Drueke 877.10 Magnetic Chess Set
Drueke 877.10 Magnetic Chess Set
Average Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5
- 1″ Playing squares
- .75″ Magnetic plastic chessmen
- For ages 13 to adult
- 90 day warranty
Product Description
This easy-to-transport set allows you to play chess anywhere, anytime. The Magnetic Chess Set is perfect for long car and plane rides. The plastic chessmen are equipped with a magnetic bottom so they won’t move or slide when you encounter some rough terrain. The magnetic set is also perfect for when time is short. Squeeze in as much chess as you can during break, place it away when time is up, and then return to your game with the pieces exactly where you left them … More >>
Drueke 877.10 Magnetic Chess Set
Tagged with: 877.10 • Chess • Drueke • Magnetic
Filed under: Board Games
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The great thing about this particular magnetic travel set is that if you have to leave before the game is over, you just put the lid on. So many other travel magnetic sets force you to take all the pieces off the board and store them inside the folding board. I use this one on the train on my way to work; I read an instructional chess book and follow along on this set. When the ride is over, I mark my spot in the book, put the lid on the set, and they both go in my backpack until the ride home. (the pieces don’t move either, even after carrying my backpack around) The pieces are of a unique design with an octagonal base. Drueke (the company that makes these) refers to the pieces as “fully scaled”. What this means is that they are all (except the pawns) about the same height, so that the most possible detail can be shown.
Like any nice set, the knights have great detail. They are really quite beautiful for a set in this range.
My only complaint is that the magnets are ever so slightly loose on a couple of pieces. (hence the 4 star rating for durability) This is a quality control issue that Carrom (parent company of Drueke) needs to address. When the magnet on my white queen finally gives out, I’m sure it will be easily fixed with a bit of super glue. Even knowing this, I would buy this set again in a heartbeat.
The only good alternatives that I can think of are some small magnetic and pegged wooden sets sold by House of Jaques on ebay, but they cost a lot more, and will surely not be as durable.
The case on this set is made of a very tough plastic. It is not brittle at all, and takes the beatings that it should with perfect grace. The playing surface is sheet steel (for good magnetic properties) finished in gold and black; very elegant. The magnets are glued directly onto the bottoms of the pieces; there is no felt to hinder the magnetism. This means that if you drag the pieces around instead of picking them up and moving them, the finish will be scratched over time. (I’ve read reviews of this set enduring 20 years of constant use before needing replacement)
For those of us who are used to playing with tournament sized sets and boards, the squares may seem a bit crowded. The pieces nearly fill up the squares. (just like nearly every other travel magnetic set) Tournament pieces and boards have plenty of room, even with a 3 3/4″ size king. (square size = 2 1/4″ square)
Most magnetic sets are really cheap Chinese things now. I don’t know where this one is made, but they spent the same money to make a quality plastic set that they would have to make a crappy wooden one.
Rating: 5 / 5
This set is great: it is small and compact, the magnets are strong enough that the pieces stay put even when the board is sideways or upside down, and when the cover is on, the pieces can be left on the board to keep a game in progress going. My 5 year old son, a chess fanatic, declares this is his favorite toy, and has taken to carrying his current game in progress with him wherever he goes around the house or in the car.
The only complaint I have about this set is durability. Two things: 1) the pieces have a tendency to detach from the magnetic bases. Although the bases are easily snapped back on, it is a bit annoying when you lift a piece to make your move and find that you have left behind the magnetic base. We are considering simply using super glue to permanantly attach the magnets to the pieces. 2) the board has a shiny finish which, after just a few weeks regular use, is showing many scratches. I expect in a couple of months it will look pretty banged up.
However, shiny looks are not nearly as important to us as how well the board works, and this is the only board we’ve seen that allows my on-the-go son to carry his games in progress with him everywhere, so we are still very happy with the product.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is the perfect portable chess set. The cover fits under the board when in use. You can stop in the middle of a game and replace the cover to keep the pieces from getting moved. It is magnetic to keep any jostling from moving the pieces. It is a reasonable size – small enough to be conveniently portable, large enough to be fun to play. I’ve given these as gifts and have two sets myself for travel chess and working through problems while reading chess books. There is a wide boarder around the board where the captured pieces can be placed, leaving all the pieces attached to the board. This is a superbly designed travel chess set.
Rating: 5 / 5
Exceptional set for a travel board… biggest drawback is, as said above, the magnets slipping off the pieces. I took 20 minutes to superglue them on and they’ve been just fine since. The detail of the pieces is stellar and the durability of the case, as noted, AND the fact that the top half fits underneath the bottom is a plus too… my biggest complaint is the size of the squares in relation to the base of the pieces – way too small, yet there was plenty of room to make it a tad bigger… also a nice addition would be the algebraic notation on the sides as well… oh, did anybody mention that the white pieces are actually cream-colored? This is a nice looking, durable and the best travel set around without a doubt!
Rating: 5 / 5
I’m an international master (although I haven’t competed for years), and here I am, getting *another* Drueke set. I’ve probably had a dozen over the decades! For me it is the optimal set for analysis while studying. It’s a perfect size to use with a book (or many books). The pieces are easy to see and distinguish, and even more important to move around. The colors are comfortable. The fact that you can cover it up and resume after travel is nice.
But there are flaws.
The rooks are such that, if you have them on the side and cover the board, and put something on top, you could break off bits of the top. It’s a design flaw which Drueke probably hasn’t dealt with, although it would be s simple 1/16th inch reshaping of the cover. (The flat part before it rises should be made smaller.) I got in the habit of moving them inward before putting on the cover. Another solution, which I did a few times before getting lazy, was to hacksaw off a bit the rook tower just below the widened top, then superglue it back on, making it shorter. This also brought the rook more in balance with the rest of the set. This would in fact be an easier solution for Drueke, i.e. probably cheaper to implement by redoing the rook molds.
They *did* get cheaper at some point, or maybe post-pressing of the pieces was minimized; now you have to get out an X-Acto knife and remove bits of excess plastic around the tops of most of the pieces. Rite of purchase. Oh, and the *bottoms* — they’re slightly too long, stick out past the magnet. See below.
The previously mentioned loose magnets. And, since its availability, the superglue solution.
The queens’ crowns’ spokes will break off. C’est la guerre.
Yes, it will deteriorate, scratching the board mostly. If you razor off the pegs in the magnets so they don’t overshoot, you mostly prevent that, or at least it’ll take longer.
I noted, but was not bothered, by the King not being the tallest piece any more. I don’t remember, was it only the rooks which towered over?
I’m a critical sort (I was assistant editor at the chess federation for a while, mostly proofreading!), but don’t mistake: I *LOVE* this set! I played over so many world-class games from books and magazines that it took on an aura; I would let people use it to play. Now you know I’m nuts. :-)
IM Elliott Winslow
Rating: 5 / 5