Chess Pieces: Classic & Modern Sets

Chess pieces continue to fascinate and thrill both collectors and players. Designs range for everyday club and personal use to decorative and display. This collection is a unique selection of pieces for a variety of needs.

Sizing Chess Pieces To A Board

In matching pieces to a chessboard, the base diameter of the pieces fits about 75% of the square. This general guideline applies mostly to competitive style pieces.

A themed or decorative set can occupy 80% or more of the square.

Chess Piece Choices

From classic Staunton pieces to artsy pieces like the Bauhaus set, there’s a wide variety available. For young players starting out, we recommend practicing chess strategy with the Club and Tournament Chess Pieces.

For school clubs, opt for our Club Starter Kits and Club Chess Sets, which are designed for repeated play with minimal wear and tear.

Check out our Wooden Chess Pieces for a handcrafted design in practical play.

For casual to competitive play, Plastic Chess Pieces offer a variety of weighted pieces in different designs, colors, and sizes that all players can enjoy.

Pieces in a Chess Game

A standard set consists of 32 pieces:

One King: the king is the most important piece; the king can only move one square at a time; checkmate the king, win the game
One Queen: a major piece, the modern queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess
Two Rooks: second to the queen, the rook is one of the major pieces; the rook can move as many squares in a straight direction, horizontally or vertically
Two Knights: the knight is a minor piece that moves in an L-shape. The knight is the only piece that can jump over other pieces
Two Bishops: the bishop is one of the minor pieces and moves in straight diagonals
Eight Pawns: the humble pawn guards the valuable pieces. A pawn moves forward one square. Pawns can move two squares forward only in the first move.