Before Mario Kart, Red Dead Redemption, and Minecraft, most people chose chess as a game to exercise their minds while unwinding from a hard day’s work.
It’s a social strategy game, and it’s both calming and intellectually stimulating — what’s not to love?
In fact, people all over the world have loved playing chess for centuries, so they care about what their chess sets look like and what materials they are made from. Most regular sets cost somewhere between $50-$200, depending on how they’re made.
But some people covet much more luxurious chess sets that have unique designs and are made from expensive materials — even gemstones!
You may be wondering what some of these extravagant sets look like and how much they cost. So, what are the 10 most expensive chess sets ever made?
10. The Gem Set Gold Chess Set – $187,500
Got an extra $187,500 lying around just collecting dust? Not sure what to spend it on? Consider the Gem Set Gold chess set.
Considered to have originated from South India between 1775-1825, this set contains pieces with sparkling rubies and beautiful emeralds carefully embedded into the figures.
There is also a delicate script on the base of its pieces that is hard to decipher, but some experts believe it’s in a language similar to Telugu. Both the gems’ positioning and inscriptions indicate the chess set’s South Indian origins. But why is it so expensive?
The inscription gives it historical value, and the rubies and emeralds are costly, as well. In addition, the base of each piece is set in gold. That’s why this set has a realized price of $187,500.
9. Man Ray’s Chess Set – $201,600
There’s no mystery about the price tag on this set — it’s expensive because of its name. The artist who made it, Man Ray, was a famous surrealist and Dadaist painter and photographer — and he made this chess set.
This set is coveted for its sleek look, wooden mounting, and storage drawers that were created to protect the chess pieces when they’re not being used.
While it’s not hard to find reproductions of Man Ray’s sets that cost less, this particular set has been confirmed authentic by experts. it even has the artist’s name inscribed on the board, which makes it a valuable art piece.
The condition of this set is excellent; its chess pieces are made of polished bronze, and it has a brass inlay and enamel board mounted in wood.
8. Mother-of-Pearl and Tortoiseshell Chess Set – $214,500
That dinky $50 chess set in your mother’s basement is looking kind of shabby now, isn’t it? Well, this mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell set is particularly extravagant.
This attractive vintage set has silver-mounted polychrome boxwood carved into an unusual shape that includes a lockable case made with ebony.
The chess pieces have silver bases, green-stained ivory platforms, and mother-of-pearl platforms. But besides the materials and design, there’s one more characteristic that justifies the price tag.
This set is stamped circa 1735 with the mark of a noted German silversmith from Ausburg named Christian Baur, giving it great historical value.
7. White and Yellow Gold Tempered Glass Chess Set – $285,000
Did you know that not all expensive chess sets are vintage or antique?
This modern set called “White and Yellow Gold Tempered Glass Chess Set” was made recently, in 2015. The craftsmanship shows intricate detail in each chess piece, and the style and design are not commonly found in most sets.
Instead of the usual characters like bishops and queens, this set has dwarves and centaurs.
But those aren’t the only reasons for its $285,000 price tag.
There’s more gold in this set than usual: there are 62.2 grams of gold on just the corners of the board, and 155.5 grams in the legs. There are also 1363.63 grams of yellow and white gold in the individual figurines!
6. The German-Carved Ivory Animalier Chess Set – $298,000
Chess fans love this set because the figures pit a parliament of owls against a mischief of mice. Made circa 1870, the owls are stained with a deep brown shade, and some of the pawns have glass eyes to indicate wounded warriors.
The details show knights with shields, swords, and plumed helmets, and queens with detailed crowns and robes.
The German-Carved Ivory Animalier Chess Set is costly because of its excellent condition despite its old age, unusual design, and expensive materials.
It has coromandel veneering and a satinwood casket with a carefully crafted brass lock plate.
5. Marcel Duchamp Pocket Chess Set – $423,000
Here’s another chess set designed by a famous artist. Marcel Duchamp was a mid-1900s French painter and chess enthusiast who made this portable set that can fit into your pocket.
Duchamp loved chess so much that he often used it as a motif in his surrealist artwork.
The chess pieces are kept in small pockets that are carved into a leather chessboard and kept in place using small pins. Before cell phones, this was the best set for players who were on the move.
So, leather and pins are not expensive materials like some of these other sets have. There’s no gold or silver here. The price is so high strictly because of Marcel Duchamp, who signed and dated the set, increasing its worth.
4. The Christian I von Münch Chess Set – $552,570
Created circa 1705-1709, the board of this chess set contains tortoiseshell and ivory that’s inlaid with graceful silver stars and scrolls.
The board’s sides are made with silver foil trim and tortoiseshell veneer. There are two drawers built into the board to protect the pieces, which are all detailed designs of warriors who are fighting on horseback and on the backs of elephants.
The reasons for its price include the materials and craftsmanship. The individual figures use ivory on ebony and silver gilt bases using walnut wood. One of the bishop pieces holds a tiny scroll with the craftsman’s initials engraved on it.
3. Pagoda Figurines Chess Set – $696,260
This elegant chessboard was created circa 1720, which certainly adds to its historical and monetary value.
However, the true reason for its hefty price tag is that it’s made out of precious, high-quality gems and silver. The figurines represent European mythological figures and exotic animals, and the black ones are made with aventurine glass and silver-gilt mounts and tortoiseshell bases.
The black bishops are especially stunning with their Blackamoor busts, and the white bishops have silver crowns with pearls.
The Pagoda Figurines Chess Set includes high-end materials like ivory, gilt, porcelain, horn, tortoiseshell, pearl, and ebony. The board itself contains brass, copper, mother of pearl, and stained ivory inlaid Boulle marquetry.
2. The Battle of Issus Chess Set – $1.9 million
This chess set took an incredible ten years (14,000 hours) to complete. It is a true beauty and represents the ancient Battle of Issus that occurred in 333 BCE.
The figurines are of chariots, elephants, and men on horseback, with historical figures Alexander the Great and King Darius leading the opposite groups. The Greek goddess Athena and the Persian god of war are the queens.
But that’s not all! Every figure moves: horses shake their manes, archers draw their bows back, and Alexander moves his sword.
There are 14-karat gold pieces with pearls, rose quartz, turquoise, and enamel, and the board itself is made of pink rhodonite and green malachite squares, with sides made of pure silver.
1. The Pearl Royale Chess Set – $4 Million
How much would you pay for a luxury chess set? It may be hard to believe, but the Pearl Royale Chess Set costs $4 million. The materials are really lavish and valuable: sapphires, South Sea pearls, white diamonds, and solid white gold.
Artist Colin Burn fitted each figurine with sparkling diamonds and gold edges, which give the pieces a smooth gliding action on the crystal board, which itself has gold and diamond adornments.
Just three editions were made of this chess set made of 18k gold and decorated with 513 carats of GIA-certified diamonds and AAA Ceylon blue sapphires.
Talk about luxury! The Pearl Royale Chess Set is considered by experts to be the world’s most valuable chess set.
