Choosing the right color of mousepad board or any other chess board for that matter seems a little tricky. We have just finished up a video that we think will help make that decision a little easier. You can find our Mousepad Chess Boards Here.
One Novice Chess-Player’s Quest to Become an Instructor at the Game of Chess
Studying chess each and every day for the past two years is quite an accomplishment. During this time, I’ve used my primary source for competition and learning materials to be chess.com.
I’ve grown very fond of working with beginners and developing their knowledge of the game. I have several friends who are where I was two years ago; they know how the pieces move but have never really given much thought into improving their skills.
In doing so, word has reached several people that I may be able to foster their children’s love of chess even if they’ve never played before. I took on my first “official” student about a month ago & things are going well.
Here are some great reasons why YOU should become a chess coach:
The best coach is not always someone ranked several levels above yours. An experienced novice will make a great coach because you know what it takes to learn the game & improve from the beginner’s perspective. If you have a passion for the game & have a firm grasp of the rules of chess, you are ready to start teaching.
I decided to give my first month of lessons for free so my student was able to order his “starter equipment” from wholesalechess right away. Here are my gear recommendations for a beginner:
I like these chess pieces because they are heavy & tournament-approved. They are very basic/standard & fit the board I recommended. *Note: I have noticed the durability is not top quality, but with the Wholesale Chess piece replacement plan, getting the economical set is the right choice.
This chess board is nice because unlike the vinyl roll-up boards, it folds once to close & stays flat. I’ve had mine for about 2 years & it is as good as new. Durable, washable, and has all of the proper annotations used to reference the squares.
This chess bag is high-quality & is an appropriate size to carry everything except the board, which I carry separately. Again, very durable & room for supplies like pencil/pen/paper/book etc.
This chess clock is easy to use & appropriate for all tournaments I’ve entered. The clock is an essential piece in order to train for tournament games.
Today is a great day to become a chess instructor! For ideas on how to teach your first student, contact me, Coach Ben, at: d2@chess.com Good luck & keep it fun!
This article was contributed by Tessman. Interesting in writing for Wholesale Chess? Contact us today at (801)544-4242.
The summer is winding down, but there is still time to get your own Giant Chess set and play a few more times outside! Wholesale Chess has a great selection of giant chess sets to keep you busy with giant chess. Our sets are some of the most durable giant sets available.
These pieces are on the small side of “giant”, but don’t let that stop you from grabbing your own set. Our 8″ giant chess set features a king height of 8″ with other pieces matching to boot. The set comes with it’s own 3 foot x 3 foot vinyl chess board in black and white. The board and pieces are lighter weights, making them very portable so you can take your set with you anywhere you’d like! The pieces are durable enough to withstand the rigors of outdoor chess as well.
This is our mid-size giant chess offering. Our 12″ pieces are small replicas of their larger cousins, the 25″ giant set. The king piece stands at 12″ high with the rest of the set matching in proportion. This set comes with a 5 foot x 5 foot chess board that uses clip-together hard plastic board pieces. It can take some time to set up, but this board is very durable and great for extended stays outside or inside. If you don’t like the clip-together board, consider investing in our mini giant travel chess board which matches these pieces in size and is made of vinyl that can be rolled or folded up quickly and easily.
The largest set we offer, the 25″ giant chess set is perfect for outdoor chess and giant chess games. This set features a king height of 25″ and matching pieces. The set can be purchased with just the pieces alone, great if you already have your own chess board or a board built into the ground. The Giant Chess Set Combo also comes with a vinyl chess board and bags to carry the chess pieces. These pieces are all hollow with removable bases. This works great if you would like to add weight to your pieces, helping them to withstand stronger winds.
Need taller chess pieces? Our 25″ giant chess set can fit our giant chess set extensions. These extensions can add an additional 12″ to your chess pieces, allowing the king to stand at 36″ in height.
You can view all of our giant chess sets by clicking here.
Moving your chess pieces can be a very confusing concept. There are six different types of chess pieces on a chess board and every piece has it’s own unique way of moving across the board. Some pieces move only diagonally, while other pieces only move forward. Some pieces can only move one square at a time. Keeping track of your chess pieces and knowing how they move is key to understanding how to play chess.
While every piece is restricted by it’s own set of rules, there are a few rules that all pieces must abide by.
