Introduction
Online chess stores play an important role in sustaining the global chess community as they enable chess players to access essential chess equipment and learning resources so that both chess players and chess enthusiasts can improve their skills and enjoy the game wherever they reside. Online chess stores also play a key role in promoting chess and providing support for the global chess community which is essential for the future growth and development of the chess community and the chess industry. In this article i will highlight some of the best online chess stores and provide information on the history of their stores, their available products and services, their customers experience, their trustworthiness and reputation and much more. I will also explore their main strengths and weaknesses.
ChessUSA is an American based online chess store, which also has a physical brick and mortar store, that was founded in 1979 by Steven Schwartz and it is one of the pioneers of the US chess industry. ChessUSA is one of the largest chess stores in the United States that specialises in supplying high quality chess sets, chess boards, Staunton and themed chess pieces, chess tournament supplies, chess computers, chess books, chess gifts, as well as other traditional games such as Go, Mah Jong, backgammon, dominos, checkers, cribbage, Chinese checkers, poker, scrabble, monopoly, clue, and much more. ChessUSA has an extensive catalogue of chess products and other traditional games that numbers in the thousands which consists of economical chess sets, luxury chess sets, heirloom chess sets, themed chess sets, and more that are crafted from a variety of materials such as marble, exotic woods, glass, metal, plastic, leather, silicone, and vinyl. ChessUSA caters to the needs of chess players of all ages and experience levels as well as to the needs of game enthusiasts. ChessUSA works with suppliers from all over the world from countries such as India, Spain, Poland, Turkey, Greece, the United Kindom, and Pakistan which enables them to stand out from other chess stores by offering their customers the most unique chess products that are also extremely high quality.
Store history
ChessUSA is a United States based chess store with both an online and a physical presence that was founded by Steven Schwartz in 1979. Steven Schwartz was an early adopter of chess computers and chess software during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s when they first appeared on the chess scene and was involved in numerous computer chess games which are chess games that are played by computers against other computers or software programs. Computer programmers have been developing chess playing computers and software programs since the 1950’s to challenge other computers and chess software programs to see which computers and chess software programs had the strongest chess playing abilities. Around the same time Steven Schwartz also created and managed a chess magazine called The Computer Chess Reports that analysed computer chess matches as well as the results of the Swedish ratings for computers/software (SSDF). The Computer Chess Reports magazine eventually evolved into the Talkchess Forum. ChessUSA originally started as a retailer of chess computers and chess software which also supplied regular computers to run software on and gradually incorporated regular chess sets into it’s product catalogue. As technology became more accessible the demand for chess computers and regular computers began to fade and ChessUSA pivoted to focus on supplying chess sets and chess pieces although they still supply chess computers and chess software. Today, ChessUSA is one of the largest chess retailers in the United States which attracts chess enthusiasts from all over the world and they are currently working on building a thriving chess community by organising social events such as chess clubs as well as clubs for other popular traditional games.
Product selection and quality
ChessUSA has an extensive catalogue of high-quality chess products that cater to the tastes and budgets of chess players of all ages and experience levels. The products that are available at ChessUSA include chess sets, chess boards, chess pieces, chess tournament supplies, chess computers, chess books, and popular traditional games such as Go, Mah Jong, backgammon, dominos, checkers, cribbage, Chinese checkers, poker, scrabble, monopoly, clue, and much more.
Chess sets available at ChessUSA:
Luxury flat wood chess sets, traditional flat chess sets, storage chess sets, magnetic chess sets, folding chess sets, tournament combination chess sets, marble chess sets, chess game combination sets, outdoor chess sets, instructional chess sets, metal chess sets, glass chess sets, leather chess sets, plastic chess sets, silicone chess sets, and vinyl chess sets.
Chess boards available at ChessUSA:
1.5-inch square chess boards, 1.75-inch square chess boards, 2-inch square chess boards, 2.25-inch square chess boards, 2.5-inch square chess boards, 4.5 inch square chess boards, storage chess boards, black chess boards, mahogany chess boards, walnut chess boards, wenge chess boards, macassar chess boards, olive chess boards, padouk chess boards, burl chess boards, rosewood chess boards, palisander chess boards, maple chess boards, sycamore chess boards, oak chess boards, plywood chess boards, marble chess boards, metal chess boards, plastic chess boards, leatherette chess boards, vinyl chess boards, mousepad chess boards, silicone chess boards, and chess tables.
Chess pieces available at ChessUSA:
Staunton chess pieces, ebonised chess pieces, honey rosewood chess pieces, rosewood chess pieces, ebony chess pieces, padouk chess pieces, metal chess pieces, plastic chess pieces, hi-gloss chess pieces, American themed chess pieces, medieval themed chess pieces, ancient history themed chess pieces, European themed chess pieces, fantasy themed chess pieces, Asian themed chess pieces, animal themed chess pieces, literary themed chess pieces, sports and entertainment themed chess pieces, Isle of Lewis chess pieces, civil war themed chess pieces, military themed chess pieces, video game themed chess pieces, crushed stone chess pieces, organic ivory chess pieces, polystone chess pieces, and soapstone chess pieces.
