Date: 1/6/2026

I once joked with my wife that her hobby was way more expensive than mine. We had just moved to Jackson, WY, in one of America’s most beautiful wonderlands.

Not long after getting settled she got lift tickets to enjoy boarding on the mountain. I did some quick mental math. Snow gear, boards, and lift tickets add up fast. 

Then, being the analytical person I am, I did an approximate audit of the enjoyment that came from that price tag. Spoiler alert: it’s not a lot for snowboarding!

My little plastic chess set started looking better and better.

That less-than 20 dollar set had traveled with me across the country several times, more than paying for itself in years of enjoyment, friends, and experiences. 

I thought of playing with Jude Acres in the French Quarter, crushing chess hustlers in LA, the friends I’ve made, and coaching professionally in Seattle, CO, and TX.

“Chess is just the best”, I thought. 

And I still think that.

Few other activities challenge you like chess does. It’s accessible enough for anyone to start, but it’s deep enough to enjoy for a lifetime.

Here’s to 2026. Here’s to a hobby that slows us down, helps us breathe, and connects us with other chess enthusiasts in our communities.

If you’re in need of chess gear, you can head over to my choice partner House of Staunton for quality sets, bags, clocks, and more.

Happy playing, friends.

The Psychology of Luxury Chess Sets

Most players chase new openings to get better.

Few realize their biggest upgrade might be the board sitting under their hands.

Here’s why the look, feel, and balance of your chess set quietly trains your mind to think deeper.

The Container Matters

If you drink water from a chipped cup, you still get hydrated.

But something happens when we pour that same water into a clean glass- clear, weighted, sparkling- you drink it slower. You enjoy it more.

You can play chess on a vinyl set- mine is in my office- but I breathe easier on a beautiful set. It’s like a cushion on my psyche that affects my mood, and even playing style.

When Things Look Good You Act Differently

Your brain pays attention to what looks cared for. It’s why you sit up straighter in a clean room, or why you write neater with a new pen.
A stunning chess set tells your mind: this matters. Suddenly you’re more focused. More intentional.

It’s not about luxury alone; it’s about attention.

Aesthetics sharpen the mind.

The Joys of Tactile Learning

Physically handling chess pieces connects dots that playing chess on a screen can’t.

When I was in 3rd grade, I had an amazing teacher who immersed us in the curriculum. We didn’t just learn, we adventured. We grew plants. Made meals. And found bullfrogs in the pond by our school. The experience of pushing a lima bean into good soil forever solidified the photosynthesis process in my mind.

Playing on a real chess set does the same. Every time you move a wooden piece- feel its weight, hear the little thud on the board- your brain quietly learns. It combines shapes, rhythms, patterns, training your awareness in new ways, improving your gameplay.

The Freedom Structure Brings

When the famous Staunton chess set gained popularity in the mid 1800’s, it brought a clarity lacking in years past. That clean, well-proportioned design continues to encourage steady thinking- like a tidy desk invites great work.

The structure ironically encourages creativity. Simple, elegant pieces calm the eyes so the mind can see clearly.

The Real Lesson

Is a quality chess set going to raise a chess rating like magic?

Not likely.

But it will heighten your senses and make you smile every time you see it in your office or game room.

Like tasting good coffee after instant- you’ll never forget the difference. My wife is only buying Peruvian now so I can attest to that truth.

I bought my first quality wood set from House of Staunton in 2016 and still have fond memories of playing on it in Granby, CO.

Smiles Over Strategy

At Open Door Chess, we teach players to see beyond tactics-  to find joy and community both on and off the board.

If you’d like to experience chess with more focus and presence, why not start with a board that invites both? You can shop our trusted affiliate partner here.

Happy playing, friends.

Play in style with these beautiful customizable chess sets.

Author: Billy Sandoval

Note: I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you if you purchase through a link below. I fell in love with Staunton sets in 2016, years before becoming an affiliate partner and it’s my pleasure to share my top picks with you today.

Time for a Chess Set Upgrade?

Give yourself or a family member a luxury chess set that will be enjoyed for years.

I sifted through products and found what I believe are the top 4 luxury chess sets from House of Staunton, the most respected name in luxury sets since 1990.

A lot of care goes into each of the sets. All of them would delight the user and add a visually stunning aesthetic to any environment.

