Store Name: Chess House
Store Description: Chess House is a popular American chess retailer operating in Lynden, Washington. Starting as a small local store in Brooklyn, New York in 1972, its ownership has passed hands a few times until it was acquired by the Neff brothers, Elliot and Raphael, in 1994. The Neff brothers have not only turned the Chess House into the successful online store that it is, but they have also promoted chess actively. They have founded Chess4Life, an organization dedicated to instilling life-values in children through learning and playing chess. With their belief that chess is both a fine and life-changing sport, selling chess items has been a passion for Chess House.
Price Range: Economy Range, Mid Range
Customer Care Email: Contact Us
Support Phone No.: 1-800-348-4749
Table of Contents
Summary
Chess House is one of the most ideal and trusted online stores where every purchase will likely make for a safe and satisfying transaction.
They have wide product variety as to cater to buyers of all kinds and chess players of all strength. Their strict vetting and selection measures ensure that products on their shelf are of good to excellent quality.
Their prices are fair. As excellent customer is one of their cornerstone ideals, they work to fulfill customer expectations and to accommodate arrangements and requests that will just about make every transactions successful.
Their website is neatly organized, which allows for easy search of items and effortless navigation.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very extensive and complete line of chess products, from sets to accessories. | Has heirloom sets, but the true collector might not find the store’s collectible selections very extensive. |
| Wide presence of favorite chess brands. | Does not carry the cheapest items, which may work against those on a very tight budget. |
| Very fair product prices & High Quality products | No Free worldwide shipping |
| Excellent customer service and strong commitment to customer satisfaction. | |
| Navigable and very user-friendly website. | |
| The store leads worthwhile chess programs and projects, which customers support as they make their purchase. |
EDITORIAL RATING
A. Product Range and Variety
Chess House has one of the widest product range and variety among online stores.
Believing that chess promotes values and selling chess items as they do for an appreciable purpose, Chess House obviously wants to serve all customers, from the casual to the serious player, from beginners to masters.
They offer just about everything chess — pieces, boards, clocks, bags, scorebooks, boxes and cases, chess computers, books, digital learning materials, giant chess sets, chess tables, teaching supplies, demonstration boards, and awards and medals for chess competitions.
For those wanting fancier items, they carry themed and unique, non-Staunton sets created by several renowned artists such as Ray Mann.
Some brands Chess House carries for specific items are the following:
- Electronic boards – DGT
- Chess computers – Millennium
- JLP Chess Boards
- Chess clocks – BHB, Chronos, Master Quartz, DGT, ZMF. VTEK
- Chess books – New In Chess, Everyman, Quality Chess and other major publishers
- Downloadable Instructional materials – Chess base
Chess House will not disappoint when it comes to providing anything chess under the sun. Whether you looking for a personal set to play with, to add to your collection, to decorate your home with, to give to a loved one, or you’re purchasing in behalf of your club or school, Chess House will likely deliver.
B. Product Quality and Price
Chess House has always had the reputation of selling quality products, supposedly because of their strict selection and vetting process.
We’ve found that Chess House has none of those overly cheap products that may only disappoint their customers. Almost all items are from the middle to the high end, which assures that anything from their shelf are quality items that will last with reasonable use.
As for its product pricing, we have a made a point-by-point comparison of Chess House’s basic chess items with those of other popular American online sellers to see how it stacks in this department:
| Chess House | Chess USA | Wholesale Chess | The HOS | The Chess Store | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Plastic Pieces | $6.00 No indication | $6.95 | $6.5 Bulk - $4.99 | $6.95 Bulk - $5.35 | $5.99 Bulk - $5.39 |
| Viny board (2.25 in.) | $6 Bulk - $4.20 | $4.99 | $5.99 Bulk - $3.49 | $5.95 Bulk- $4.45 | $4.99 Bulk - $4.59 |
| Chess Clock (DGT North American ) | $39.50 | $39.95 | $49.99 | $49.45 | Out of Stock |
| Chess bag (24 in x 9in.) | $19.50 | $19.95 | $19.99 | $18.95 | $29.95 (Better Quality) |
It’s clear that Chess House is right there with its competitors, and neither are its items way more expensive nor cheaper than theirs.
Some items like the vinyl board could be even had at a good bargain from them in bulk. We should point out that as fairly priced as Chess House’s items are, it offers customers various ways to save. These are all found in the category “Deals” of their website.
