The dimension of the chess pieces is important for the comfort and clarity of the game. It is difficult to play with pieces with a base diameter of 35 mm and a king height of 96 mm on a board with 40 mm squares; Therefore, if you don't know how to choose each piece so that it fits perfectly with the others, this guide is for you.
This guide will help you choose:
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the right board for your chess pieces,
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appropriate pieces for your board,
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pieces and board that match each other in size.
When creating the chess set of your dreams, you should pay attention to several important aspects. It is advisable to make sure that the pieces match the board not only in terms of size, but also in color, and that the whole forms a beautiful game that will accompany us for many years.
Firstly, check what is the maximum board size you can afford. You will do this by determining what surface the board will be placed on (table, coffee table, desk). It is worth leaving enough space on the sides of the board to set the clock, store captured pieces or simply place a glass of our favorite drink. This rule applies to all chess sets, both half-fold and quarter-fold, as well as classic non-folding tournament boards. In addition to the total size of the board, the key values we should pay attention to are:
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board square size,
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king base diameter,
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pawn base diameter,
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king height (it is slightly less important than the diameter of the base).
For some players, the weight of the pieces is as important as the diameter of the king's base. Together with the diameter of the base, it determines the stability of the pieces on the board.
What pieces will fit my board?
There are official guidelines on the relationship between the diameter of the king and pawn base and the size of the board square. According to these guidelines:
The ratio between the diameter of the king's base and the size of the square must be between 72% and 82%.
This can be calculated with a simple formula (we assume an average ratio of 77%):
King base diameter = 0.770 × box size
For example, for a 55 mm square, the ideal diameter of the king's base will be 42.35mm.
55mm walnut board
He pawn base diameter should be approximately half the width of the box.
Following these recommendations, we should be able to place up to four pieces on one square of the board. You should consider whether the pieces will be too small when each one is placed in its own space. If you come to a similar conclusion, it is worth trying an alternative box measurement method: two pieces placed diagonally within the same square. This gives us a relationship between the diameter of the pawn base and the size of the pawn's square. 58,6%. We obtain another model:
Pawn base diameter = 0.586 × square size
For example, for a square size of 55 mm, the ideal diameter of the pawn base will be 32.23mm.
Thanks to these two schemes we can easily combine the chess pieces with our board.
Which board will be suitable for my pieces?
If we look for a suitable board for our pieces, we will use the following schemes:
Box size = king base diameter / 0.770
Square size = pawn base diameter / 0.586
Naturally, not all chess games have to meet tournament standards. There are individual preferences of each player, but we must remember that the king's base must be inside the square.