Pawns are the most restricted pieces on the chess board. The pawn can only move forward one square, with two exceptions. The pawn can move forward two squares (if desired) on it’s first move of the game, but can then only continue forward by moving one square forward per turn. When capturing other pieces, a pawn can only move forward diagonally one square. Pawns cannot capture pieces that are directly in front of them, but must wait for the blocking piece to move or be captured by another piece.
The rook chess piece is allowed to move in any direction, but is restricted to moving in a straight direction. The rook can move forward, backward, left or right until it reaches the edge of the board or another piece blocks it’s path. The rook can move anywhere from 1 to 7 squares, as long as the path is not blocked by another piece. Rooks can capture any other piece on the board, as long as it is within it’s movement range.
The bishop piece behaves the same as the rook chess piece, except it’s movement is restricted to diagonal movement. The piece can move in any diagonal direction, as long as the path is not obstructed. The piece can move anywhere from 1 to 7 squares, as determined by the player.
The movement of the knight chess piece is a little more complicated to describe. Often, the piece is described as being a “wild card” piece because it moves in such an odd direction. Essentially, the knight piece can move in one direction two squares and then turns to the left or right moving one more square. The movement shape looks similar to the shape of the letter “L”. During this movement, the Knight chess piece can skip over other chess pieces to reach it’s destination. The knight piece cannot move to any square already occupied by the same player’s piece, but it can capture an opponent’s piece when it lands on a square occupied by an opponent’s chess piece.
The queen is often considered the least-restricted chess piece on the chess board. The queen combines the movement of both the Rook and Bishop pieces, meaning it can move in any direction, diagonally or straight. As with the Rook and Bishop, the Queen can only move forward as long as there are no other pieces in it’s path. The Queen can move 1 to 7 squares in any direction.
The king piece is the most simple and straight-forward piece. The King can move in any direction by a single square, as long as it is not restricted by another piece. The King can capture any other piece, but it can only move to a square as long as it does not put the piece into a “Check” position, where an opponent’s piece could capture it on the next move.
These are just the most basic movements of the chess pieces. We will be exploring more in-depth movement and terminology of each piece moving forward.
The official way to set up a chess board.
While there are many different ways you can set up your chess board, there is only one “official” way to set up your board. It can also be difficult to undertand and even remember how to set up your chess board.
White At The Bottom
First, remember that white always starts out at the “bottom” of the chess board. To start, the bottom left square should be a dark-colored square. Rotate your chess board until a dark-colored square is found at the bottom left corner of the board (left for the person playing as white). This square is also known as “a1″ in chess notation.
Set Up Your White Chess Pieces
Now you can begin to set up your white pieces. Place a white Rook on a1. The Rook is the piece that looks like the top to a castle. The next square to the right (from the white player’s position) is “b1″. Place a white Knight (looks like a horse) on b1. Going right, the next square (which should be dark) is c1. Place a white Bishop (the piece that has a strange chip taken out of the top) here. On d1, place your white Queen (the piece with the crown), then on e1, place your white King (the piece with the cross on top of the crown). Next, place a white Bishop, then a white Knight and finally your last white Rook on f1, g1 and h1 respectively.
Once you’ve placed your major pieces, you need to place your 8 white pawns (they should all look the same and are the smallest pieces in the set). They should all be placed on the squares between a2 and h2, just in front of your other white pieces.
Set Up Your Black Chess Pieces
Now you can set up your black chess pieces. It is easiest to set it up from the white side. Start at the top left corner. This square should be a light square and it is known as “a8″. Place a black Rook. Your next square to the right is “b8″. Place a black Knight here. Next on c8, place a black Bishop. At this point, it may seem a little backwards, but you should put your black Queen on d8, the next square to the right. On e8, place your black King, followed by your second black Bishop on f8. Next put your last black Knight on g8 and your last black Rook on h8. The pawns for black are all placed on the row in front of your current pieces, between a7 and h7.
Are you new to chess? Don’t worry, we’re here to help! Follow our blog to stay up-to-date in our series of the basics of chess and chess play. We’ll guide you through everything you need to know about chess from the board & pieces all the way to secret tactics and quick checkmates.
Every standard chess board features 64 squares, 32 in one color (usually white or light) and 32 in another (usually black or dark). In chess, each square is assigned a letter and number value (such as E5). The board is also divided into horizontal rows (called “rank”) and vertical columns (called “files”). Each “rank” is assigned a number 1-8, starting with 1 at the bottom. Each “file” is assigned a letter A-H, starting with A on the left side of the board. A correct game of chess begins with a dark square in the lower left corner and a light square in the lower right corner.
