contest, this is an important notion when purchasing a chess set.

A tournament chess set that is permissible by FIDE regulations. it turns out, there are not alot of restrictions placed on what type of chess set can be used.

 The first is that the material must be wood or plastic. Unfortunately, metal chess sets will not make the cut with FIDE in tournament play.

Next is the size of the chess pieces. The king should stand at 3.75 inches (9.5 cm). Its base diameter should be between 1.5 and 1.9 inches (3.8 to 4.8 cm). The rest of the pieces should be appropriately scaled from there. Since the pieces must be of the Staunton design, this should almost be a standard expectation.

The weighting is also important. Pieces that can be easily knocked of should not be used. Plastic pieces that are hollow are an example of this. Weighted pieces are better for the tournament.

The dark pieces are encouraged to be black or brown, and the light pieces are suggested to be white or cream color.

For the chess board. It is recommended that the colors be similar to the pieces. As longs as the colors are distinguishable, it should be fine. There is always a Chief Arbiter at every tournament if there is a concern about the board. The board should be made from wood, plastic or card. The board must be rigid. The boards should have squares with 2.0 - 2.5 inch sides (5.0 - 6.5 mm).

So a tournament chess set is one that is easily obtained and really should be of no difficulty to find.

All information here was found at FIDE website.

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Tags: Chess Sets, Chess Pieces, Chess Boards by BraRoeChess
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Alabaster Chess Sets

Alabaster Chess Sets are a unique type of . They have been celebrated for years for the way that they feel in your hand as you move the pieces across the board. They have been lauded for the way light hits the set and creates a sight never before seen.

Alabaster has been used for ornate applications for over 5000 years now. Chess sets made from alabaster almost exclusively come from Volterra, Italy, where the alabaster is mined for use. The Chiellini family is responsible for the beautiful creations for years now, have mastered how too work with this material to fully bring out its beauty. A well crafted alabaster chess set mixes vivid colors with its natural translucent nature - a marriage that produces chess sets that are not easily replicated.

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Tags: Chess Sets, Chess Pieces by BraRoeChess
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