Dimensions to chess pieces

No matter what type of chess you play, no matter which set of rules you follow, the basic concepts are always consistent. While some game boards, like for that of Chaturanga, might allow more than two armies at a time, others reduce the two traditional armies to twelve total pieces each, as in Takeover chess. Collectible sets might have pieces made of heavy, dye cast metal while casual game boxes might include simple plastic pieces.

Still other professional sets use pieces made of well-crafted rosewood. However, regardless of the size of the board or the type of material used to make the pieces, their movements are still the same. The dimensions to chess pieces are also always relatively similar, as are the sizes of the boards. In tournament regulation chess, the boards are always the same size. Each square must be 2-2.25 inches to accommodate the wider and heavier pieces that sit atop them. The board itself is a wide 21-23 square inches, featuring a border of some kind around the outside.

Typically made from walnut or maple woods the board itself is quite heavy, which is understandable since they aren’t made for mobility. The varying sizes are more a matter of playing style, as the larger boards are designed for the kind of slow play you find in Grandmaster tournaments. Smaller sizes, of course, are created specifically for portable play. For the most part, these specifications do not apply to the casual gamer and are more for preferential appreciation of the game.

No matter what type of chess board you use, or which related game model you are playing, they all use the same standard pieces, at least in today’s gaming world. Chaturanga, for instance, traditionally required an extra piece called a Wazir, which many aficionados have substituted with an inverted rook. Regardless of this, though, the dimensions to chess pieces are usually crafted to a scale in regards to the king and the board.

Tournament grade chess pieces consist of a king that is 3.75 inches tall and 1.625 inches in diameter at the base. The other pieces are designed in accordance to this standard. As the board size changes, so does the scale of the figures. For instance, a board with 1.5 inch squares might utilize a king scale height of 2.5 inches. Even travel chess sets are available with an 8” X 8” playing board and a king scale height of 7/8”.