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Oxford Ebonized Chess Pieces 3.75" King
[RCP049]

$175.00 CAD


Date Added: 09/13/2018 by Ronald Cadieux

Oxford Ebonized Chess Pieces
Service and delivery were great. Pieces were shipped individually bagged in bubble-wrap packages. Great care was taken in protecting the pieces in transit and the result was a complete set of flawless pieces. For example, the kings’ finials were shipped removed from the kings to reduce the chance of breakage.
This ordered set came with extra queens and all pieces have green baize pads centered on the bases. I can’t consider these pieced to be heavily weighted, but they are stable and pleasant to push nonetheless. The boxwood and ebonized pieces complement my solid maple and walnut board and are a perfect fit for the 2” squares.
Chess piece appreciation is largely a matter of opinion, but in my mind this set is one well-executed Staunton design. The relative piece sizes and overall design sold me. The kings are classic Staunton. The Queens have dainty coronets and could be ever so slightly larger as compared to the hefty bishops who exude more personality than mere oversized pawns. The knights have a wonderful combative expression and are well-detailed for this price point. They don’t overpower the bishops and rooks like they do in some sets, yet they remain relevant and imposing on the board. Also, the rooks are of sufficient mass to justify their role as major pieces. The rooks’ crenelations are not of perfectly identical lengths, but it takes a nit-picky discriminating eye to let this detract from what is otherwise very consistent patterning from piece to piece.
The website pictures don’t do these Oxford ebonized pieces justice. Only time will tell if they will crack or fade but, in the meantime, I’m convinced that this was the best bang-for-the-buck chess purchase I’ve ever made. Though considered mid-range pieces, they could well become heirloom pieces down the road.

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