

The Chessmate logo is on a small black plate on the interior of the set and does not detract from the set’s overall look and feel. Weinstock, imitation Ostrich and imitation leather materials work best for folding chess sets in the long term because they do not need to be broken in before lying flat. It has a beautiful, professional-grade imitation Ostrich exterior and a powerful magnetic lock that keeps it secured when not in use.

The construction of the set itself is first rate. It came incredibly well packaged with several hand-written “Thank Yous” from Mr. The first thing that struck me about the Ultima was its high quality construction and unique packaging. After working with my mail carrier, I was able to get my package and have been playing with the set all day. My Chessmate Ultima arrived this morning via USPS Signature Confirmation mail, which created a small amount of difficulty given the need to be home to sign for the package. I selected the Chessmate Ultima primarily because the product description emphasized that the pieces were already set up and ready to go. I did not want to spend too much money on a pocket set, but I decided that I wanted something more than the basic Chessmate set. Chessmate was founded in 1996 and the Chessmate Pocket Chess Set ($39.99) is its flagship product.

After a quick web search, I came across the Chessmate website and discovered the Chessmate is actually one series of products made by game designer David Weinstock.

I cannot remember the location of the article I was reading, but I recently came across a chess article that mentioned a pocket chess set called Chessmate. However, I believe that I have finally discovered the Rolls-Royce of pocket chess sets. It is perfect for on-the-go chess in a rugged setting. This fantastic little set has round magnetic pieces and is made of a soft, durable material. Recently I ordered a checkbook travel chess set from the United States Chess Federation. As my interest in chess has grown over the years, I have searched wherever possible to find something comparable to his pocket set. Personally, I enjoy having access to Deep Fritz and Houdini on my laptop, but I believe that none of those engines or user interfaces can match the feel of a real board.Įvery book I have ever read about Bobby Fischer makes mention of his almost mythical pocket chess set. The multitude of digital platforms available these days allow students and players to carry their chess sets and portable game notation (PGN) files almost anywhere. Chess is much different in that there are a variety of ways to play and study the game. When I was regularly involved in astronomy and astronomical research, it was always easier to fire up a digital planetarium on my computer than to set up a telescope. The nature of my day job requires that my wife and I keep many of our interests and hobbies as mobile as possible.
