Review of Royal Chess Mall's Queen's Gambit Staunton Chess Set

I recently had the chance to try out the Queen's Gambit Staunton Chess Set from Royal Chess Mall and I wanted to give my honest take. From the smooth board to the perfectly weighted pieces, there is a lot to love about this set. The set features handcrafted Golden Rosewood and Maple pieces that feel and look genuinely premium. The brand offers worldwide shipping with return warehouses in the USA, UK, and Germany, and takes care of all duties and taxes, ensuring a completely hassle-free delivery experience. If you are a chess enthusiast or a fan of the show, this set is worth every penny.

Introduction

Before I review the set, I wanted to take a quick moment to introduce myself for those that have never read my blogs before. My name is JakeStateFarm, or JSF, and I have been playing chess since I was five years old. I played in my first tournament at the age of six and have been hooked ever since. Around five years ago, I discovered atomic chess, and, in recent months, have almost exclusively played it. Some notable achievements of mine are winning the chess.com Atomic Chess Championship in 2025, becoming the #1 ranked player in atomic chess on lichess, and finishing 4th in the 2024 Atomic World Championship. I started a YouTube channel in November of 2025 to help promote atomic chess. My goal since then has been to grow the community, teach players some valuable techniques, and push myself to get better each day.
When Royal Chess Mall reached out to me on a potential product review, I instantly knew that I wanted to review their Queen's Gambit set from their Staunton collection. Royal Chess Mall is a well-known chess brand that makes quality handcrafted chess sets in Amritsar, India, one of the world's leading centres for handcrafted chess piece manufacturing. As a fan of the show, I found it really fascinating that the set is the exact same design as the one used in the Queen's Gambit show.

Unboxing

The first thing that caught my eye about this set is just how big it is. The package that it came in was much bigger than I expected it to be. When I started unboxing it, the process took what seemed like forever. At first, it was frustrating, but I realized just how much thought and care had been put into protecting this set as it was shipped to me.

I started by opening the box with the board in it, which was almost as big as the box it came in. I immediately smelled the freshness of it and felt the heaviness of it. There were multiple layers of styrofoam protecting the board and getting it out of the packaging was quite the hassle.
Next, I opened the boxes with the pieces and the box to store the pieces in. What intrigued me the most about this part was the fact that every single piece had been individually wrapped in styrofoam. However, getting the pieces out was actually quite easy (after my fiancee showed me the proper technique). I didn't find a single scratch or imperfection on the board, the pieces, or the storage box. I was very impressed with Royal Chess Mall's attention to detail.

The Pieces

As advertised, every single piece was delicately handcrafted by Royal Chess Mall. The smell of the wood pieces was very strong and I loved the unique wooden design on each one. My favorite piece in chess are the pawns, but I have to say that my favorite piece in this set by far were the knights. I was playing a few moves with the pieces after I opened it and the knights were genuinely a lot of fun to move. Every ridge and carving on them is distinct and intentional. The pieces are crafted from Golden Rosewood and Maple, and you can feel the quality of the wood the moment you pick them up.
Each piece is handcrafted yet very smooth, and glides across the board when you move it. They feel very stable during play, which adds to the overall experience. The pieces definitely are not lightweight, but they also aren't too heavy like some sets. With the board being very heavy, I was assuming the pieces would be too, but they were surprisingly well weighted. The pieces also have their own box to store them in, which is a nice addition.

The Board

As stated previously, the first thing I noticed when reviewing the board was the sheer size of it. The board also has a great smell and is likely the smoothest chess board I have ever used. In combination with the felt bottom of the pieces, the pieces glide across the board as you move them. Another unique feature of the board is the slight gap between the squares and the edge of the board. It gives the board a feeling like it's levitated.
I love Royal Chess Mall's take on the board used in The Queen's Gambit. When looking at pictures from the show, it seems to be an exact replica. For fans of the show, having the actual set Beth Harmon used on the board in front of you is a genuinely cool experience.

Value & Pricing

The price for this set is currently $514.95, but Royal Chess Mall often has deals on their website, or you can use my coupon code ATOMICTHEORY to get 10% off and support my work. If you don't use my coupon code, please use my referral link when visiting their website to still support me. You are also covered by a 3-year free replacement warranty on the chess pieces and a 6-month warranty on the board and box against manufacturing defects. Please check the website for full details.
In terms of value, I think this set crushes it. Every detail of this set is handcrafted and makes for not only a great decoration piece in the house, but also a smooth playing experience. All of their products look amazing, but this set in particular has some features that I believe make it well worth the price tag.

Summary & Recommendation

After taking some time to review this set, I think my honest opinion is that this set is perfect for two types of people:
1. People that want a smooth playing experience. This includes pieces that aren't too light but also aren't too heavy, and a smooth surface on both the board and pieces.
2. People that are looking for a beautiful decoration in their home. I think the size of the board makes it stand out among some other luxury chess sets.

If you are not one of these people, or this set is out of your price range, I encourage you to still check out Royal Chess Mall's website (using my link of course: royalchessmall.com/?ref=lmoudcbh) to check out the rest of their collection. You can buy just the pieces or board, and they also sell clocks, tables, and more.

Royal Chess Mall has been crafting handcrafted chess sets for players worldwide for decades and this set is one of their finest.

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