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Date: 14 Jan 2008 12:05:36
From: Paul Stivers
Subject: Travel chess set for analysis
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Greetings. This is my first post here. I'm fairly new at chess.
I want to buy a travel chess set, priily for working through book
problems; sometimes at a table and sometimes on my lap, sometimes for
hours and sometimes just during a spare 20 minutes.
I've looked online at magnetic wallet, magnetic wood box with slide-
out shelf, and pegged with a hinged cover.
I'm interested in knowing what you like for this purpose and why. I
also have a couple specific questions on the two pegged sets that I
like, for those who have seen or used them, links immediately below.
a. http://tinyurl.com/2p398k
Q1. For (a), what kind of hinge is used on the cover? Single long
metal hinge on the outside of the cover, or two metal hinges on the
inside or outside of the cover? I'm wondering about the purpose of
the two pieces of green felt going from the cover to the base. I
hope those aren't the hinges. Perhaps for aesthetics to cover the
hinges?
b. http://www.chessexpressstore.com/peganchesset.html
Q2. Is (b) that much better quality than (a)? It does look nicer to
me in the picture. I'm sure (a) is perfectly functional. I see lots
of them (a) on the web, indicating they're a popular choice for that
design. I've only found the one URL for the $60 (b) model. I don't
mind paying the extra money though if truly superior construction and
beauty. It should last a life time. Wish I could see and handle
before I buy, but not worth a 1.5 hr drive each way to Portland and
gas $, even if I could find them in a brick and mortar store.
--
For your interest or comments, here's my pros and cons analysis.
## Pros of pegged:
- Pieces I'm not using for the current problem are upright on the
side lines and easily accessible for set up of the next problem.
- Captured pieces for the current problem can be put in the hinged
cover that is now open to the side, to easily keep track of material
exchanges. (I might prefer a little bin for this purpose at each end
of the board behind the sidelined pieces, or to the sides, and a
cover that comes off and fits under the board rather than hinged to
the side, but I haven't seen that.)
- The cover can be closed to hold pieces in place for continuation
of the problem later.
## Cons of pegged.
- When using on my lap with a book, the box cover might flop around
or get in the way.
## Considerations for magnetic box, and wallet, versus pegged.
- Magnetic box would be slightly easier to move and exchange pieces,
versus pegged. Might be my choice if always on a table where I can
put pieces I'm not using on the table, but maybe not my choice for
use on my lap or on the bed.
- Wallet would be super portable. Portability isn't my highest
priority though, as I would usually have a car or brief case or bag
available, or would be carrying a book with me anyway. Would be
compromising ease of handling of disk pieces I think, versus pegged.
All thoughts welcomed.
Thanks,
Paul
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Date: 09 Feb 2008 01:58:52
From: Paul Stivers
Subject: Re: Travel chess set for analysis
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Here's an update.
I bought the pegged wood set from House of Chess (a). I can't really
recommend it. The wood box and pieces are very nice. The alignment
of the holes is pretty bad though, obviously done by hand with no
jig. Also the peg diameter varies considerably from piece to piece.
Some loose enough that they tip if I hold the board at an angle, and
some too tight. Sand paper fixes the tight ones. Lastly the squares
get a little wider on the bottom row as you go across the row, so the
board doesn't look perfectly square.
Also, when you close the lid and tip the box over, the pieces do not
stay in place. The advert for that set actually doesn't claim that
they do. The ad for the other set (b) does. Some quilting material
from my wife, set into the cover, fixed that. The right thickness
foam sheet would work too.
It's a shame, as again, the wood working is very nice. But the
tolerances and alignment are poor, and there's the design flaw of the
pieces not staying in place with the cover closed.
I'll keep it, since it's not worth the shipping and restocking fee to
return it, and it's still pretty nice, despite the flaws. I may buy
the more expensive one eventually. I may also try a magnetic set
too, who knows. Oh, and wallet too :). (My wife loves it when I
throw money at hardware.)
Lastly, I've found fritz to be superior as an analysis board where I
want to do analysis of my own lines, or to follow longer lines from
chess books where the PGN files are available on the internet. But
to follow just 3-5 moves at a time, between diagrams in a chess book,
or even a longer list of moves online where I don't want to flip
between screens, I still like a 3D set.
Paul Stivers wrote:
> I want to buy a travel chess set.
>
> I'm interested in knowing what you like for this purpose and why.
>
> a. http://tinyurl.com/2p398k
>
> b. http://www.chessexpressstore.com/peganchesset.html
>
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Date: 16 Jan 2008 10:20:00
From: Paul Stivers
Subject: Re: Travel chess set for analysis
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Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. I'll probably go with (a.) or one
of the ones from the link that Ed G. shared. The conversation helps me
realize that there're lots of different approaches and this won't be my
last chessboard. Since I can't see it up close before I buy, I might
as well go with the $30 one and apply the other $30 toward something
else, like a wallet set someday.
