Chess - with Folding Board and Full Size Chess Pieces by Pressman

I bought this as a second/spare set to give my 35 year old E.S. Lowe set a break. I doubt this set is going to last 35 years but for the very low price it is fine. The board is large and I prefer the folding cardboard type of board that is included in this set to the vinyl ones. Squares are red and black as Pressman uses this same board for their checkers set. The pieces are large enough to move around comfortably and have slightly oversized bases. The king looks to be around 3 inches (I didn't measure it) and the pieces are hollow but the plastic is fairly heavy and I've played 7 games with the set without tipping over any pieces. The pieces come in plastic bags with strip off tops and can be stored in those inside the box after playing. A basic instruction sheet is also included. All in all this is of a typical "board game" quality like "Monopoly" or "Sorry" and is fine as a spare set, first set for a beginner, family game shelf, school set etc. It isn't anything impressive but I don't know of a better deal for a complete full size chess set. Pressman Toys donates large quantities of this particular set to schools who are starting chess clubs. It isn't fancy but its fine and you can play chess with it!

I see a lot of negative reviews of this chess set, but that is because most people abuse it. If you use this chess set correctly, you are going to have more fun than you can ever imagine having with a chess set. Please read to the end of this review to maximize your fun from this one of a kind classic chess set. You will soon discover this particular chess become of your favorite games. First, let me say the wrong way to use this chess set begins as early as the opening, when players take turns developing their pieces to achieve a positional advantage going into a tactical middle game. Although this is what is known as "proper chess", it is more suitable for a double-weighted tournament chess set, or one of those fancy wooden sets from House of Staunton. The correct way to use this particular chess set is to play what is known as "Flick Chess". First, set the pieces up in classical fashion. Remember "white is on right" and "Queen on her color". Then, players take turns flicking one and only one chess piece at the opponents pieces. The goal, of course is to knock all of your opponent's pieces over before your opponent does the same to you. Pieces that have been knocked over or otherwise must be removed from the board are termed "fallen". Any piece that has been knocked off the board is also considered fallen. A draw or "stalemate" happens when a player knocks over the last of his or her opponent's pieces with his or her last piece. Between turns, players have a chance to "clear the battlefield", removing fallen pieces from the board. During this time any "blunders", where a player knocks over his or her own pieces, are forgiven, and the pieces may be restored. In war, the medics never kill healthy soldiers, why would it be any different in flick chess? That said, it is possible to blunder during your move, by knocking over your own pieces unintentionally. Blundered pieces are considered fallen and must be removed. Additionally, hitting the board with your hand, causing your opponent's pieces to fall over loses a turn, removes any of your own pieces that were flicked, and restores any of your opponents pieces that were disrupted. It is possible that a piece will "rebound" into a shooter's own pieces and knock them over. These pieces are "lost", a synonym for "considered fallen". One literal boundary case is when a piece slides to the edge of the board, but is still standing. If it is a genuine "leaner", it is lost. That is, if it is not perfectly vertical when sitting on the board, then it must be removed. A test for leaners on surfaces like carpet is to ever so gently lift the board and see if the piece goes up with the board. If it does not, then the piece is lost. Before a player moves, the player may arrange his or her own pieces and the opponent's pieces. His or her own pieces must be fully contained within the squares of their starting positions. Opponent's pieces can only be arranged such that they are placed in the absolute middle of their starting squares. If a player accidentally knocks over any piece while arranging, the player loses his or her turn. If the player knocks over his or her own pieces, those pieces are lost. If a player knocks over the opponent's pieces, those pieces are restored. House rules may vary on arrangement, but the original inception of Flick Chess allows arrangement as described. Terminology. A "hop" is when a piece flies over all of the opponent's pieces. A "duff" is when a piece completely misses all pieces, especially outside the A and H files. A "split" is when a player shoots between the opponents pieces, especially if they are on adjoining squares. "Sharp shooting" is the removal of the opponent's pieces by precise aim. "Royalty" is the Queen and King, especially both. "Majors" are back rank pieces.

The board is actually about 15 x 15" and the pieces are a good proportional size for the board (both board and pieces are smaller than tournament regulations, but not tiny compared to other inexpensive sets I saw on Amazon) - all of which makes for a good beginner learning experience. The pieces are hollow molded plastic, very lightweight and easy to knock over, however they are Staunton in style, which is known around the world. The price of the set is reasonable to quality. All of these features make a good buy for a starter set. Mine arrived with all the correct pieces. I would have liked to have two additional Queens for Pawn promotions. I found a couple of errors in the instruction sheet; notified Pressman and got a response back they are having their team look at it! I gave only 4 stars because a better educational set would have numbering and letters on the edge for learning square identification/documentation and no errors in instructions. As others have mentioned, the board could easily be made of heavier card board that is more scratch resistant as well.

This is a nice starter board if you want to try your hand at chess. Like many, my daughter wanted to try chess after watching “The Queen’s Gambit.“ I did not want to invest a lot of money in something she may not pursue. This board is a decent size and is very affordable.

This is technically a chess set. However, the pieces are pretty small and skinny and nearly too light weight to play with. I can see knocking over nearby men during a move as a real annoyance. I also got the "Best Value Tournament Chess Set" here on Amazon. Very nice and well worth the extra few bucks. But for cheap, nearly disposable, this is functional. Comes with brief chess rules sheet.

I've been playing on pressman chess boards for over 60 years, l can't play with any other kind. There the perfect size and the chess pieces are easily distinguished.

Despite the bad reviews I gave it a try. Low risk at this price. Yes, as other reviewers said, the board need to be forced into the flat position. But I succeeded in doing so in the 2 units I got. Yes, as others said, the pieces feel cheap and too light. But it is totally playable and for that price I'm more than happy.

Good basic chess set. Great quality folding board and durable pieces

Very poor quality product..Not worth for money. Don't buy this

Me gustó mucho porque es excelente si estas aprendiendo a jugar, ya que no gastas mucho y las piezas son de bastante calidad por lo que durará mucho tiempo.

Cheap af but you get what you pay for. Anyone that recognizes the box will know the low quality but ultra low cost of this product. If I played regularly I'd pick up something nicer but any full sized chess set is a good addition to board games. A 70c 4k tv is nice but when playing atari almost anything would work. Same here

Bought it for my husband. He's happy with it. It's exactly as described.

Plastic pieces were ok but board is thin and flimsy. Good for teaching kids how to play but don't expect long life out of this set.