BraRoe Chess Blog

Once chess pieces have been created and all of the details that need to be worked in to the material have been completed, the final step is adding material to the base of the pieces. The added padding provides 2 functions. 

The first is to protect the pieces and chess board from each other when playing. Some times all of the moving of the chess pieces across the board will strip finished away or lead to chips in the chess set. It should be noted that this is not a defect in the quality of the chess set, just part of the natural wear. 

The second reason for the padding is more for the feeling of the game of chess. Having the padded bottoms allows the chess pieces to float across the chess board. When moving the queen from end of the board to the other has that additional sense of gliding along her path. 

There are two different types of padding that are available for chess pieces, leather and felt pads. Leather pads are usually reserved for chess pieces that are on the more expensive side. They add a good and thick cushion on the bottom that is very durable. The other option is green felt that is professional billiard table quality. The green felt provides a good quiet sound when playing, as well as the utmost protection for your fine wood chess board. 

Tags: Chess Pieces, Chess Boards by BraRoeChess
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You might look at a chess board and think that there aren’t all that many moves you can make on such a small board.  You have sixteen pieces to work with and sixty-four squares to move them around on.  So, it looks like a lot of moves are possible, but not a ton.

Games can end up being extremely short.  A player can forfeit before a move has even been made.  A game of zero moves.  The next shortest possible game would be a two move blunder resulting in what is called a Fool’s Mate.  There are only eight variations that can result in this checkmate and it almost never occurs, even during practice.

Games can the opposite direction, too.  The longest recorded game resulted in a draw after two hundred and sixty-nine moves of battle on the chess board.  That’s quite a different scenario than the Fools mate or a forfeit.  A came can go either way depending on your strategy and skill level as opposed to your opponent’s.

So now its easy to think of chess as a game that can last a scant two moves or a game that can last a couple of hundred moves lasting hours and hours.  So, you might be extra surprised to find out that the number of legal moves in a game of chess is somewhere around ten to the forty-third power.  Wrap your mind around that figure.

With that number in mind, there’s no reason to lock yourself into the same strategy over and over when your playing chess because there are many, many variations to try and no reason not to do a little experimenting to see what works for you the next time you sit down to that chess board.

Tags: Chess Boards, Chess Opinion by BraRoeChess
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There are more than a hndful of chess players that keep their chess sets on display. Not only do I not blame them, I encourage them! A well selected chess set is a remarkable site, and certainly the talking point to most any room that houses it. The concerns that is brought up most often is whether or not to display a chess set with all the pieces aligned and ready to play, or to leave them in set as if a game where already in progress.

Proponents of the first choice like the clean look of the chess set. Ready to go, with endless possiblities just waiting, the game beckons to be played. Seeing the chess set gives that sense of hope when looking a board ready to go.

The other option is too set the board up as if there were a match already in progress. Showing off the battle of wits that has been engaging two players. When one walks by such a chess set on display, the natural inclination is to stop and look at the game.

Either way, it really doesn’t matter. Both ways show off a chess set, and gives people a good idea of a hobby or interest of yours.

Tags: Chess Sets, Chess Pieces, Chess Boards by BraRoeChess
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Matching metal chess pieces to the right board is something often concerns players that are looking to have chess pieces made from metal. There are very few metal chess boards and sometimes, a board made from metal is not what is being sought. Luckily, there are three options that are available.

The first is of course a metal chess board.  Metal chess boards are boards that are made from wood and are covered, like a veneer, with metal. Usually the board is made of Brass. The white squares are made retain the brass’s natural color, while the black pieces will have brass that is tinted another color, such as blue, red, or a darker brass. Brass boards will match with any metal chess pieces.

The next option is leather chess boards. Leather chess boards are made with a wood base and then have a leather cover over them for the playing surface. Boards can come in black and gold, black and brown, or burgundy and gold for the colors of the squares.  There are several options of leather chess boards that come as chess chests, with storage for the pieces beneath the board.

The third option is a carefully selected wood chess board. Most chess boards that are glossy in finish will be excellent options for chess board, especially non-traditional colors such as grey or Blue. Light colored woods such as Hazelwood and Bubinga are options that will match well with metal chess pieces. Rosewood and Black, matte finished boards usually do not mesh will with the metal chess pieces.

So, it is easy enough to be able to find a chess board that matches your style with your metal chess pieces if you can keep these three rules in mind. As usual, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns at Bradford @braroechess.com anytime.

Tags: Chess Pieces, Chess Boards by BraRoeChess
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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 chess boards 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.

Tags: Chess Sets, Chess Boards by BraRoeChess
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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 chess pieces 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.