Decorative Chess Sets

A Guide to Decorative Chess Sets

A chess set is a brain-tightening, palm-sweating, foe-crushing battleground - don't shove it in a drawer between matches! Luckily, this classic board game is also beautiful, and many chess sets are designed to bring character and life to a room even when it's not in play. Strategic aesthetes, rejoice! There are tons of unique chess sets for collectors, players, and displayers, unique in materials and theme. Let's start with material.

Metal Chess Sets and Chess Pieces
Gold, bronze, copper, silver, and brass chess sets require detailed, difficult production that results in a truly striking look. Nice and heavy, metal pieces feel great in your hand and nicely complement a wide variety of chess boards. Select a traditional Staunton or Lardy style or a stout medieval character-based metal chess set to match traditional decor, or sleek contemporary metal chess pieces if you're more the mod-loft type.

Marble/Alabaster Chess Pieces
Hand-carved and polished for a uniquely classic look, marble, alabaster, and polystone chess pieces make a stately statement. Marble sets are great for an industrial-feeling space, while white alabaster evokes the image of a true king. Polystone chess sets represent the marriage of technology and taste - this blend of crushed rock and resin lets set-makers craft intricately carved pieces that look they were pulled straight from the quarry.

Polyresin Chess Sets
For a splash of color and realism, look to polymer resin chess sets. These molded pieces feature a high level of detail and a propensity for colorful paint. Polyresin is most often used for historical chess sets and other character-based pieces. Re-enacting your favorite battle can only add to the fervor of chess fever.

Wooden Chess Sets
You can't go wrong with a classic. Rosewood, ebony, and walnut are some of the most common woods found in our chess sets, but they're anything but common. These dark, grainy chess pieces finish beautifully and stand out compared to more traditional hardwoods. Matching well with wooden chess boards, wood pieces abound in both modern and traditional style.

Themed Chess Sets

Chess is a battleground both metaphorical and literal. What better place to pair up classic foes from history, mythology, and popular culture - you and an opponent can relive battles once fought or always imagined, and the outcome is up to you. Our themed chess sets come in a wide variety of types, all rendered in rich detail. Here's a look at some of our most popular themes:

American History Chess Sets
Let freedom ring by re-enacting battles and eras from the formation of these United States on your chessboard. The Civil War, Revolutionary War, and even Pearl Harbor are here, molded and painted into exquisite chess sets that'll please both the historian and the serious player. From Washington to FDR, let freedom ring as a spectacular accent to your home.

Middle Ages Chess Sets

The time of knights, kings, and noblemen is rich with battle-based history, and we're rich with chess sets representing its classic struggles, adventures, and battles. Medieval or Crusades-themed chess sets bring gravitas and a touch of classicism to your room, and a King Arthur or Holy Grail-themed set never goes out of style. Armored knights and other battle-ready pieces add a seriousness to the chess contest and a ruggedness to any space.

World Civilizations
Why bother with the King when you've got a Pharaoh? Chess sets representing world civilizations both historical and current bring a worldly sense to your home and an exotic feel to your game. Whether 'tis nobler to play as a Roman or an emperor from the Tang dynasty is up to you - our chess sets are representative of the world. Place in front of a crackling fire or framed atlas for extra authenticity.

Novelty Chess Sets
Chess is a game, right? Some people take it so seriously. If your last name's not Fischer or Byrne, it's okay to have a little fun with your novelty chess set. You'll find farm animals, zombies, sumo wrestlers, Winnie the Pooh, and more waiting to team up with you here at ChessSets.com. For a chess set that's sure to be the center of attention, pick something that's as weird as you are.