Ballin' chess sets. - Page 2 - Chess and Board Game Strategy

I don't know if other people are like this, but I find it especially difficult to play with pieces which are not completely standard. It might be because I have a spatial learning disability, although I can play blindfold fine.

Edit: When I say "fine", I obviously don't mean at my normal strength/rating.

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07-17-2009 , 11:58 AM

#27

swingdoc

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 3,531

I really have to start taking pictures of the off beat chess pieces I've agreed to play tournament games on. One was super big. The king was at least 9 inches tall and the board was over-sized but proportionate. One was some crazy set ~ normal size but the pieces weren't monotone. They were sort of polka dot or leopard style. I'm super laid back so I pretty much don't care. Oh and there was one that was not staunton style. I really wish I had kept a record of some of those.

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07-17-2009 , 01:29 PM

#28

smilingbill

2011 2+2 Chess Champion

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,458

I used to have a really nasty chess set that i borrowed from the club years ago and never returned. It consisted of a worn out cardboard board (the squares were worn out and most of the visible surface area was paper from underneath the top layer) and equally worn out pieces from 3 different sets. Here's a picture of a similar but non-filthy set (pieces are not staunton but "swedish competition model"):

Also had one of these fairly bad chess clocks:

Nowadays I have a standard staunton set. boooring

p.s. good god those flyordie pieces are awful

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07-17-2009 , 08:24 PM

#29

RoundTower

ɹǝʍoʇpunoɹ

Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 14,563

Those Jerger clocks were kind of awesome in their own way.

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07-17-2009 , 09:56 PM

#30

whiskeytown

sleepless songwriter

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 8,342

Quote:

Originally Posted by smilingbill

I'd play open stages at a monday night dive bar in Minneapolis and that looks like the set the soundman used to have and we'd play while waiting for our turn to get up and play our songs

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07-18-2009 , 01:49 AM

#31

Dire

banned

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 8,581

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ajezz

Is this common in the US that people have to bring their own boards to tournaments? Don't your clubs have their own boards? What about clocks?

This is very weird to me. I have played many tournaments here in Europe and boards are provided by the tournament organisers as a matter of course, even at very small tournaments. In fact, I wouldn't even consider playing in a tournament where I have to bring my own chess set because that really looks "shady".

If you have to bring your own boards, are the starting fees smaller then? Here in Europe the usual fee for a tournament with at least 10 GM/IM is about 50 to 70 Euros (=70 to 100 dollar). I guess the fees for comparable tournaments should be quite a bit lower if the players do part of the organisers' job.

see: uscf thread

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07-18-2009 , 03:26 AM

#32

All-inMcLovin

Wholesome Mod

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 49,734

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoundTower

Those Jerger clocks were kind of awesome in their own way.

Yeah awesome how it was a bitch to actually push down your half of the clock each time you moved.

Chronos FTW

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08-01-2009 , 04:42 AM

#33

Frylock

adept

Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 726

OP your user name tilts me, what does it mean?

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08-01-2009 , 04:46 AM

#34

whiskeytown

sleepless songwriter

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 8,342

Quote:

Originally Posted by All-inMcLovin

Yeah awesome how it was a bitch to actually push down your half of the clock each time you moved.

Chronos FTW

thought I said this in another thread, but I lost a game with those damn Chronos clocks - the touch-sensitive pads needed a finger, and I tended to touch them with the bottom of the piece - I had a winning position but lost 60% of my time before I realized what had happened - not since though

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08-01-2009 , 06:32 AM

#35

All-inMcLovin

Wholesome Mod

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 49,734

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiskeytown

Sorry to hear that whiskeytown.

Personally I really dislike the touch-sensitive chronos as it's really annoying in blitz/time scramble to capture a piece and then touch it with your finger.

I also do enjoy hitting the button on a Chronos.

I guess I'm old-school in that regard.

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08-01-2009 , 07:37 AM

#36

2/325Falcon

Conehead

Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 21,907

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frylock

OP your user name tilts me, what does it mean?

It's the battalion I went to war with.

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08-01-2009 , 10:24 AM

#37

MetalSpork

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1,294

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2/325Falcon

It's the battalion I went to war with.

Wow they look kinda ghey.... I hope you beat them good

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08-01-2009 , 07:09 PM

#38

swingdoc

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 3,531

Saw this at Barnes & Noble. It looks awesome and you get candy whenever you capture a piece!

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08-01-2009 , 08:31 PM

#39

TimM

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 9,768

Definitely ballin'. I think we sold one set of these in the 6 years I worked for this store.

[IMG]http://www.*************/miva/graphics/chesspieces/2F-900.jpg[/IMG]

Link

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08-01-2009 , 09:27 PM

#40

El Surgeon

centurion

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 100

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08-01-2009 , 10:30 PM

#41

TimM

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 9,768

Hahaha the feet on that board are actual feet!

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08-01-2009 , 10:40 PM

#42

All-inMcLovin

Wholesome Mod

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 49,734

Quote:

Originally Posted by swingdoc

Saw this at Barnes & Noble. It looks awesome and you get candy whenever you capture a piece!

Awesome until your kid captures a pawn, losing his Queen, expecting a piece of candy in a tournament game.

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08-02-2009 , 09:49 AM

#43

Noir_Desir

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 2,333

Quote:

Originally Posted by smilingbill

Also had one of these fairly bad chess clocks:

This was my first chess clock too, bought it used for 20 D-Mark

Everytime it started running it sounded like a 17 year old dog after you throw him the ball for the 25th time. Reluctant, but faithful^^

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08-02-2009 , 02:14 PM

#44

swingdoc

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 3,531

Quote:

Originally Posted by All-inMcLovin

Awesome until your kid captures a pawn, losing his Queen, expecting a piece of candy in a tournament game.

Hehehe, that would be pretty funny. That's the genius of this game though. You can put better candy in the more valuable pieces and sneakily brainwash your kid. Maybe have candy in the kid's pieces too and he gets to keep whatever candy doesn't get captured, etc, etc.

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08-03-2009 , 02:19 AM

#45

Discipline

banned

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,892

Quote:

Originally Posted by All-inMcLovin

I also do enjoy hitting the button on a Chronos.

I've always secretly suspected that no one really cares about having to touch the pad. I think that really people have just grown fond of the sound and feel of the classic Chronos buttons.

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08-03-2009 , 02:50 AM

#46

swingdoc

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 3,531

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discipline

I've always secretly suspected that no one really cares about having to touch the pad. I think that really people have just grown fond of the sound and feel of the classic Chronos buttons.

Good point. I've talked to some vendors who claim the buttons (not the censor pads) are the only destructible part of a chronos, so parents love the censor pads since they're almost unstoppable.

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08-03-2009 , 07:24 PM

#47

All-inMcLovin

Wholesome Mod

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 49,734

^^ yeah and Kids love to smash those buttons. Seen it first hand.

Also in the past I've seen the odd chronos with a broken button.

No wonder now every kid has a touch-pad chronos.