3 1/2" Silicone Club Chess Pieces

Shocking, but I bought these for a study set and now they are my favorite. The weight is perfect and I don't worry about them either at the park or in my home library.

I bought these pieces to go with a silicone set I already had so I could learn to play crazyhouse with a real set. (2 identical sets is what you need.) A great choice!

I bought this set primarily because locally the chess clubs tend to meet in Starbucks and Burger Kings. The silicon pieces are perfect since they're easy to clean, bounce if dropped and tend to frustrate those guys who like to slam down pieces to make you think they're about to win the game. While the 14" board doesn't really meet the 75-78% base diameter/square size for the 3.5" piece size it's a good size for cafe tables where a tournament size board would be impractical and works pretty well with these pieces.

They are proper tournament pieces, have a lovely feel to them, and are ideal for chess clubs and competitions. They are quiet in use and we are spared the distracting rattling back into boxes by players whose games have ended before our own. At some chess clubs we visit, we find ourselves playing with the old plastic pieces, where rooks have lost their turrets, kings their crosses and the queens' crowns are all chipped, but these silicone sets should always look new. We find only a couple of minor drawbacks: firstly, players who like to move their pieces by sliding them aren't finding that so satisfying (on our silicone boards/"mats"). Secondly, if pieces are accidentally dropped on the floor, especially on carpet, we don't so easily hear them drop, or where they have bounced. They do tend to show the dirt more than plastic or wooden pieces, but are easily washed, either by hand or in a mesh bag in the washing machine, so are more hygienic, inspiring confidence during these infection-aware times.

These are the only fully washable chess pieces, some in our club like that they are washed frequently.