Best Overall: The Zagreb

Best Value: The Superior Grandmaster

What I looked for

• Beauty: Color, Design, Style

  Does it look stunning? Check.
  
  

• Functionality: Contrast, Weight, Piece & Board Case

  Do the pieces and colors make seeing the board easy? Check.

  
  

• Protection: Felt Cases, Warranties (Check descriptions)

  Can this be played on for years? Check.
  
  

• Shipping Price: Fees, Delivery Time From Purchase

  Free worldwide shipping to 137 countries. Check.

  Average delivery time: 4-7 days. Check.

  
  

My Top 4 Luxury Chess Set Picks

#1 The Savano - Best for Collectors

If you want a luxury set that instantly feels rare and handcrafted, The Savano stands out with exceptional detail, rich exotic woods, and a museum-quality finish that turns every game into an experience.

Pros: Exceptional craftsmanship / Heavily Weighted Pieces / Hairline Crack Warranty

Cons: Relatively expensive

Price: Approximately $7,000

Rating: 5/5

Review: “…The kings, the knights, the rooks - wow! What a game! What a set!” - O.C., Verified Purchase from House of Staunton.

This hand-carved beauty boasts a uniquely intricate Knight design and two of the most sought-after woods on the planet.

It includes its build documentation, a fitted chess piece box, and a lifetime warranty against hairline cracks.

#2 The Zagreb - Best for Players & Collectors

If you want a collector-worthy set that feels like a classic museum piece, The Zagreb delivers heritage, design, and personalization.

Pros: Historic / World Championship design / Customizable King finials (tops) / Tournament Size (check your tournament rules)

Cons: Limited color variations

Price: Approximately $800

Rating: 5/5

Review: “Excellent quality…would highly recommend” - Denise, Verified Purchase from Etsy.

This timeless set is adapted from the famous style used in the World Championship Candidates Match in 1959. It’s unique in that it comes with interchangeable King tops (finials) that allow the owner to choose between a cross-top or ball-top.

#3 The Superior Grandmaster - Best for Serious Players & Coaches

Great for players who want premium looks without collector-only pricing, The Superior Grandmaster delivers clarity, balance, and durability- making it ideal for regular play and stylish display.

Pros: High Contrast / Durable finish for regular use / Elegant without being overly ornate / Tournament Size (check your tournament rules)

Cons: Doesn’t have collector-tier rarity

Price: Approximately $400

Rating: 5/5

Review: “Wife gave me this set for Christmas, the quality of the pieces and board are excellent. There were no defects and the craftsmanship is beautiful. The board is very big, I recommend getting a board bag for storage and transport to keep it safe.”

- Ross, Verified Purchase from House of Staunton

This phenomenal set offers a sleek, high-contrast playing area that makes a statement wherever it’s placed.

Unlike other quality sets that sacrifice board clarity with overly-fancy woods, this set properly prioritizes the stage, making pieces and positions very easy to see for the player.

#4 The Royale - Best for those Seeking Premium Feel Without Premium Pricing

The Royale is a great choice for buyers seeking refined woodworking, smooth handling, and a premium feel that upgrades any room, without climbing into the ultra-high luxury category.

Pros: Premium feel at mid-luxury pricing / Tournament Sized (check your tournament rules)

Cons: No historical significance

Price: Approximately $300

Rating: 5/5

Review: “I was very happy with the quality of the set and the price was very reasonable. The pieces and board were very well made and look amazing on my table. I choice the two day shipping and they got to me the day after I put in my order so I couldn't be happier.”

- David, Verified Purchase from House of Staunton

This customizable chess set was crafted in Spain with the highest grade woods.

It perfectly pairs durability and simple elegance, making it ideal for leisure, club, or tournament play.

Final Thoughts

Each of these sets will give the user years of enjoyment whether placed in a home or club.

Thanks for spending a few minutes perusing my top 4 luxury chess sets from House of Staunton.

If you’d like a free guide to improve your chess openings, you can download that here.

Happy playing.

Queen & Rook

Finish your games strong with this checkmating pattern.

What We’ll Cover

• An advanced look at checkmate

• The 4 steps to checkmate with a Queen and Rook

Why it Matters

Every checkmating pattern you learn is one extra tool in your toolbelt. The more tools you have, the more games you win.

A Closer Look at Checkmate

Let’s talk about royal squares.

