The Wholesale Chess Blog » Chess Articles

Mini Giant Chess Sets

March 10th, 2010

We love to hear about creative things our customers are doing with the chess supplies they buy at Wholesale Chess. Here’s one customer who has dressed up our Mini Giant Chess Set to make it an exciting adventure for his grandchildren.

Mini Giant Chess Set

Dan started by weighing the chess pieces with a plaster fill for stability (removed base, slip filled and replaced base.) He the added his own flavor to the chess set by decorating the top of each chess piece with gold and silver beads and gold and silver cording for decoration on the base.

Next, Dan mounted the flexible plastic chess board on a piece of 1/2″ plywood so it could be used inside or outside and withstand the elements. For convenience, he added a handle to make moving the board easier, and framed the chess board with aluminum strips for added flare and functionality.

Mini Giant Chess Set

Dan and his grandchildren are now learning how to play chess together and having a blast with their upgraded Mini Giant Chess Set.

Tags: chess set, chess sets, giant chess, giant chess set, mini giant chess set
Posted in Chess Product Reviews, Just For Fun | 1 Comment »

Can a Girl Play Chess?

March 5th, 2010

Written by Laura Sherman of YourChessCoach.com

As a young girl growing up in rural Connecticut, it was hard to find many chess tournaments – certainly there were none for kids. My father had to drive a ways to find one and I was usually the only girl.

I remember the adult males being very supportive of me, allowing me into their fold. It was a very positive experience for me. One would think there would be a lot of sexism in chess. Really there isn’t.

Today many girls play in scholastic chess tournaments around the country. As a chess coach, I can tell you that our classes have an equal number of boys and girls.

I have never seen any prejudice amongst our students. Why would there be? It just doesn’t occur to them.

One of the plus points of chess is that you can sit down and play anyone, and you are on equal footing. Think about it. You both start with the samechess pieces, which have the same rules of movement. It all comes down to who creates the winning position – who best uses their intelligence and imagination.

There are no gender, racial or economic barriers. Even age doesn’t matter. The color of your skin, your gender, your job, all don’t matter.

One of the things I always loved about playing in chess tournaments was that you’d find the room filled with people from all walks of life. A doctor might play a stay-at-home mom, a teacher might be paired with a construction worker and a rocket scientist could play a high-school freshman.

Who wins? Really it boils down to who plays the better game, who makes fewer errors. Bottom line, chess players respect a good game.

Laura Sherman founded Your Chess Coach (YourChessCoach.com) with her husband, Dan Sherman. Together they teach children to play chess through various schools in Pinellas County, Florida, as well as online. You can learn more about YourChessCoach and other local and online chess instructors on our Chess Instructors page.

If you would like to ask Laura a question about chess, you can ask the question in the comment space below, leave your email, and Laura will respond directly to you – OR – you can always find YourChessCoach on Twitter or visit her new blog.

Tags: chess pieces, chess players, chess tournaments, yourchesscoach
Posted in Chess Learning Center | No Comments »

Chess Teaches Good Manners

March 1st, 2010

Parents often tell me that their children don’t like to lose. Well, that’s natural. I don’t like to lose either. I don’t know too many people who do. However, it is valuable to learn to handle losses with good manners.

We teach our students from the start that when you win or lose you should always shake your opponent’s hand and say “Good game!” Many games will be played and no one can expect to win every game.

I tell our students that good manners is important. It is part of being a chess player. We talk about the right way to handle a win, too. Jumping up and saying, “I WON, YOU LOST!! HA HA HA!” is not polite. Neither is bursting into tears and running away from the chess board, if you lose.

Kids get this. They laugh and nod in agreement.

Last week I was very pleased when a mother of one of our 5-year-old students called me. Her son had been home from school sick for the day and they had played chess.

That on its own was pretty cool!

Written by Laura Sherman of YourChessCoach.com

Then she had told me that she always had trouble with her son when he lost at Candyland or some other game. But when they played chess, he was different. When he lost a piece, he actually said, “Good one, mom!” to her with a smile. She was astonished and very pleased.

I love hearing these stories back from parents!

Laura Sherman founded Your Chess Coach (YourChessCoach.com) with her husband, Dan Sherman. Together they teach children to play chess through various schools in Pinellas County, Florida, as well as online. You can learn more about YourChessCoach and other local and online chess instructors on our Chess Instructors page.

If you would like to ask Laura a question about chess, you can ask the question in the comment space below, leave your email, and Laura will respond directly to you – OR – you can always find YourChessCoach on Twitter or visit her new blog.

Tags: chess board, chess boards, chess player, learning chess, yourchesscoach
Posted in Chess Club Corner, Chess Learning Center | No Comments »

Misconception: Is the King Ever Taken?

February 24th, 2010

Written by Laura Sherman of YourChessCoach.com

One common misconception that I hear a lot, is that in a game of chess, the king can be captured. It makes sense, since every other chess piece can be taken. However, during the game, the king is never removed from the board.

Sometimes a student of ours will become puzzled because their parent or grandparent will insist that the king can be captured. After all, it was how they were taught.

After I ran into this problem a few times, I started offering to give parents a free 1-hour lesson. The purpose was so that they could play with their children in between lessons, and we’d all be on the same page.

When I hit on this concept, I was pregnant, so I would stipulate that they needed to buy me coffee and a scone (I’d get hungry at the drop of a hat). It was a hit and I’ve kept it in as a tradition. Even though I’m no longer pregnant, I still ask for a scone. I like scones.

One father pointed out that sometimes people knock the king over. Perhaps that helps to create a confusion.

Knocking over the king is more of a dramatic statement than a true ritual of chess. It looks good in a picture or movie, but you rarely see the gesture in a tournament. Certainly you wouldn’t knock over your opponent’s king (that would be very rude).

One friend pointed out that throughout history, when a war was won, the losing king was often permitted to live, out of respect. Perhaps this is the reason that the king isn’t captured in chess – it mirrors life.

Whatever the reason, trust me, you do not remove the king from the board. He stays on, through to the very end. If you have any questions on this, buy me a coffee and a scone, and we can talk about it some more.