What you need to get started
Chess can be played on a £10 magnetic travel set or a beautiful hand-carved wooden board. The game is identical. Start cheap.
A chess set — 40–45mm king height
£15–30 for a good quality Staunton set with roll-up boardStandard tournament pieces have a king height of approximately 95mm (3.75 inches). For home play, any set with clearly distinguishable pieces in contrasting colours works. The classic Staunton design (used in all tournaments) is the most legible. Avoid novelty sets with non-standard pieces: they make learning move patterns much harder.
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A chess clock — optional for now
Skip for now; £25–50 when neededTournament chess uses clocks to limit thinking time. For learning, clocks are unnecessary. Take as long as you need to understand the position. When you start playing regularly against others, a clock becomes relevant. Digital chess clocks (DGT, Chronos) are the standard; a phone app works to start.
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Digital alternatives
Free resources to start immediately
- Lichess.org (free, open-source, no ads) — The best free chess platform. Play against humans or AI at any level, puzzles, lessons, analysis of your games. The recommended starting point for all beginners.
- Chess.com (freemium) — The largest chess platform. Strong mobile app, excellent beginner lessons, good AI range. Many features require a paid membership, but the free tier is adequate to start.
- Stockfish (AI engine, free) — The strongest chess engine in the world, available free on Lichess and as a standalone app. Use it to analyse your finished games and understand your mistakes.
Playing online means you'll always have an opponent regardless of the time or where you are. A physical board develops a different kind of attention — you can hold the position in three dimensions.
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