Royal squares are all the immediate squares around a King, including the square the King is on.

If you want to win your games with checkmate, you need to make sure all of these squares work in your favor.

Here’s exactly what to look for:

• Safe royal squares (not good for you)

  Ask: Does the King I’m trying to checkmate have safe squares they could move to if I checked them with a piece?

  If so, move your pieces to attack those squares.

• Blocked royal squares (good for you)

  Ask: Are the royal squares blocked by their own color pieces? If so, those are squares that their King can’t move to if threatened. That’s good.

  Note- It’s okay to have your pieces on royal squares as long as they’re defended by your other pieces. That way they can’t be captured and serve as escape squares.

Once you know all the royal squares are accounted for, you’re able to deliver the final blow.

4 Checkmate Steps

Checkmating with a Queen and a Rook can be done in 4 steps.

3️⃣Stay safe

Sometimes your opponent will try and attack your Rook.

In this position the Rook is defended by our Queen, so there’s no danger, but you’ll want to make sure you stay focused so you don’t lose a piece. Keep those pieces safe.

Action Step

Practice the Queen and Rook checkmating pattern on an online or physical board. Mix up walking the King up the board, to the left, right, and bottom of the board.

Once you’re comfortable with the movement you’ll have one more weapon in your games.

Wrap Up

Now you know that if you have a Queen and Rook you’re more than able to deliver checkmate to your chess opponents.

May your pieces strike fear in the hearts of those who oppose you. 😄

If you want a free chess guide that gives you a plan for the start of your games, you can download that below.

Happy playing, friend.

Win more chess games by understanding checkmate.

What We’ll Cover

• Check

• Getting out of check

• Checkmate

Why it Matters

Checkmate ends the game! So it’s important that you know how to navigate it- to win more games, yes- but also to know your options when your chess opponent has your King on the run.

Check

Getting Out of Check

There are only 3 options to escape check. If you can’t do any of the three, the position is checkmate and the game ends immediately.

When you find yourself in check, you can remember “A, B, C” to recall your options. Let’s look at each now.

Make a Choice

Once you know all of your options, you can pick the best one for each situation.

Remember that if you move your King you lose your ability to castle, so it’s often best to block or capture the attacker.

Action Step

• Think through your A, B, C’s in a game and pick your best choice.

Wrap Up

You now know exactly what to do when your opponent starts checking your King. Use these tools to safeguard your King and limit your opponent’s King to deliver the winning move.

If you want a free chess guide to help you remember your escape options, you can download that below.

Happy playing.

Make powerful attacks by learning how to move chess pieces and where each thrives.

What We’ll Cover

• The name of each piece

• How each moves and attacks

• Making good threats

• Your most important pieces

Why it Matters

Knowing where your pieces thrive helps you position them on their strongest squares, giving you the advantage.

I don’t know about you, but I like winning my chess games.

The Pieces

How to Make Strong Threats

“The measure of a man is what he does with power.”

- Plato

Beginner players seem to think every capture they can make is a threat.

This isn’t exactly true.

If enemy pieces are defended, then capturing them only invites a recapture of your piece. Before going capture-crazy, consider whether the action is worth doing. Not everything we can do we should do.

A good rule is to think of 3 options when it’s your turn, then pick the best one.

Your Pieces Work Together

The same rules of defense applies to your own pieces.

If you place pieces where your other pieces attack, they’re defended. You can use defended pieces to advance your army and launch strong attacks towards enemy lines.

Your Most Important Pieces

Your King

Because checkmate ends the game, your King is considered priceless in chess. Though not very strong, it’s your most important piece.

Your Queen

Nothing else on the board can compete with the attacking power of the Queen, making it your most powerful piece.

Keep both of these safe if you can! Notice where your opponent has pieces in line with your Queen and King and keep an eye out for attacks.

Action Step

Make 10 Moves

Get an online or physical chess board. Then put one piece in the center. From there make 10 moves in a row with that piece to practice its movement. Do the same with each piece.

This may sound silly, but this is the fastest way to solidify the movements in your mind.

You can also manually make captures with each piece to get familiar with the captures. This will help you identify options in your real games.

Wrap Up

You have the tools now to move pieces to their strongest squares! Remember, your pieces can defend each other and attack together to make strong attacks. These are called “combinations”.

