Best Chess Set – A New World For 2012

Some of you reading this blog post will have received a beautiful chess set for Christmas.  This may have been in response to a request on your part or a surprise gift.  Either way, the generosity of the giver may have opened up a new world for you.

 

It is possible your gift was a themed chess set, maybe with the theme of Sherlock Holmes.  It is interesting that the new Sherlock Holmes film is one of the latest films to use chess as a key way of telling a story.  That may seem a long way from a chess game with friends or family. But, it shows the importance of the world you are entering for the first time or seeking to get to know better. After all, chess requires intelligence and Sherlock Holmes was a good exponent of the application of brainpower.

 

If you are feeling sluggish after too much Christmas indulgence, learning how to get the best from all the different chess set pieces will set you a challenge for the New Year.  It might be that you already play chess quite well.  In that case, your New Year’s resolution could be to develop your game further so that you can do yourself proud with your best chess set ever.

 

If you don’t own a chess set – or would like to offer one a s a gift - take a look at ChessSetHeaven.com for a great choice of chess sets online.

Best Chess Set: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Chessman

Chess set pieces have featured in many books, movies and television series, often as a statement of how complicated and challenging the situation is to characters in the plot.

 

Roger Moore, for example, in an episode of the 1971 - 1972 television series 'The Persuaders,' used chess set pieces to demonstrate the line of accession in his aristocratic family - and who had been bumped off by a murderer so far.

 

But perhaps one of the most suitable uses of the image of chess is in the John le Carre spy thriller 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy,' recently made into an enthralling movie.

 

At one stage, chess set pieces are used to represent those suspected of reason, complete with a name label attached to the appropriate piece.

 

The image is carefully considered as the book and movie is a spy thriller with little violence but instead the characters play a real life chess set with each other.

 

In an interview with the Daily Mail, the film's star, Gary Oldman said, "There are no real car chases, rather it's like a high-stakes chess game with everyone watching how the other person moves."

 

The movie is filmed in a way that feels like you are eavesdropping on what is going on, an atmosphere reminiscent of both the book and the television series too. Since the background of the plot is the Cold War, this is appropriate as the situation between East and West could be said to be a continuing game of chess right up until it all ceased in 1989. Indeed, there has been some evidence that it still goes on now.

 

So once you buy a chess set and start to play an opponent with the chess set pieces, you might reflect on how many times life and death situations have had parallels with the game.

 

Join the mystery of the game of chess by going to ChessSetHeaven.com and choose the best chess set for your needs. 

Using Your Carved Chess Set: Useful Terminology

Before you can deploy the chess set pieces in your new carved chess set, you will need to know some of the many technical terms that are used in the game. Here is a selection:

· The Centre refers to the four squares at the centre of the board. Here is where a range of chess set pieces exercise their greatest power when placed here unhindered.
· Check is a move that threatens the King and the player must announce it.
· Checkmate This marks the death of the King and the end of the game.
· Diagonal refers to an oblique line of the same coloured squares.
· En prise refers to a piece which can be captured. This French expression is used in all languages.
· Piece is used to describe the King, Queen, Rook, Knight and Bishop as opposed to the Pawns. The Queens and Rooks are major pieces and the Knight and Bishop minor pieces. All of the 32 chessmen are referred to as units.
· Middle-Game is the phase after deployment of the pieces and when the ‘battle’ takes place in earnest.
· Move is the movement of a unit from one square to another or a capture on the square of arrival.

If this whets your intellectual appetite, you can find a selection of chess sets online at ChessSetHeaven.com.

Chess set pieces: Tradition And Innovation

 

 

 

Over the years, many changes have been suggested to the game of chess, in the guise of advances or enhancements. These have included:

• Spherical  chess, involving playing on eight super-imposed boards to provide a third dimension;
• Playing the contest on two boards separated by a screen and mutually invisible – known as ‘Kriegspiel’;
• ‘Chess a la Marseillaise’ in which the players each play two consecutive moves during their turn; 
• ‘Dice Chess’, where the throw of a dice controls when a piece is moved.