Thanks again,
Paul
Paul Stivers wrote:
> I want to buy a travel chess set, priily for working through
> book problems;
>
> I'm interested in knowing what you like for this purpose and why.
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Date: 16 Jan 2008 14:10:10
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: Travel chess set for analysis
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Paul Stivers <[email protected] > wrote:
> - Wallet would be super portable. Portability isn't my highest
> priority though, as I would usually have a car or brief case or bag
> available, or would be carrying a book with me anyway. Would be
> compromising ease of handling of disk pieces I think, versus pegged.
An advantage of wallets is that you can fold the wallet closed and the
pieces stay where you left them, ready for next time.
Dave.
--
David Richerby Expensive Miniature Atom Bomb (TM):
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ it's like a weapon of mass destruction
but you can hold in it your hand and
it'll break the bank!
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Date: 17 Jan 2008 02:41:16
From: Guy Macon
Subject: Re: Travel chess set for analysis
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David Richerby wrote:
>
>Paul Stivers <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> - Wallet would be super portable. Portability isn't my highest
>> priority though, as I would usually have a car or brief case or bag
>> available, or would be carrying a book with me anyway. Would be
>> compromising ease of handling of disk pieces I think, versus pegged.
>
>An advantage of wallets is that you can fold the wallet closed and the
>pieces stay where you left them, ready for next time.
Pegged sets with lids have the same advantage.
--
Guy Macon
<http://www.guymacon.com/ >
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Date: 15 Jan 2008 02:12:26
From:
Subject: Re: Travel chess set for analysis
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On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:05:36 -0600, Paul Stivers
<[email protected] > wrote:
>Greetings. This is my first post here. I'm fairly new at chess.
>
>I want to buy a travel chess set, priily for working through book
>problems; sometimes at a table and sometimes on my lap, sometimes for
>hours and sometimes just during a spare 20 minutes.
>
>I've looked online at magnetic wallet, magnetic wood box with slide-
>out shelf, and pegged with a hinged cover.
>
>I'm interested in knowing what you like for this purpose and why. I
>also have a couple specific questions on the two pegged sets that I
>like, for those who have seen or used them, links immediately below.
>
for a pegged chess set I bought an inexpensive set.
http://www.fundexgames.com/productDetails.php?productId=4962&searchText=chess
but personally, I prefer my palm pilot with Chess Genius :) its
easier to set up and don't have to worry about knocking the pieces
over ..
J.Lohner
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Date: 14 Jan 2008 19:47:36
From: Ed Gaillard
Subject: Re: Travel chess set for analysis
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In article <[email protected] >,
Paul Stivers <[email protected] > wrote:
>
>I want to buy a travel chess set, priily for working through book
>problems; sometimes at a table and sometimes on my lap, sometimes for
>hours and sometimes just during a spare 20 minutes.
>
>I've looked online at magnetic wallet, magnetic wood box with slide-
>out shelf, and pegged with a hinged cover.
>
>I'm interested in knowing what you like for this purpose and why. I
>also have a couple specific questions on the two pegged sets that I
>like, for those who have seen or used them, links immediately below.
A year or so ago, I spent a lot of time looking for a good peg set (I
dislike magnetics). The one I finally bought is very much like this:
http://www.houseofchess.com/pegged_travel_chess_set_with_drawer_golden_rosewood_6.htm
I bought it from a different company, so I'm not sure it's identical,
but it looks it. It's a nice set; the drawers push out from the side,
and each drawer can actually hold all the pieces, which I find
convenient. It's small enough that I can hold it easily in one hand,
which I sometimes find useful, but large enough that the pieces are
easy to see. The one I have seems quite well-made, though for a while
after I first got it, some sawdust would shake loose when I opened and
closed the drawers. I think they did not sand off the underside of
the peg holes. I'm quite happy with it.
This site also offers what seems to be the same set, along with some
other interesting-looking non-hinged peg sets:
http://www.pleasanttimes.com/pegged.html
I also have a chess wallet, again non-magnetic. It's very nice when I
want a set I can slip in my jacket pocket, or when I want to analyse
while lying on the sofa. The set I have isn't made anymore, but if I
were buying one now, I'd take a long look look at the "Passport":
http://uscfsales.com/item.asp?cID=10&PID=2452
-ed g.
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Date: 14 Jan 2008 19:45:57
From: Guy Macon
Subject: Re: Travel chess set for analysis
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Paul Stivers wrote:
>a. http://tinyurl.com/2p398k
I hate tinyurl URLs. They introduce a single point of failure into
an Internet that was designed to be redundant and to route around
failures. At the very least, please post the tinyurl URL and the
real URL. One of these days tinyurl.com is going to go away,
breaking the links in thousands of archived posts.
http://www.houseofchessstore.com/pegged_travel_chess_set_board_inside_golden_rosewood_75.html
>b. http://www.chessexpressstore.com/peganchesset.html
>Q2. Is (b) that much better quality than (a)? It does look nicer to
>me in the picture. I'm sure (a) is perfectly functional. I see lots
>of them (a) on the web, indicating they're a popular choice for that
>design. I've only found the one URL for the $60 (b) model. I don't
>mind paying the extra money though if truly superior construction and
>beauty.
