Ambassador Chess Set and Board

I purchased this as a 5th anniversary present (wood) for my husband.He was thrilled with the gift, and we were both pleasantly surprised by the quality and detail of the chess board, which appears to be hand-burned with decorative flourishes in addition to the very nice inlays for the squares.It comes with letters and numbers inlaid as well, and really looks very lovely on the coffee table where it has been placed since it was received last month.Furthermore, my three year old has played with it non-stop, and it has held up (pieces included, which I was worried about) remarkably well to the rough play of a young child.I only have two small complaints about this product, and they are that the flimsy plastic insert that holds the chess pieces when the board is folded away is barely flocked and really doesn't feel like it will last a year without cracking and tearing, so I wish they had made it thicker and stronger and out of a nicer material.The second regret is that the pieces themselves, while nicely carved and very detailed, are remarkably light and tend to skid around the board much easier than I would wish.I knew they weren't weighted when I purchased the board, but I can't help regretting it now that I've actually played with it a bit.Nevertheless, I think I would still make this purchase if I had it to do over again, and maybe someday I will invest in some of those outrageously expensive Staunton, Weighted Tournament Chess Pieces w/ Wood Box to replace these.I therefore tentatively recommend this very attractive product.

It's a very nice looking set with large pieces.The only issue I have is that the pieces are not weighted.Good deal over all.

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This was a gamble purchase.Frankly the price was hard to believe in the context of the few reviews that had been submitted.That said the pictures of the product seemed to back up the reviews so I took the gamble.

This is a hand carved wooden chess set which comes in its own box which doubles as a fold out chess board.The details on the pieces and board are exquisite, if you're looking for the hand-made look. By this I mean there are subtle differences in the carvings and markings of the "identical" pieces. To me this adds charm to the set. The chess pieces themselves are fairly large but unweighted.If you're looking for a championship weight chess set this is not it.However, if you have young ones who like to throw things this lack of weight is a distinct advantage.The case/board is laminated in dark and light wood to provide the board with a border of dark wood which is both carved and branded to provide decoration. The craftsmanship is excellent.The board top is light and would probably be damaged if it was hit with something heavy. It would not survive the attentions of a 3 year old armed with a mallet/Tonka toy/or any of the other items 3 years old tend to hit things with.That said if you can keep it away from rumbunctious children and are looking for an out of the ordinary, decorative chess set that screams "artisan made" and is highly playable this fits the bill nicely.We were so impressed by this set we purchased a second as a present for a family of chess players.

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This is a beautifully crafted set. I now see how the others are saying that the pieces should be weighted. That was an easy fix with a trip to the hardware store and craft store. I attached a small circular weight and thick felt material on the bottom and they slide smooth and feel more sturdy. My sons and I play a few games a day with this set and are really enjoying it. As for the dividers in the board; that could be better as well, but I will wait to replace that.

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I ordered this for my husband for his birthday and was surprised when it arrived first at how big it is.(that is my fault for not noting the measurements before purchasing....I'm not a chess player myself).The board also felt cheaply made and when I tap on it it sounds more like plastic than wood, so it's very thin.Also, the pieces aren't weighted which is disappointing.When I spend this much money on a game, I expected a higher quality.