How Much Does a Chess Set Cost? Prices from $10 to $10,000

A chess set costs between $10 and roughly $10,000, and most people should spend between $40 and $70. That band buys weighted pieces, a full size board and a set that survives a decade. Below it the pieces are hollow and the board will not lie flat. Above it you are paying for material and craftsmanship rather than anything that changes a game.

What each price tier buys

What actually drives the price

The pieces, not the board. In almost every set the pieces are the expensive half. Weighting adds metal and a second manufacturing step. Hand carving a knight is the single most labour-intensive operation in the whole category, which is why the knight is the piece that gives a cheap set away.

Wood versus plastic. Wood roughly triples the price of a comparable set and changes nothing about play. Plastic is what nearly all rated tournament chess is played with, because it is more durable, unaffected by damp, and cheap to replace when a piece is lost.

Whether it is complete. A set with 34 pieces has two extra queens for promotion. A set with 32 does not, and you will be turning a rook upside down. Bags, a board that rolls rather than folds and a guide all sit in the price too.

What a chess clock adds

Budget $25 to $60 for a digital clock, and buy it separately. Clocks bundled into a cheap set are usually paid for out of the pieces. A DGT or similar electronic board that records the moves is a different category again, $300 upward, and it is equipment for someone broadcasting or analysing games rather than someone playing them.

The point where paying more stops helping

Around $70. Past that, every additional dollar goes into how the set looks on a table, how it feels in the hand, and whether it is something you would hand to a grandchild. Those are good reasons. They are not playing reasons, and nobody has ever lost a game because their pieces were moulded rather than carved.

If you want a heirloom, buy the wooden set and enjoy it. If you want the set you will actually use on a Tuesday evening, the $40 to $70 band is the whole answer.

What we charge and why

Both of our sets sit in that band. The 3X Tournament is triple weighted with a 4.0 inch king; the 4X Tournament Modern is quadruple weighted with a 4.4 inch king and a little over 4 lb of pieces. Each comes with 34 pieces including the two spare queens, two drawstring bags, a 32 page illustrated strategy guide and a reversible 20 by 20 inch silicone board with 2.25 inch squares.

They carry a 12 month guarantee. If anything is wrong with the set inside a year we replace it, whether that is the whole set or one piece, and we pay the return shipping.

See both sets and the current prices. If you are shopping at the lower end, what to check under $50 and under $100 is the practical version of this page.

Common questions

Why are some chess sets so expensive?

Hand carving and exotic hardwood. A hand carved knight in ebony takes a skilled carver a long time, and there are four of them in every set. Add a solid wood board with inlaid squares and a presentation case and the labour is most of the price.

How much does a tournament chess set cost?

Between $30 and $80 for the set most players actually carry: weighted plastic pieces with a 3.75 to 4.4 inch king and a roll-up board with 2.25 inch squares. Add a clock at $25 to $60 and a bag.

Is an expensive chess set worth it?

As an object, often. As equipment, no. Judge it the way you would judge a watch: you are buying the craftsmanship and you should know that is what you are buying.

How much does a wooden chess set cost?

From about $70 for veneer over a composite core, $150 to $400 for solid hardwood with decent pieces, and upward from there for hand carved sets.