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.
The Chess store is a well-known online chess store that’s located in the United States and is widely recognised for supplying high quality chess products such as chess sets, chess boards, chess pieces and a variety of chess accessories. The Chess Store is ranked as one of the top 30 chess stores in the world and has been in business since 1999, which makes The Chess Store one of the pioneers of the online chess store industry. The Chess store specialises in supplying exquisite Staunton chess sets as well as thousands of other chess products and are consistently developing new and exclusive chess products. The owners of The Chess Store strive to provide their customers with the best quality chess products regardless of their taste or budget and they also prioritise delivering an outstanding level of customer service. The products that The Chess Store supplies are also competitively priced and unique as many of their chess products can’t be found anywhere else on the market. Chess players of all ages and levels of experience will find their ideal chess set at The Chess Store whether you are a casual chess player, a professional chess player or a chess collector in search of a one-of-a-kind chess set.
Store history
Information on The Chess Store’s origin, who the owner of the site is and what The Chess Store’s mission is for the future is extremely limited compared to other online chess stores however, the owners have provided some information about the history of the site and its aspirations for the future. The Chess Store was established in 1999, in the United States, in the state of Oregon, Hillsboro by owners who would like to remain anonymous which is understandable, and which also highlights their reluctance for fame and excessive attention that can often be a major distraction. The Chess Store specialises in supplying fine Staunton chess sets, but also supplies high quality and unique chess sets, chess boards and chess pieces to both national and international customers. Since The Chess Store’s founding in 1999 it has become a household name in the chess industry and rivals some of the biggest online chess stores in the world, many of whom have been in the industry for much longer than The Chess Store itself. The Chess Store has consistently introduced new and exclusive chess products to the market and prioritises offering customers high quality and unique chess products of tremendous value and providing their clients with an outstanding level of customer service. The Chess Store has a long standing in the chess industry and shows no signs of slowing down which is comforting to all those who represent the chess community.
Product selection and quality
The Chess Store offers a broad range of chess products for chess players of all ages and levels of experience as well as for chess enthusiasts and chess set collectors. There are thousands of products for chess players to choose from in The Chess Store although they specialise in supplying high quality Staunton chess sets. The chess products that are available at The Chess Store includes chess sets, chess pieces, chess boards, chess clocks, school chess supplies, chess set storage bags and boxes, chess computers, chess tables, gift certificates and chess accessories such as chess medals and chess scorebooks.
Chess sets available at The Chess Store:
Wooden chess sets with boards, wooden chess sets with boards and boxes, wooden chess sets with cases, metal chess sets with boards, theme chess sets, plastic chess sets with vinyl rollup boards, plastic chess sets with floppy boards, silicone chess sets, travel chess sets, antique reproduction wooden chess sets, sunrise European wooden chess sets from Poland, mission craft luxury wooden chess sets, high end luxury chess sets, plastic and resin chess sets with wooden boards, carry-all wooden chess sets, Italfama metal chess sets, and Manopoulos metal chess sets.
Chess boards available at The Chess Store:
Natural wood chess boards, mission craft solid wood chess boards, colourful wood chess boards, roll-up vinyl chess boards, wood grain floppy mouse pad chess boards, floppy mousepad chess boards, badboyboards, silicone chess boards, big chess boards, leatherette chess boards, and brio-boards artistic vinyl printed rollup boards.
Chess pieces available at The Chess Store:
Wooden chess pieces, metal chess pieces, plastic chess pieces, theme chess pieces, antique reproduction wooden chess pieces, high end luxury chess pieces, silicone chess pieces, basic traditional wooden chess pieces, wooden chess pieces and chess box combo, big chess pieces, luxury wooden chess pieces, the rainbow plastic chess pieces, and unique chess pieces.
Chess clocks available at The Chess Store:
The Chess Store basic digital chess clock, diamond chess clocks, The Chess Store Club analogue chess clock, ZMF II digital chess clocks, DT25 digital chess clocks, diamond ultimate analogue chess clocks, ZMF Pro digital chess clocks, ZMF TapNSet digital chess clocks, ZMF TapNSet Pro digital chess clocks, and BHB chess clocks.
School chess supplies available at The Chess Store:
Plastic chess pieces for clubs and schools, roll-up style chess boards for clubs and schools, chess bags for clubs and schools, value plastic chess sets for clubs and schools, the perfect classroom chess sets, easy-carry chess sets for clubs and schools, carry-all chess sets for clubs and schools, teaching tools, chess clocks for the classroom, chess scorebooks, chess demo boards, and chess medals.
Chess set storage boxes available at The Chess Store:
Chess piece boxes and cases, chess bags, wooden chess cases, wooden chess boxes, The Chess Store chess boxes, leatherette board and storage tray, and Italfama chess piece cases.