Chess tournament supplies available at ChessUSA:
Tournament chess sets, roll up chess boards, chess carry bags, chess clocks, plastic chess pieces, chess demonstration boards, chess scorebooks, canvas loop bags, demonstration board carrying case, chess clocks, and chess board carrying bags.
Chess computers available at ChessUSA:
Millennium chess computers, DGT PI chess computers, and DGT chess computers.
Chess books available at ChessUSA:
Advanced strategy chess books, chess puzzle books, chess game collection books, chess general instruction books, and children’s chess books.
Other traditional games available at ChessUSA:
Go sets, Mah Jong sets, backgammon sets, dominos sets, checkers sets, cribbage, Chinese checkers sets, poker sets, scrabble, monopoly, clue, risk: rick and Morty, Star Wars games, Behext games, heat: pedal to the metal, millennium blades, and village: big box.
ChessUSA customer service and customer experience
ChessUSA’s customer service team can be reached by phone, mail, e-mail or by leaving them a message on their contact form on their contact us page. ChessUSA’s customer service team are happy to help customers with any issues or questions they may have such as product related questions, assisting with returns and exchanges, assisting with website navigation issues or any other issues that customers may have whilst browsing on their site. ChessUSA has received numerous customer reviews both of their website as well as on online review sites such as sitejabber.com, tenereteam.com, knoji.com, resellerratings.com, mywot.com, and yelp.com, most of which are positive. Customers that have shopped with ChessUSA and left positive reviews online have expressed their satisfaction with ChessUSA’s helpful and professional customer service team, their extensive catalogue of chess and game products, the pricing and the craftsmanship of their chess products, their thriving chess community, their fast shipping times and reasonable shipping costs, their secure packaging, and their easy to navigate website. Customers that have shopped with ChessUSA and left negative reviews online have expressed their disappointment with ChessUSA’s lack of chess computers, the poor condition of their chess pieces upon arrival, and their poor communication. ChessUSA’s aim is to ensure that each customer has a positive experience whilst shopping in their store both online and offline in their physical store and they strive to keep their promise to cater and care for each customer by providing them with the highest quality products and the highest standard of customer service.
Trustworthiness and reputation
ChessUSA ranks highly in the scale of trustworthiness which can be verified by observing the many positive reviews customers have left on online review sites as well as on their own website during the many years they have spent serving the chess community both in the United States and around the world. ChessUSA is one of the pioneers of the chess industry that has served the chess community for over 40 years and during this time they have achieved a high ratio of positive to negative reviews. The main factors that contribute to ChessUSA’s trustworthiness are their professionalism when handling customer disputes, their transparency as their terms and conditions page outlines exactly what customers can expect when shopping in their store, their high ratio of positive to negative reviews, their dedication to providing customers with a high standard of customer service and high-quality products, their customer service teams fast response times, their long history of serving the chess community, and their accessibility as they have a physical presence as well as an online presence. ChessUSA has developed a reputation for being a company that caters to the needs of the chess community as well as the larger gaming community by providing products that align with the tastes and budgets of game enthusiasts and through their efforts to build a thriving gaming community to bring other game enthusiasts together.
Pricing and affordability
ChessUSA has a wide range of chess products and traditional games that cater to the tastes and budgets of game enthusiasts and the tastes and budgets of chess players of all ages and experience levels. The chess and game products that are available at ChessUSA are suitable for players in search of economically priced products as well as players in search of higher end products. The chess sets that are available at Chess USA are priced as low as 11.95 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 879.92 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess boards are priced as low as 4.99 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 3,299.95 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess pieces are priced as low as 4.49 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 974.96 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess tournament supplies are priced as low as 3.99 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 129.95 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess computers are priced as low as 79.96 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 764.96 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess books are priced as low as 4.95 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 24.99 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. Lastly, the traditional games are priced as low as 7.95 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 400 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. ChessUSA customers can also save money on orders by applying coupon codes to their orders and by utilising discounts when they are available.
Available Payment methods
ChessUSA accepts numerous payment methods which includes Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, PayPal, Cheques, and Money Orders.