Some may be tempted to scoff at these ideas, thinking that chess as it has been played for generations still has sufficient fascination for amateur and experienced layers alike.  

It is true that, solving the many technical and strategic problems a game presents still makes for great variety and interest.  We must remember though that the chess we play today is actually the result of developments and innovations introduced throughout the centuries that the game has been played.

Whatever we think, there can be no doubt that working out how to deploy our chess set pieces will always engage the mind, providing stimulation and enjoyment for players of all ages and abilities.  It is never too late to get involved in chess.  Why don’t you look at the chess sets online at ChessSetHeaven.com. There you will find an excellent selection of themed chess sets and you could soon find yourself the proud owner of a lovely carved chess set.

Using Your Carved Chess Set – The Middle Game

Now you have your new carved chess set, you will want to start developing and improving your game.

 

If you want to win at chess, the important thing is always to be able to see further ahead than your opponent. Some specific advice to bear in mind is:

 

·      Attacking will give you the advantage.

·      Don’t make things too complicated for yourself and use your chess set pieces economically

·      A threat made has more power than carrying it out will do. 

 

It is important to always keep in mind the relative value and individual strength of each of your chess set pieces.  You should take note of the following:

 

·      The King is the most important piece, on which the result of the game depends.  It is vital to keep the King out of range, in a place of safety.

·      The Queen is a powerful piece and should not be made vulnerable by a too hasty sortie.

·      The Rook is a strong piece and, by being placed behind a pawn, can be used in the middle game to support the pawn and help it advance.

·      The Bishop is of lesser arithmetic value than the Rook but dynamically superior to the Knight. The beginner should avoid exchanging a Bishop against a Knight if it is not essential. 

·      Beware that the Knight is the piece often handled the least well by players of all standards.

·      Look after your Pawns  - each sacrifice is likely to add to the dynamics of the game and your eight infantrymen are not an inexhaustible army.

 

If this whets your appetite for chess and you don’t have a set, why don’t you buy a chess set from ChessSetHeaven.com where you can find a great selection, with one to suit everyone.

 

By Jillian Lovejoy

Making The Most Of Your New Carved Chess Set – Being A Good Opponent

You have treated yourself to a carved chess set. To you, it is the best chess set - the one you have been wanting for ages. So, how do you get the most of your new acquisition?

A really important aspect of playing chess is making sure that you are a correct as well as an agreeable player, in other words, the ideal opponent. Here is some advice to bear in mind.

Within reason, you should allow your opponent time to think about his or her moves, without being disturbed. Be sure not to distract, criticize or bother them in any way.

When it is your turn, do not rush at your move. Rather, make sure that you have paid due attention to all the possibilities and implications, before making your decision. However, you should also avoid over-lengthy deliberation.

It is important to know yourself and to control any unhelpful characteristics and make the most of your qualities. Don’t under-estimate your opponent but equally, don’t be daunted by them if they appear very confident. Above all, be generous in defeat and modest in victory.

Go to ChessSetHeaven.com to find a wide range of chess sets for sale.

Themed Chess Sets – Winnie-The-Pooh

When you are looking for a carved chess set you may think initially about some of the classic designs you have seen. Did you realize though that it is possible to buy chess sets based on a wide range of themes?  These include well-beloved stories and characters from our childhood.

If you want to introduce your children to chess, or bring back happy childhood memories, the best chess set for you could be one available through ChessSetHeaven.com based on that favourite bear Winnie-The-Pooh and his friends.

Discover once more the beloved characters of A.A. Milne from the enchanting and captivating world he created in the 1920s.  It is true that your chess set Tigger won’t bounce and you won’t find Piglet talking to you in his squeaky voice. But, for those of us who read about Pooh and his friends before seeing them on film, that is nothing that cannot be cured by a good imagination – aided of course by the delightful illustrations of E.H. Shepard in the various books published about Pooh.

You might also feel motivated to recall some of the Hums of Pooh (first published in 1929) when you settle down to play your game of chess.

Go to ChessSetHeaven.com to make your purchase from their Chess store.