Matched Set
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US $59.99
Father's Day will soon be here and one of the choices that you might have considered is a Chess Set. If you are an experienced chess aficionado choosing the right set might not be such a big deal. However, if you are not a chess player yourself the thought of buying a set might be daunting. The intent of this article is to give you some insights into the things you need to consider.
Where Is The Set Going to be Used?
Is this going to be a travelling chess set or will it stay in the home? If you expect your dad to take the set with him wherever he goes you'll want to purchase something that is fairly light but sturdy. Folding chess sets that have a compartment for the pieces is a good way to go. There are some sets that have the look of wood but are magnetic. Handy, if you are playing in an area where the board might get jarred.
If the set is going to stay at home then you have another set of considerations. If your dad has an area where the chess board will stay then you need to consider the size of the board. Boards will range from 12" x 12" to 21" x 21" or greater. Another possible consideration is to buy a chess table with a built-in board. It's not at all portable but if you have a place picked out in a family room or library then this might be the way to go.
If your dad is serious player who attends tournaments you might want to consider a good tournament set. The pieces are usually plastic and the board is made of flexible vinyl. A tournament often comes with a tote for carrying the chess set.
Consider the Materials
Chess sets can be fine conversation pieces. The come in a variety of materials including marble, alabaster, brass, pressed leather on wood and wood. Wood chess boards are the most popular and come in a variety of materials including ebony and maple. Note that most wood boards have a veneer on top of a wood composite. Materials such as marble, alabaster and brass can be very attractive but also fragile. Be sure that they will be placed any areas where they are not likely to be bumped or dropped.
If You Are Choosing a Board and Pieces Separately
You can find chess pieces and chess boards that come as matched set. However, if you are going to purchase the pieces and board separately you need to be sure that the pieces match the board.
Descriptions of chess pieces will usually have both the height and base diameter of the King. The King will be the piece that is the tallest with the widest base. The description of chess boards will include the size of the square. There are formulas that suggest that the width of the base should be 78% of the width of the square. Therefore if you divide the King's base by.78 you should get the proper (and approximate) square size. Another simple way is to just add.5 inches to the King's base. For example a King's base of.5 inch would look good on 1" square board.
Other Options
Of course, you don't have to go the traditional route. With modern technology there are a lot of electronic options. You never have to find a partner with an electronic chess sets. These sets usually have a number of expert settings that allow you to adjust your opponent to your level of play. Some come with "coaching modes" that will provide hints or analyze your play. Now, before you run off and get one of these electronic sets you need to ensure that your dad is the type who's comfortable with technology. These sets aren't for everyone. If you are going with an electronic set I would get something that is backlit. They are a lot easier on the eyes.
If your dad would prefer a human partner but doesn't have a lot friends who are chess players who might want to consider a subscription to websites such as chess.com or gameknot.com. These are great sites that not only provide you a lot of human partners but provide a tremendous number of teaching tools to improve your game. In fact, on both chess.com and gameknot.com you can play for free. Subscriptions are available if you want to take advantage of some of the advanced teaching options.
Other electronic options include software programs that run on your personal computer. Check out shredderchess.com for more info. Very handy if you are in places that don't have access to the internet. Schredder has programs are adjustable to any level and will provide a complete analysis of your game. All at a very reasonable price. There are a lot a great choices out there. If you consider the above guidelines you will be able to purchase a great gift.
Jerry Kita is an I/T professional who also owns and operates MyChessPieces.com
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Game, Set and Matched $14.99 The author of the acclaimed On Tilt, was given 5000 by leading matched betting company, Betfair, and 9 months to turn a profit and learn the intricacies of this new online betting phenomenon. Game, Set & Matched details how to bet successfully on all types of sports from horse racing to soccer and rugby to golf and reveals new strategies to profit consistently for p2p betting plus Iain's own diary of his efforts to master Matched Betting. |
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47895 - 48In And 18In Matched Set $17.36 [2101434] UPC: 079976478953 5.13L x 4.38W x 7.75H 0.25 LB 0.1 Cubes |
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Matched. $6.29 Author: Ally Condie.RRP: 6.99.On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her match. In Cassia's society, officials decide who people love. How many children they have. Where they work.Format: Paperback.ISBN: 9780141334783.Published: 02/06/2011.Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd.Genre: Children's Fiction.Total pages: 384.Free delivery by post. |
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Matched $9.99 Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. |
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Tungsol 5881 Matched Power Tubes Soft Quartet $79.99 The Tungsol 5881 is a very reliable, general purpose power tube much like the 6V6. A good choice for players who use lots of overdrive and crunch sounds. Matched set. |
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Royer R-122 Matched Pair Nickel $3575 The R-122 is the world's first phantom powered, active ribbon microphone. This matched R-122 pair will produce recordings of unsurpassed stereo imaging. Yes, you need to turn phantom power on when you use an R-122! The payback is far more output than you've ever imagined from a ribbon microphone. More importantly, the R-122's electronics place a perfect impedance load on the ribbon element, greatly expanding the number of preamps that will match up well with the R-122. Before the R-122, all ribbon microphones were passive devices, meaning that they were 15 to 30 dB less sensitive than average phantom powered condenser mics. In addition, passive ribbon mics depend entirely on the input impedance of the preamp they're mated with to set the proper impedance to the ribbon element. Simply put, even the best ribbon mics can sound mediocre if they're plugged into the wrong mic pre. With the R-122, gain and impedance issues are a thing of the past. GainConventional ribbon microphones need high-quality, high-gain microphone preamplifiers to record softer sound sources like acoustic instruments, vocals and room ambience. The R-122 is as sensitive as a condenser microphone, allowing you to use practically any mic preamplifier or board record even the quietest sounds. The R-122 contains a fully balanced, discrete head amplifier system utilizing a specially wound toroidal transformer and ultra-low noise FET's. This system is extremely quiet, can handle 135 dB SPL, and brings the R-122's output to 38 dB! Go ahead and plug an R-122 into any preamplifier with average gain - you'll get full Royer performance and you'll have enough level to drive any recording medium.The R-122's higher sensitivity does not create additional self-noise. All of the R-122's increased level comes from its large, specially wound toroidal transformer - that wonderful thing called "free gain." The level at the transformer is actually hotter than the level at the output of the microphone. The phantom powered circuitry provides impedance conversion only, adding no noise of its own. This system took years to perfect and is currently in patent pending status.Impedance MatchingThe R-122's active electronics provide a perfect load to the ribbon element at all times, allowing the R-122 to deliver 100% of its full sonic potential regardless of the input characteristics of the following mic-pre. Due to its low-impedance output, R-122s can be used on extremely long cable runs with minimal signal loss.A good impedance match is critical to getting the most from a ribbon microphone. An impedance mis-match will load the ribbon improperly, resulting in loss of low end, diminished body, lowered sensitivity and overall compromised performance. The R-122's ribbon element lives in a perfect world - it sees the optimal impedance at all times regardless of the following equipment, so its performance is never compromised by the effects of improper loading. In addition, the ribbon element cannot be damaged by |
