Wegiel Chess Royal 30 European Wooden Handmade International Set Reviews

Some people really just want a nice chess board that’s small enough for easy travel. At the same time, you may prefer a board with all the basic Staunton designs available for chess sets these days. If you’re looking for a small board for travel, but with a unique set of Staunton chess pieces, then you’re in luck.

You can take a look at this Wegiel Chess Royal 30 European Wooden Handmade International Set, 11.81 x 1.97-Inch.

What if you’re looking for an affordable set that can convince a new player to learn the game? You may be looking for this Wegiel chess set as well.

Features of the Wegiel Chess Royal 30 European Wooden Handmade Set

Here’s what we see when we take a closer look:

The chess set is certainly very easy to transport since the sides of the chess board are only 11.81 inches long. With a width of fewer than two inches, it’s certainly not bulky.
This is also designed to help newbies because along the side of the boards you have letters and numbers to help players learn algebraic notation.
You may think that the letters and the sides may make the playing area too small, but that’s not really true. The playing squares measure about 1.18 inches on each side.
This means that the bases of the pieces are smaller than the squares, but they’re not really too small. The king stands 2.6 inches tall.
A defining feature of Wegiel chess pieces is their unique looks. They do have the definitive features of Staunton chess pieces, but they look very different from standard chess set pieces. Also, the queen and king pieces have contrasting colors on the top parts.
Each chess piece has been handcrafted in Poland instead of made in a factory. This means that there is no uniformity among the chess pieces, and you have intriguing differences even among the same type of chess piece.
These chess pieces have felt on the bottom. They’re carved from solid sycamore and hornbeam wood. The board is made from birch wood.
The inside of the board also has felt lining.

Pros

From the list of features (and from looking at the chess board and pieces), it’s easy enough to understand why you may like this chess set:

As you may have noticed, it’s a great size for bringing along with you on extensive travels. You can also just bring this with you everywhere, since it’s so compact and lightweight.
It’s not just for travel. It’s also for beginners who need to learn algebraic notation so that they can read and record notes. The letters and numbers at the sides can help these newbies find the right squares to move pieces when they’re reading chess books and studying moves.
The way the queen and king were designed also makes them more easily identified. Beginners need to keep closer track of these pieces, as they’re the most important.
The design of the chess pieces allows you to identify the various types easily. They’re still Staunton pieces, but they’re not like other non-Staunton chess pieces that are often difficult to distinguish.
The design of the chess pieces is also unmistakably beautiful. They’re great to look at, and you may want to just keep this at home and put it on display.
If you’re like most people and prefer eco-friendly items, then this one qualifies. The wood comes from a farm, where there is a sustainable supply of materials.

Cons

All of these advantages do come with a few drawbacks, however.

Perhaps the most glaring problem is that the chess pieces aren’t weighted at the base. Add the fact that the chess board and pieces are somewhat small, and you may end up brushing your hand across the chess pieces. This may cause them to topple. However, you can easily fix this problem by gluing a washer to each chess piece bottom and then covering it with felt.
Another potential hazard is that while the inside is covered with felt, there aren’t any specific slots for the placement of the chess pieces inside the board. So you may accidentally have one piece on top of another when you close the board, and this can lead to damage. You simply need to be careful when you close it.

Verdict

It’s easy to see why people would want to get the Wegiel Chess Royal 30 European Wooden Handmade International Set, 11.81 x 1.97-Inch. It’s gorgeous, and the pieces look like sculptures. This can be an integral part of your interior design at home.

It’s also easy to bring with you anywhere, and you can fit it inside a bag or a glove compartment. It’s also designed to help beginners learn the game.

Once you’ve weighed down the pieces properly, this chess set will be good enough to actually play a game.