There are thousands upon thousands of different chess boards available and it can be hard to choose the correct one to buy. Boards come in every material from plastic, vinyl, wood, marble or other materials. Here at Wholesale Chess, we carry a few dozen different boards that all work in a variety of settings.
Ready to buy your first board? Make sure you get the right board! For beginners, we recommend a good vinyl or basic wood board. A Basic Vinyl Chess Board can be an excellent purchase. They are very inexpensive, come in a variety of colors, and are very durable. If you have small children, they are also great because they can handle the rigors and abuse from children. Not only are they durable, but because of their low price, they are easy to replace.
View Vinyl and Roll-Up Chess Boards
Do you need a great board that travels well? We recommend a vinyl or mouse pad chess board. These boards are specifically designed for tournament play. They roll up and are very easy to carry and transport. They also handle a lot of use very well and are inexpensive to replace. These boards are also quite standard among tournament play. The mouse pad board is different from the vinyl both in texture and finish. The mouse pad board is made from a material similar to what you’d see in a traditional computer mouse pad. The board is thicker, softer and doesn’t wrinkle or warp like the vinyl boards can.
View Vinyl and Roll-Up Chess Boards
Can’t get enough of chess at home? Get yourself a proper studying board! Many chess enthusiasts will read chess boards or watch videos with a chess board out to help them visualize concepts better. A larger tournament board can make it difficult to study because of it’s size. We recommend an analysis chess board for studying. The board is just 12″ square, making it one of the smallest boards on the market. Our analysis board is made of the basic vinyl material, is quite portable, and stores easily.
Are you ready to buy a high-end chess board? At the upper end, chess boards come in a variety of materials and can range in price from $40 to over $1,000. First, select the type of board you would like. Wood boards are the most common to purchase, but boards can also be available in metal, marble or other stone. High-end chess boards can also come as folding sets with storage, large flat chess boards with storage compartments underneath, or simply large, flat chess boards. Most importantly, purchase a board you really like and one that looks good in your home or office setting.
Folding Chess Boards are excellent high-end boards because they save space and store well. If you’re not looking for a board to display, but still want quality, this is the way to go. Folding chess boards come in a variety of sizes, though usually between 10″ and 20″. Many sets come with chess pieces already, but some sets do require you find and purchase chess pieces on your own. Some folding chess boards also feature compartments inside for holding and storing pieces or other supplies, which some simply fold into themselves.
Storage Chess Boards (sometimes called Cabinet Chess Boards) are excellent for display. They are beautiful boards that feature a compartment inside for storing pieces and supplies. The boards are all quite beautiful and will look great on a corner table or as the center piece on a coffee table. Because these boards are frequently used as displays, it’s best to be careful on wood and finish selections. Make sure you find a finish you love and will look good.
Many of the most beautiful chess boards available are simple, flat boards without storage or folding. Many of these boards are hand-crafted and feature exquisite detail. There are dozens of these boards available in a wide variety of price ranges. As with storage chess boards, be careful which color and finish you choose. It’s all about personal taste and budget.
Large Mousepad Roll Up Chess Board
You can get your hands on a premier, large mousepad board this weekend at the lowest price around! This board is the best tournament board available, rolls up for easy travel, and doesn’t warp or fold. Available only at Wholesale Chess, you can get your hands on one for $7.99 or five for $6.99 each. You can view our Large Mousepad Chess Board here.
The Thursday Deal of the Day is sure to please traditional chess players who like that feel of nice wood chess pieces against a wood chess board. Nothing quite like it–is there!
We are offering our American Staunton Wood Pieces in ebonized hardwood. The king stands 3 3/4 inches tall with a 1 5/8 inch base. The knight has the traditional raised head–ears laid back, teeth bared and nostrils flared–ready to do battle! This set—today only—is $42.49, half the regular MSRP. If you have been waiting for a nice wood set, now is the time.
You can also choose a compete wood set, The Kramnik Chess Gift Box. This boxed set features weighted Golden Sheesham Chess Pieces with Drawstring Bag (featuring a 3.5″ King), a folding wood Walnut & Maple Chess Board, a DGT Easy Plus Clock and a special CD featuring 120 games by the World Champion Kramnik, all in an attractive gift box. The MSRP is $154.99. Our regular everyday low price is $99.99. But today only you can get this fine set for just $63.99—an amazing value.
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