If you want a Free Guide to remember how to move the pieces, you can download that below.

Happy playing.

Your Chess Journey

Intro to Chess

Common Mistakes

Some people think you need a genius-level IQ to play chess. Or that you can’t play well as an adult.

Thankfully, neither of these is true. You can play chess well- even as an adult. This article will guide you through the basics so you understand:

• How to define chess

• The general gameplay

• The stages of chess

• How a game ends

Simple Chess Definition

General Gameplay

Out of respect, every chess game begins and ends with a handshake. Players in chess tournaments have actually been disqualified for refusing to shake their opponent’s hand at the start of the game.

So who goes first?

Whoever is playing the white pieces always makes the first move. This is not a race thing, but keeps games consistent and organized. Whoever is playing the black pieces still has an equal opportunity to win.

Players alternate turns where they have the option of moving one of their pieces or capturing an opponent’s piece.

Stages of Chess

There are three stages of chess.

1️⃣ The Opening

The beginning of the game, consisting of about the first ten moves. The focus in the opening is getting your pieces out quickly.

2️⃣ The Middlegame

This stage follows the opening where there’s a focus on capturing opponent pieces and improving your position.

3️⃣ The Endgame

You guessed it. This stage follows the middle game- by this point, most of the captures have already happened. Because there are less pieces on the board, it’s safe enough to bring your King out to help in the battle.

How Chess Games End

Chess games can end in a few different ways. Here they are in a nutshell:

• A player wins by checkmate ⚔️

  One of the players successfully “checkmates” their opponent’s King, leaving them no options to escape.

  
  

• A player resigns 🏳️

  One of the players gives up because they don’t believe they can come back and win.

  
  

• A player runs out of time ⏱️

  If you’re playing a timed game, you lose if you run out of time. Managing your time well is an important skill.

  
  

• A tie occurs 🤝

  Ties (called “draws”) happen in a number of ways, including not having enough pieces to checkmate or by both players agreeing to one.

  
  
  

Action Step

✅ Make a free online chess account.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

- Lao Tzu

Why a chess account?

Having a chess account lets you practice and play with other people all over the world while seeing your progress in real-time.

There are two major platforms- both are free to sign up.

Lichess - This one sounds like “lee-chess” and is my personal favorite. No ads, completely free lessons, and a great app to play on.

Chess.com - The site with the largest user base. Free to sign up. Limited daily lessons. Lots of tools, games, and a solid app as well. Note: A chess.com rating is more highly regarded than a Lichess rating.

Wrap Up

That’s your chess intro! Not so hard right? Thank you for starting (or continuing) your chess journey with us.

Download the free guide below to learn how to move chess pieces. Make sure to complete the action step above so you’re able to see your growth over time.

Happy playing.

Sharpen your game by learning the parts of the chess board.

What We’ll Cover

• Parts of the board

• White on right

• Board Setup

Why it Matters

Knowing what makes up a chess board helps you make stronger attacks, keep your King safe, and talk about your games.

If you don’t know this stuff, this is how you sound, “Yeah, so I moved my piece here. Then here…and then I took this piece and did this…”

Doesn’t sound like that person knows what they’re doing, right? Wouldn’t you much rather say, “Queen took on h8 and checkmated.”?

You’ll soon know how to speak like the awesome chess player you are.

Parts of the Board

How to Set the Board Up

Board setup in 4 steps.

1. Rook, Knight, Bishop.

   From the back edges of the board towards the center, the order will be Rook, Knight, Bishop.

2. Queen on her color.

   If you have a white Queen, it will go on the center light square. A black Queen will go on the center dark square.

3. King on empty back square.

   The King will take the last empty back square.

4. Pawns in front

   You’ll place all eight pawns in front of your pieces.

Action Steps

1. Set up a chess board.

   Set up a board! You can use a physical board or a free board editor on chess.com or lichess to manually set one up.

2. Point to 5 random squares on a chess board and say the coordinate out loud.

Wrap Up

And just like that you know about the chess board! You’re one step closer to your chess goals.

Combining your knowledge of the board with how pieces move raises your awareness of strong lines you can place your pieces on. It also makes you more aware of attacks coming from your opponent, protecting you from threats.

Free Chess Guide

If you want a free guide to help you remember your board knowledge, you can download that below. Happy playing.