Wooden Chess Set Pieces

Wooden chess set pieces can have different characteristics such as color, hardness, density, ease of carving, or a better finish. These characteristics allow for many different types of wooden sets at various prices. Wood is an excellent material for decorative sets.

Chess is a game with roots in antiquity, yet is still popular world-wide. Chess sets throughout history have been made from a variety of materials. The standard shapes we are familiar with today are a modern invention, and piece shapes have varied dramatically over time. One thing that has remained the same throughout history is that wood is often one of the most common, yet most expensive, materials used in making chess sets.

The earliest wooden chess pieces date from 760 AD. Wood has been used to form chess pieces from the beginnings of the game, second only to ivory. The price gap between quality wood sets and basic ivory sets has historically been so great that a well-carved wooden set was the nicest version many people could afford to own.

The earliest chess pieces did not resemble those we know today. Some of the earliest figures found were only basic shapes. Later in history, the individual figures began to take the shape of humans, frequently seated, to give the delicate pieces more stability. In the 1400s, the finest chess sets were hand-crafted from wood by French masters. The designs we know today were standardized in the early 1900s for tournament play.

Wood has been used for making chess sets for a variety of reasons. Many types of wood have beautiful designs in their grains, offering each piece a unique look. Wood is easy to carve and can be decorated with less risk of breaking the piece than ivory. Wood provides weight to the chess piece, preventing it from tipping over. Should a wooden piece fall, it is less delicate than ivory, bone, or porcelin and less likely to break. Wooden pieces require special care. They need to be oiled over time to keep the wood from over-drying. If not stored properly, wood can rot over time. Wooden pieces that get too dry or too wet will crack and disfigure.

Any type of hardwood can be used to make wooden chess sets. Many mass produced modern chess sets are crafted from Sheesham, a hardwood that is widely available in India. Sheesham is a light colored wood that dyes well, allowing both sides of the chess board to be crafted from it. Maple, walnut and mahogany are common in American made sets. The light weight of teak makes it a popular wood for life-sized style sets, allowing large pieces to be moved easier. Boxwood is frequently used for common chess sets. Boxwood does not offer much variation in color and dyes easily, offering the most standardized colors throughout a set.

Getting into the higher-end models, ebony is a popular wood for use on the black portions of the set. Ebony is a heavy wood. Its density makes carving intricate designs possible. When polished, ebony darkens to a very black shine. This wood is becoming rare in even high-end sets.

Rosewood isn't as dense as ebony, but it produces a shiny finish when polished and cared for properly. Rosewood offers a pleasant brown color to pieces. Unfortunately, Rosewood is now endangered, so sets made from it are expensive. Red sandalwood is likewise difficult to find, as its export is carefully restricted. Red sandalwood is known for its deep crimson color and swirling grain pattern. Rosewood sets can be as expensive and as difficult to find as ivory sets today.