The first of these “deals” is the store’s coupons, which sets discounts according to one’s total purchase. The higher the purchase, the higher the discounts get. There is also the “Open Box,” where slightly damaged items are sold at good discounts. The “Warehouse Clearance” allows customers to offer fair prices for specific items, while the last button, “Sale,” offers flat discounts for random products.
Customers should know that discounted items sell fast, and to beat others to the draw they only have to subscribe. They’ll be the first to know by email about sales and big discounts. Exclusive discounts may also be given to subscribers from time to time, which obviously makes subscribing a good idea.
C. Customer Service
As high as we are on Chess House in the two previous categories, it’s in the Customer Service department that it really makes its mark.
Taking care of its customers is a self-professed ideal of the store, and it quite obviously delivers with buyers raving about the accommodation Chess House extends every step of the way.
Only the best of Chess House’s products are on the shelf to begin with as we’ve previously noted, but beyond that Chess House also ensures that every customers gets what he exactly needs.
Before a purchase, customers can approach the friendly service department to ask more about a product, to get recommendations for their particular needs, and even to track hard to find items like missing pieces of unique sets.
If that might not be enough, the store also has its generous 90-day return policy. In that span of time products could be tested if they serve the buyer’s purpose. If they don’t, they could be returned for a refund, store credit, or exchange without questions asked. These pre and after sales measures will more than likely get the right product into the customer’s hands.
Customers also appreciate the extent Chess House would go to when a transaction does not pan out as planned. They never felt a lack of commitment nor a laxity on the store’s part to exhaust solutions, and arrangements that aren’t too unreasonable are always accommodated.
Chess House positively puts customer satisfaction above any other consideration.
| RECOMMENDED IF | NOT RECOMMENDED IF |
|---|---|
| You are looking for a store with a complete line of chess products, from sets to accessories. | You are looking for collectibles or for reproductions of very famous chess sets. |
| You want to purchase several chess products under one roof. | You are working on a very tight budget and are looking for the cheapest items to buy. |
| You want to maximize on savings as you purchase. | You are looking for a free shipping. |
| You demand high quality and want your items to last. | |
| You demand highly-responsive customer service and you cannot tolerate delays in assistance and arrangements if an order goes wrong. | |
| You love to shop only in very navigable and hassle-free websites. | |
| You love supporting worthwhile programs related to chess. |
C. Customer Reviews
E. General Online Shopping Experience
We find shopping at Chess House a very pleasant experience. All products are neatly contained in the general categories of “Chess Sets,” “Supplies,” “Electronics,” “Learn,” “Interests,” and the aforementioned “Deals,” which makes searching for items very easy.
The “Interests” category is particularly helpful to those shopping with a specific purpose in mind, such as those looking for sets for the family, clubs, schools, or sets made by renowned artists.
The site also has an excellent “Help Center” where all significant information could be found, from the store’s history, to their purpose and ideals, and to just about every policy that governs their sales transactions. Navigating the site is a breeze, even for new shoppers.
Chess House Bestsellers
Is this shop legit?
The Chess House is one of the best & leading online chess shop in the world. They have a dominate presence on the web with very friendly website and huge chess collection for everyone.
They are one of the oldest serving to the chess community, have a great customer service, an innovative and a great team to support them which makes them a legit & trustworthy business.
FAQ
No, it is not necessary to have a chess house account to shop and purchase items. You can shop by providing just your email ID and checking out as a guest. However, we recommended that you register at our website to enjoy the great benefits.
No, there is no hidden cost. However, if you’re buying the product from outside US, there will be a shipping & custom fee depending upon the country. Please check the chess house Zonos app to get the idea regarding the taxes you need to bear.
Yes, you can track the order after the item is shipped. The chess house will send you the tracking information on your registered email.
Chess House has the fair return policy. They offer 90 days hassle free return.
You can send them the message through chat or through contact us page. They also have a help page to cater your needs.
About Author
Eugene Manlapao
Hi, I'm from the Philippines and I hold a degree in Bachelor of Arts, Major in English, Creative Writing. I'm a corporate fellow by profession and a certified lover of chess and literature. When free from work, I scramble dividing my time among my wife and two lovely daughters, devouring literary classics and chess books, participating in over-the-board tournaments, playing casual blitz and rapid games online, and writing chess as well as non-chess articles. My love for chess has had me bitten by the chess set-collection bug. I'll be very happy to receive comments to my articles and reviews for Chess Equipments.