Chess computers available at The Chess Store:
Chess computers and electronic chess boards, and chess computer accessories.
Chess tables available at The Chess Store:
Italfama Tilia wood chess table with elm burl and erable chess board, and Italfama marble and Tilia wood two drawer chess table.
The Chess Store customer service and customer experience
The Chess Store customer service department can be reached by phone, mail and email, Monday to Friday, from 8am to 4pm (pacific standard time) and are ready to assist customers with any questions they may have such as product related questions, assisting with returns, and assisting with website navigation issues. The Chess Store states that they prioritise and are known for their excellent customer service however there are mixed and sparse opinions regarding the level of customer service that The Chess Store provides according to the reviews that customers have left online on sites such as bestlegitreviews.com, chess-site.com, trustpilot.com, knoji.com, us-reviews.com and tenereteam.com. These are some of the negative experiences customers of the Chess Store have expressed online after shopping with them. Several customers have expressed their disappointment with The Chess Store’s lack of customer service and claim that they demonstrate an inability to communicate with their customers in a timely manner, especially where customers orders are concerned. Customers of The Chess Store have also expressed their dissatisfaction with the condition that the chess products from The Chess Store arrives in. On the other hand, several customers have expressed their approval of The Chess Store’s delivery time, communication, and product quality stating that their orders have been delivered swiftly, their products are of the highest quality and are also reasonably priced which corroborates the claims made by The Chess Store. It’s rare to find any online store that has perfect reviews online and satisfies every customer one hundred percent, however a good sign to look out for when distinguishing the good stores from the bad ones is more positive reviews than negative. As there is roughly an equal amount of positive and negative reviews online about customers experience shopping with The Chess Store it is difficult to determine which category The Chess Store falls into. Whilst The Chess Store is a reputable company with years of experience in business it would be wise to exercise caution when shopping with them or spending significant sums of money with them until you can be sure that they can deliver on their promises, a safe way to assess their reliability would be to order lower priced items first to see if your experience will differ from some of the negative experiences other customers have had in the past.
Trustworthiness and reputation
The Chess Store’s trustworthiness is questionable as there is a limited amount of information on most of their customers experience shopping with them whether they have had positive or negative experiences which highlights the importance of customer reviews, especially for online stores. Taking into account the reviews that are available online as well as the claims that The Chess Store has made on their website, The Chess Store has proved themselves to be very trustworthy on some occasions whilst on other occasions they have given customers reasons not to trust them which makes it difficult to accurately assess how trustworthy they actually are. It seems as though you will get a different response as to the trustworthiness of The Chess Store depending on who you ask. As there is roughly an equal amount of both positive and negative reviews online The Chess Store could be considered as a partially trustworthy or a neutrally trustworthy online chess store. The Chess Store however does have a reputation for associating with reputable chess companies and supplying high quality chess products of tremendous value from numerous reputable brands such as Staunton, Italfama, Rechapados Ferrer, Manopoulos, Brioboards, Millennium, Sunrise Chess and Games, ZMARTFUN, Mission Craft, and BHB. One of the main factors that also contributes to The Chess Store’s reputability is their time in business which is over 25 years and over which time there has been a relatively small number of complaints that have been publicised by their customers.
Pricing and affordability
The Chess Store has an extensive catalogue of chess products that caters to a wide range of tastes and budgets. The chess sets that are available at The Chess store are priced as low as 6.99 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 1,999 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess boards at The Chess Store are priced as low as 4.99 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 1,499 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess pieces at The Chess Store are priced as low as 3.99 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 999 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess clocks at The chess store are priced as low as 21.99 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 159.99 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The school chess supplies at The chess store are priced as low as 1.99 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 124.99 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess set storage boxes are priced as low as 4.99 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 999.99 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess computer at The Chess Store are priced as low as 59 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 2,599 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. Lastly the chess tables at The Chess Store are priced as low as 999 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 2,299 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum.
The prices of chess products at The Chess Store will vary depending on factors such as the brand of the product, the level of craftmanship required to construct the product and the materials used to construct the products. The Chess Store has a lowest price guarantee which means that if customers find the same product offered on The Chess Store for a lower price elsewhere on the internet, they will match that price, all you have to do is email them the specifics. There are numerous ways to save additional money on The Chess Store products which includes signing up to their newsletter which enables customers to receive a 20% discount on their first order, taking advantage of special holiday promo codes, taking advantage of sales when they arrive, and by taking advantage of volume discounts. Customers can also save money on The Chess Store products by shopping in the chess outlet category which has a wide range of discounted and imperfect chess products. Whether you are a casual chess player, a professional chess player, a chess collector, or a chess enthusiast you will definitely be able to find the ideal chess set according to your taste and budget at The Chess Store.