It bothers me that B doesn't even say what the pieces are made of.
--
Guy Macon
<http://www.guymacon.com/ >
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Date: 14 Jan 2008 23:08:41
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: Travel chess set for analysis
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Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/ > wrote:
> Paul Stivers wrote:
>> a. http://tinyurl.com/2p398k
>
> I hate tinyurl URLs. They introduce a single point of failure
Single point in the sense of one organization, yes. But tinyurl.com
resolves to two different servers (most likely, two different clusters
of servers) on two different networks. I've never had a tinyurl.com
link fail to resolve so the only real risk is that Gilby productions
withdraws the service.
> into an Internet that was designed to be redundant and to route
> around failures.
This is true to a much smaller extent than it once was. Routing these
days is governed almost entirely by commercial agreements about who
has the right to send how much traffic via whom.
> One of these days tinyurl.com is going to go away, breaking the
> links in thousands of archived posts.
I'm not sure this is a great concern. My guess is that, in a few
weeks, and certainly after a few years, nobody will really care
exactly which chess set Paul was asking about. My second guess is
that houseofchessstore.com will reorganize their site or stop selling
that particular set before tinyurl.com stops working. I agree that
it will be awkward when tinyurl.com goes away but most of the urls
coded with it aren't really all that important.
Dave.
--
David Richerby Disposable Expensive Umbrella (TM):
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ it's like an umbrella but it'll
break the bank and you never have to
clean it!
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Date: 14 Jan 2008 13:40:28
From: Chess One
Subject: Re: Travel chess set for analysis
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Good post Paul. I only have one comment - consider how many games you want
to keep going at any one time. If more than one, this might argue more for a
wallet of several 'leaves' and therefore, several games. Phil
"Paul Stivers" <[email protected] > wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Greetings. This is my first post here. I'm fairly new at chess.
>
> I want to buy a travel chess set, priily for working through book
> problems; sometimes at a table and sometimes on my lap, sometimes for
> hours and sometimes just during a spare 20 minutes.
>
> I've looked online at magnetic wallet, magnetic wood box with slide-
> out shelf, and pegged with a hinged cover.
>
> I'm interested in knowing what you like for this purpose and why. I
> also have a couple specific questions on the two pegged sets that I
> like, for those who have seen or used them, links immediately below.
>
> a. http://tinyurl.com/2p398k
>
> Q1. For (a), what kind of hinge is used on the cover? Single long
> metal hinge on the outside of the cover, or two metal hinges on the
> inside or outside of the cover? I'm wondering about the purpose of
> the two pieces of green felt going from the cover to the base. I
> hope those aren't the hinges. Perhaps for aesthetics to cover the
> hinges?
>
> b. http://www.chessexpressstore.com/peganchesset.html
>
> Q2. Is (b) that much better quality than (a)? It does look nicer to
> me in the picture. I'm sure (a) is perfectly functional. I see lots
> of them (a) on the web, indicating they're a popular choice for that
> design. I've only found the one URL for the $60 (b) model. I don't
> mind paying the extra money though if truly superior construction and
> beauty. It should last a life time. Wish I could see and handle
> before I buy, but not worth a 1.5 hr drive each way to Portland and
> gas $, even if I could find them in a brick and mortar store.
> --
>
> For your interest or comments, here's my pros and cons analysis.
>
> ## Pros of pegged:
>
> - Pieces I'm not using for the current problem are upright on the
> side lines and easily accessible for set up of the next problem.
>
> - Captured pieces for the current problem can be put in the hinged
> cover that is now open to the side, to easily keep track of material
> exchanges. (I might prefer a little bin for this purpose at each end
> of the board behind the sidelined pieces, or to the sides, and a
> cover that comes off and fits under the board rather than hinged to
> the side, but I haven't seen that.)
>
> - The cover can be closed to hold pieces in place for continuation
> of the problem later.
>
> ## Cons of pegged.
>
> - When using on my lap with a book, the box cover might flop around
> or get in the way.
>
> ## Considerations for magnetic box, and wallet, versus pegged.
>
> - Magnetic box would be slightly easier to move and exchange pieces,
> versus pegged. Might be my choice if always on a table where I can
> put pieces I'm not using on the table, but maybe not my choice for
> use on my lap or on the bed.
>
> - Wallet would be super portable. Portability isn't my highest
> priority though, as I would usually have a car or brief case or bag
> available, or would be carrying a book with me anyway. Would be
> compromising ease of handling of disk pieces I think, versus pegged.
>
> All thoughts welcomed.
>
> Thanks,
> Paul
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