What Chess Set Do Professionals Use?

Why do professionals all use the Staunton pattern?

Before 1849 chess pieces were a free for all. Regional styles such as the ornate St George and the spindly Old English designs looked beautiful but were slow to read across the board, and a king from one set could easily be mistaken for a queen from another. Serious players needed a single design that anyone could recognise instantly. Jaques of London answered this by creating the Staunton chess set, a clean and stable pattern with unmistakable symbols: a cross on the king, a coronet on the queen, a mitre on the bishop and a horse's head for the knight. The clarity won the chess world over quickly, and within a generation it had become the only design used in competition. Today the world governing body, FIDE, requires the Staunton pattern for all rated and official play, which is why every professional, from club champion to world title contender, sits down to the same recognisable pieces.

What size and proportions are used in tournaments?

Professional sets follow tight dimensional standards so that play feels consistent wherever it happens. FIDE recommends a king height of 85 to 105mm, and most tournament sets settle on about 95mm, which gives a commanding but stable piece. The board is then matched to the pieces, with each square measuring 50 to 65mm and roughly 55mm being the favoured figure. A useful guide is that the diameter of the king's base should fill about 75 to 80 percent of a square, leaving enough room for a hand to lift a piece cleanly without disturbing its neighbours. These ratios are not arbitrary: they keep crowded middlegame positions legible and reduce fumbles during fast time controls. If you are weighing up dimensions for your own play, our guide to chess set sizes explains how board and piece scale work together.

What are professional chess pieces made of?

The finest tournament and collector pieces are turned from wood. When Jaques created the Staunton set in 1849, the light pieces were cut from boxwood, a dense pale timber that takes fine detail, and the dark pieces from ebony, a deep black wood prized for its weight and finish. That boxwood and ebony pairing is still considered the benchmark for a premium set. Many modern tournament sets use ebonised boxwood instead, which is boxwood stained black, giving the same feel at a lower cost. Quality chess pieces are weighted with a metal insert and finished with a felted base so they stand firmly and glide across the board. Plastic Staunton sets are widely used at clubs and in schools for durability and price, but championship play and presentation sets remain the preserve of wooden chess sets.

Who was Howard Staunton and why does the set carry his name?

The pattern is named after Howard Staunton, who was widely regarded as the strongest player in the world in the 1840s and one of the most influential figures in the history of chess. When Jaques of London introduced the new design, it was Staunton's public endorsement that gave it authority among serious players. His name appeared on the boxes, and the set was first advertised to the public on 8 September 1849 after being registered earlier that year on 1 March. It is worth being precise about the design itself: Jaques of London created and designed the pattern, and Nathaniel Cook, who worked with and for Jaques, was the named registrant on the paperwork. You can read more about the player who lent the set its name on our page about Howard Staunton.

Should a club or improving player buy the same set as the professionals?

For anyone serious about improving, playing on a tournament-proportioned Staunton set is a genuine advantage. Practising on the same dimensions you will meet in competition means the board never feels unfamiliar, and the standard symbols become second nature for fast recognition. A weighted wooden set with a 90 to 95mm king and a board around 50 to 55mm per square will serve a lifetime of play. Schools and busy clubs often choose a sturdy plastic Staunton for everyday use, then keep a wooden set for matches and special occasions. If you are deciding what suits you, our guide to choosing a chess set walks through size, material and budget, and our how to play chess page is a good starting point if you are still learning the moves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What size chess set do professionals play with?

Tournament play uses a king roughly 95mm tall, which is the centre of the FIDE recommended range of 85 to 105mm. The board is matched to the pieces so that a single square measures between 50 and 65mm, with FIDE suggesting around 55mm. The standard rule of thumb is that the king's base should occupy about 75 to 80 percent of the width of a square, so the pieces sit comfortably without crowding. A 95mm to 96mm king on a 55mm square board is the configuration seen at most serious events.

Q: What are professional chess pieces made of?

Top tournament and collector sets are turned from wood. The original Jaques Staunton sets of 1849 used boxwood for the light pieces and ebony for the dark, a pairing still regarded as the finest. Many modern tournament sets substitute ebonised boxwood, which is boxwood stained black, as a more affordable dark wood. Pieces are usually weighted and finished with a felted base so they stand firmly and move smoothly. Plastic Staunton sets are common for clubs and casual play, but championship and presentation sets remain wooden.

Q: Why is the Staunton design the official chess set?

Before 1849 chess pieces varied wildly in style, which made fast recognition difficult and slowed serious play. Jaques of London created the Staunton pattern as a clear, stable and easily distinguished design: a cross atop the king, a coronet on the queen, a mitre on the bishop and a horse's head for the knight. It was registered on 1 March 1849 and endorsed by the leading player Howard Staunton, whose name it carries. Its clarity made it the universal standard, and FIDE now mandates it for official play.

Q: Do professionals still use Jaques chess sets?

Jaques of London created the Staunton pattern and still makes it today, so every Staunton set a professional plays with descends directly from the Jaques original of 1849. Jaques produces faithful wooden Staunton sets in boxwood and ebonised boxwood, weighted and tournament proportioned. While various manufacturers supply pieces for specific events, the design they all follow is the Jaques Staunton, and collectors continue to prize genuine Jaques sets as the definitive expression of the pattern.