Available Payment methods
The Chess Store accepts numerous payment methods which includes Credit and Debit Cards, PayPal, Amazon Pay, and Cheques.
Shipping, cancellations, returns, exchanges, and delivery performance
The Chess Store ships both nationally to all states in the United States as well as internationally to nearly every country in the world. Domestic customers are eligible for free shipping for orders over 100 dollars and will be shipped using couriers such as USPS first class package for orders under one pound, USPS priority mail, USPS priority mail express, FedEx ground, FedEx ground home delivery, FedEx express saver, FedEx 2-day, FedEx standard overnight, and FedeEx priority overnight. International orders will be shipped using couriers such as USPS priority mail international, USPS priority mail express international, FedEX international economy, and FedEX international priority and will be subject to additional shipping costs that are the responsibility of the customer due to fees such as VAT, customs duties and other customs fees that are required to facilitate international deliveries. The Chess Store processes orders at 8 am (pacific standard time) so most orders will be shipped on the next business day however domestic orders will typically ship between 1 to 5 business days depending on the chosen shipping method whereas international orders will typically ship between 1 to 10 business days also depending on the chosen shipping method. The Chess Store receives shipping discounts with FedEX which are passed on to customers that are not eligible for free shipping, enabling them to save up to 30% of shipping costs however the amount that can be discounted from customers shipping costs varies depending on the weight of the order and the shipping destination.
FedEx also charges 3 dollars more to deliver to residential addresses than to business addresses. All orders over 400 dollars will require a signature upon delivery to ensure that packages are not left at the customers front door unattended which is paid for by The Chess Store. The Chess Store offers a 30 day return policy if customers would like to return an order however all shipping costs will be the responsibility of the customer however The Chess Store will pay for the cost of shipping in instances where they have shipped the wrong item depending on what was ordered, and if they have not shipped a product that was ordered. The Chess Store will not pay for the cost of shipping in instances where the customer does not like the product, if the quality of the product is poor, if the product has blemishes, imperfections, and defects that are not related to shipping damages, and if customers do not think the product matches the photo or product description close enough. The Chess Store states that they thoroughly inspect orders before shipping to both national and international customers in order to prevent customers receiving their products in less than satisfactory condition however if customers receive their packages in a damaged state they are advised to take photos of the damaged box in case the product is also damaged which will help with the processing of any damage claims.
Website navigation and mobile friendliness
The Chess Store website is easy to navigate, intuitively designed and mobile friendly. Products on The Chess Store website are categorised and easily identifiable and specific products can be found using the search bar that is located at the top left corner of the website and additional information such as the about us page, the contact us page, the privacy policy page, the shipping information page and more can be found in the footer menu at the bottom of the website. Hovering over the product categories with your cursor will open the drop-down menu and display all the products within the selected category. The Chess Store website is easy to navigate on all devices whether you are using a desktop, tablet, or mobile device. The product photos on The Chess Store website are clear and vivid and product descriptions are comprehensive so that customers are well informed and can visualise what products will look like in person before making any purchasing decisions. The Chess Store website is also secured by TSL/SSL encryption so that customers sensitive information such as passwords and credit card details remain private and safe from malicious entities whilst browsing and interacting with the site. Overall, The Chess Store website is intuitively designed, easy to navigate, safe and stocked with a wide variety of high-quality and competitively priced chess products.
The Chess Store strengths and weaknesses
The Chess Stores main strengths include its wide variety of high quality and unique chess products, some of which cannot be found anywhere else online, it’s easy to navigate secure, and mobile friendly website, it’s competitive pricing, and its ability to ship to customers in nearly every country in the world. The Chess Store has also been around for over 20 years which makes it one of the pioneers in the online chess industry however there are many factors that affect its ability to rank highly as one of the best online chess stores when compared to other reputable online chess stores. The Chess Stores main weaknesses are its inability to communicate with customers reliably on important matters such as to resolve issues with orders that have arrived late, or in poor condition, the absence of live chat which prevents customers from speaking with The Chess Store customer service team in a timely manner, and it’s lack of customer reviews which makes it difficult to assess whether the experience recent shoppers have had were positive or negative. Although the large majority of online shoppers do not typically leave reviews it would be extremely beneficial for The Chess Store if more of their customers did leave reviews as there is a sufficient number of negative reviews online regarding the experiences customers have had whilst shopping with The Chess Store relative to positive reviews that can deter customers from trusting The Chess Store enough to shop with them. Overall, it would be wise to shop with caution on The Chess Store due to some of the reasons mentioned above, especially where large sums of money are concerned.
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.
