I started playing chess when I was about ten. Dear old dad; he spent how many hours with me playing chess. I wish I could tell you how many. Dad never let me win. I don't think to this day he let me win. I lost and lost and kept coming back for more.
One day I beat him. He made a mistake. On purpose? Maybe? Maybe not. Soon our games were longer. Tough battles, drawn out. Then I was playing in jr. High school chess club, The Fischer vs Spassky game rocked the newsworld, chess took off even more, and I was an already educated player.
I drove my grade 9 options teacher, ironically named Mr Fisher, nuts. I would always say CHESS, not check, when I threatened his king, and I beat him often. I remember him telling me, if you say CHESS one more time instead of CHECK, I'm just walking away. I did, he left. I felt bad. And I was winning. Well, dad taught me that way, it was some 5 or 6 years of habit to have to undo. But the teacher's methods worked. I stopped.
I met someone in Jr. High school grade 7 name of Jim Kranjec. Damn he was good, he was hard to beat. I admired him beyond measure. He became a best friend for years and together we took on school after school through to grade 11 with a team of 2 others, garnishing a few trophies and some accolade.
Dad is 80 now. He stopped playing chess against me some 15 years ago. Old age takes its toll.
I taught my daughter's young how to play, hoping the fire would catch for what is arguably the greatest game in the world. Alas, no joy. The fire smoldered.
This is life.
But why all this verbal accolade, for this one item. I have some 21 000 items on this website. About 4 or 5 thousand are very active. But only ONE has all this attached, and you are reading it.
It is because, of all the chess sets I have seen come and go, or I have played on, this is THE one I love the most. I even bought a metal chess set when I was in Germany in 1983. What a mistake; the king and queen were not unique enough, despite the quality of the pieces. Not good for the visiting player, and even I got them mixed up in regular play.
I admit I have not seen every chess set ever made by every company, even with many trips to Europe, New York and Toronto. But this one... this one always stands out among the rest.
I wish the price was better. It comes from the U.S, the shipping, the brokerage, and the exchange rate all take the toll on the final retail price. But, wow, do you get what you pay for.
The feel of the pieces; the weight is so right; the pieces almost talk to you as you put them down in place. There is a certain language that exists at competitive play at almost any game, whether it is chess or the Pokemon trading Card game. I have seen it many times in the years in the business. The way the pieces feel and sound as they are placed/moved on this board.....words need not be spoken.
The color of the board seemed so strange when I first got it in years ago. Grey squares? Gold and Silver peices?
But the balance is there, and so natural. Yet so unique.
The supplier is Worldwise Imports of Nevada. This is more testimony to this set, as the Owner, Cheryl , is many years my peer in the chess business and has an eye for quality sets and standards I have yet to learn. I am SO glad I met her in New York at the Toy Show some 7 years ago. I hope she never retires
That is enough. If you have it in the budget for a fine set as this, you will treasure it always. If it is a gift, the recipient will never forget from whence it came.
This is, in my opinion, the finest chess set I have , and have ever had, in my store.
John Engel
Owner