Shipping, cancellations, returns, exchanges, and delivery performance
ChessUSA ships both nationally and internationally to over 200 countries around the world with couriers such as USPS, UPS, and the post office. National orders will ship with either USPS or UPS depending on the size, weight, destination and total value of the order and UPS or the post office for international orders. Customers can choose from several different shipping methods which includes standard shipping which can take from 2 to 6 business days to arrive, rush shipping which will ship the same day if the order is placed before 3pm (Eastern Standard Time), weight based shipping methods such as 3 day, 2 day, and overnight air shipping, USPS Priority Mail International, USPS Priority Mail Express International, UPS Worldwide Express, UPS Worldwide Expedited, UPS Worldwide Express Plus, and UPS Worldwide Saver. Deliveries within the United States can take from 1 to 7 business days to arrive depending on the location and the chosen shipping methods however international orders may take slightly longer to arrive. Orders to Europe with priority mail international used as the chosen shipping method can take a few weeks to arrive and orders to the rest of the world with priority mail international used as the chosen shipping method can take over a few weeks to arrive. Customers in the United States can use the colour map on ChessUSA’s shipping and return policy page to get a more accurate estimation of the time it may take for their orders to arrive. ChessUSA may contact customers via email or phone if their shipping and billing address do not match to prevent their orders from being delivered to the wrong address. Orders that are received for products that are in stock will be processed and shipped within 1 to 3 business days, but they can also be shipped on the same day if the order is received before 2pm (Eastern Standard Time). Orders that are received on weekends will be processed and shipped on a Monday or Tuesday which also applies to orders with rush delivery as the chosen shipping method, however orders with rushed delivery as the chosen shipping method will be processed first. Not all shipping methods are available for international orders due to each countries varying sizing regulations. International orders will also be subject to additional shipping costs such as customs duties fees and taxes that are required to facilitate international deliveries which will be the responsibility of the customer. After placing an order international customer will be given an estimate of their shipping costs however if requested ChessUSA will check if cheaper alternative shipping methods are available. If customers are unhappy with their orders, they can return them within 30 days from the date they received their orders for a refund or an exchange and customers may be given additional time in some cases if it is required. No RMA number is required to initiate a return however customers must contact ChessUSA before returning products and items must be returned new and unused in it’s original packaging, a 5 percent restocking fee may also be charged in some cases which does not include cases where items were received damaged or are being exchanged. ChessUSA can arrange prepaid shipping labels for returns however the costs of return labels will be deducted from the refund. Shipping and gift wrap charges are non-refundable and special orders, videos, DVD’s, clearance, and scratch and dent items are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
Website navigation and mobile friendliness
The ChessUSA website is easy to navigate, intuitively designed, and mobile friendly with easy to identify product categories, a search bar that’s located at the top centre of the website which customers can use to search for specific products, a live chat button that’s located at the bottom right corner of the website which customers can use to speak with the ChessUSA customer service team by clicking on the speech bubble icon, and a footer menu that’s located at the bottom of the website which customers can use to find additional information about the store such as links to the different product categories, the edit cart page, the checkout page, the order history page, the about us page, the privacy policy page, the shipping and return policy page, the frequently asked questions page, the blog page, the contact us page, the affiliate login page, the home page, the terms and conditions page, the cookie policy page, the disclaimer page, as well as links to their social media pages. On mobile and tablet devices, clicking on the hamburger menu will display the different product categories, and links to the account page, the contact us page, and the shopping cart. On desktop devices, hovering over the different product categories will display the different subcategories within each main category. The ChessUSA website is as easy to navigate on mobile and tablet devices as it is on desktop devices and features clear and vivid product categories and comprehensive product descriptions which enables customers to access all the information needed to make well informed purchasing decisions. The ChessUSA website is also secured with TSL/SSL encryption which protects customers sensitive information that are used on the site such as passwords and credit card numbers from malicious entities online. Overall, the ChessUSA website is easy to navigate, intuitively designed, secure, mobile friendly, and well stocked with an extensive catalogue of high-quality products.
ChessUSA strengths and weaknesses
ChessUSA’s main strengths are their easy to navigate website, their helpful and knowledgeable customer service team, their worldwide shipping capabilities, their extensive catalogue of high-quality products, their live chat feature which enables customers to speak with the ChessUSA customer service team in real time, the craftsmanship of their products, their competitive pricing, their fast-shipping times, their reasonable shipping prices, their secure packaging, their wide range of accepted payment methods, their professionalism when dealing with customer disputes, their physical store front which enables customers to interact with members of the ChessUSA customer service team in person, and their thriving and supportive chess community. Whilst ChessUSA has many strengths it also has some weaknesses which if addressed would greatly improve the shopping experience of both existing and future customers. ChessUSA’s main weaknesses are their lack of chess computers which was once one of their most popular products and one of their main strengths, the poor condition of their chess products upon arrival which some customers have expressed their disappointment with, and their customer service teams poor communication which some customers have also expressed their disappointment with. Overall, ChessUSA is a reputable online chess store, which also has a physical store, that has served the chess community both in the United States and around the world for over 40 years and is well known for their high-quality chess products and their dedication to ensuring that their customers receive the highest standard of customer service.
Conclusion
Online chess stores are an essential part of the chess industry, and they play a crucial role in sustaining the global chess community as they enable chess players to access essential equipment and resources that will enable them to improve their skills in chess however not all online chess stores are made the same as some are clearly better than others. In this article i have highlighted 25 of the most prominent online chess stores, each having defining characteristics. Some online chess stores specialise in supplying high end chess products, some specialise in supplying chess products for professional chess players, and some specialise in supplying chess products for chess players for all ages, tastes, budgets, and experience levels. Whether you’re a professional chess player in search of a chess set that’s suitable for practice sessions, a chess set collector in search of unique chess products, or a chess enthusiast in search of a high-quality chess set, this catalogue of online chess stores will enable you to find the perfect online chess store.
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