FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions 

Delivery FAQ'S

Which courier company do you use for your deliveries?

We trust only the best couriers in the UK to delivery our beautiful chess sets, our couriers include Parcel Force 

How long will delivery take?


All UK orders that have been placed by 12pm and paid for will be shipped the same working day via our same day courier service ensuring that you receive your chess set as fast as possible. Our free delivery service is usually up to 3 days delivered. 

Please note that all over-seas orders are sent via UPS airmail and take a little while longer to arrive.


If I order before 12 midday, will my chess set arrive the next working day?

All UK orders that have been placed by 12pm and paid for will be shipped the same working day via our same day courier service ensuring that you receive your chess set as fast as possible.


If I am not home to sign for my delivery, what happens?

We supply our customers with tracking information for all orders, which allows for you to properly prepare to be home for your delivery. Should you miss your delivery and are unable to sign for the parcel, our couriers will return it to the hub and re attempt delivery again the following day.

Do you offer express delivery?

We offer an express delivery service as standard and at no extra charge. Orders placed before 12.00 noon (Mon-Fri) will be delivered the next working day between 8.30am and 6.00pm.

If delivery is to Northern Ireland or Highlands and Islands, goods will be delivered in 2 working days.


Returns FAQ'S

Am I able to return my chess set to you for a full refund if I don't like it?

If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you have a full 30 days from the date of purchase to return the product for a refund or store credit. ( extended to 60 days over the Christmas period) Customers must notify us within 14 days of delivery, failure will void returns. Goods must be in UNUSED BRAND NEW CONDITION 

How do I return an item to you?

If you plan to return an item to us, please ensure that the goods are well packaged using a “signed for” insured Postal service.

You will be required to provide proof of your return and postage cost. A receipt to validate cost will be required. No refund will be given for merchandise damaged due to poor packaging.

Please allow 7-10 days processing time for credit adjustments on modified orders or returns.

For more information on returns, please view our returns section located at the footer of our website.

If I return an item, is the postage covered?

Generally Postage fees are non-refundable. However, the Postage fees will be waived or credited if a shipping error is made by ChessMaze UK. In this event, we'll cover the cost to replace the product and return. 


Product FAQ'S
Are your chess sets made in the UK?

Currently we source our products from various locations including but not limited to; Italy, Spain, UK, India and the US.

We have spent a great deal of time ensuring we source the most ethical, Quality and luxurious quality products to offer our customers.


General Chess FAQ's

What are the best chess sets?
This solely depends on preference. If you enjoy wooden chess boards but are new to chess, you may wish to purchase a tournament style wooden chess combination. If you are an avid chess collector and enjoy acquiring sets with more historical features, then you may want to purchase an original Staunton reproduction chess set or pieces.

Whatever your style, you can be sure to find your ideal chess combination here at ChessMaze UK.


Where is the best place to buy chess sets?

There are a lot of chess store options online and on the high street nowdays. With The Queens Gambit throwing chess at the forefront of the retail sector, it is growing increasingly hard to decide where the best place to purchase a chess set actually is.

It is essential that you ensure that the site you decide to purchase with is fully secure and offer quality goods and offer a good returns policy before investing in your chess set. 

Here at ChessMaze UK we offer a no quibble 60 day returns policy, FREE express 24 hour delivery and we offer SSL secure shopping which means that your payment details are 100% secure whilst checking out online.


How much is a nice chess set?

There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to how much a nice chess set would be. For example, it would depend on the size and materials used. Nice sets can range from £90 to £3,000. 

Here at ChessMaze we offer a range of luxury chess sets to suit all budgets. We only use high-quality materials which means that should you purchase a budget set or a luxury set, our quality standards always remain the same.


Where can I buy a chess set UK?

There are plenty of places to purchase chess sets in the UK, including online and retail stores across England. ChessMaze are based in Liverpool but run an online chess store only. We offer a large catalogue of chess pieces, chess clocks, chess boards and complete chess sets online.


What are the chess pieces names?
A standard chess set has 32 pieces in total, 16 pieces per side.

These pieces are often called chessmen, but more experienced players refer to each piece individually:

Pawns
Rooks
King
Queen
Bishop
Knight
Bishop

You may also hear the rook being referred to as the castle.

What are the major pieces in chess?

All chess pieces play a vital role in the game, but the most valuable chess pieces in terms of points are as follows:

The Pawn.
The pawn is the lowest-value piece on the chessboard

The Knight.
Along with bishops, knights make up the “minor pieces.” A knight is worth three points, or equal to the value of three pawns.

The Bishop.
Similar to the knight, the bishop is considered to be a minor piece worth the value of 3 pawns, or points.

The Rook.
The rook is considered a major piece and is valued at five pawns, two more than a knight or bishop and slightly less than two knights or two bishops.

The Queen.
The queen is considered the most valuable piece in chess, and a key component. In material terms, the queen is valued at nine points.

The King.
The king is the most important piece in chess.

The king is the only piece that doesn't have a point value. This is because the king cannot be captured.


What is the most dangerous chess piece?

The queen (♕, ♛) is considered to be the most powerful piece in chess, she is able to move any number of squares at any one time, in practically any direction: vertically, horizontally or diagonally. She also combines the power of both the rook and bishop.


What is the correct chess board setup?

It is very important to orient the chessboard in the right direction to ensure that each side of the board will be set up correctly. An easy way to remember which way the board should go is “white to the right.”

Putting all of your pawns on to the board will help you reduce the chessmen which will allow you to put the rest of your pieces on more efficiently.

Put the pawns on the second ranks (or rows) of the chessboard.

Put your rooks in the corners of the chessboard.

Place your knights next to your rooks. 

Bishops sit next to the knights.

Your queen goes on her own colour.

Put your king on the last remaining square.

What are the rules of chess?
There are so many rules to chess, we would recommend checking out our blog page for an in-depth explanation of the rules of chess- we've got it covered there and once you complete the read, you'll soon be a chess pro.

I am trying to choose an ideal set of pieces and matching board together with a storage box but there is just so much choice. I am confused, can you help?

We understand that our catalogue is vast and not everyone understands what chess pieces fit what board, we have tried to highlight the key things to consider when purchasing a chess combination in our descriptions, however, if you are still finding it difficult, we are more than happy to assist you on your shopping journey.

We offer a 24 hour, live customer service chat online, so if you have any queries that haven't been answered in our FAQ page, or you simply would like some inspiration to help you decide what wooden chess set to purchase, we implore you to reach out to us - we are a close family company and helping our customers is what we are all about.