Are you a Harry Potter fan looking to buy the best Harry Potter themed chess set? This guide will take you through all the available options and recommendation on which chess set you should buy.
If you are like me, you probably grew up reading (and loving) the Harry Potter books. More importantly, if you are like me and also developed a love for playing chess along the way, investing in a well-made Harry Potter movie themed chess set just makes sense.
Or you could be just someone looking to buy a chess set for their kids, or grandkids. Either way, I hope my hands-on experience with buying these chess sets will save you some time and money and help you make the right choice.
Over the years, I’ve bought and used many Harry Potter themed chess sets. This puts me in a position to talk about the pros and cons of buying a particular set.
In order to make it easy for you to decide which one to buy, let’s take a look at what buying options are there at present for Harry Potter chess sets:
Want to give a magical touch to the game of chess? The Harry Potter Wizard chess set will suit you perfectly. Just like Harry and Ron played Wizard’s chess in the Sorcerer’s Stone, you will be able to play the classic board game using detailed miniature replicas of the original life-size figures from the movie. There are three different companies that make these Harry Potter Wizard Chess sets. Let’s take a look at how each of these sets:
- Books and Movies. Digital Audio Books. Wands and Collectibles. Figures & Statues. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Illustrated Edition (Harry Potter Series, Book 3). Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7) (Paperback) Regular price $86.93.
- This Harry Potter gift comes as a set of the complete Harry Potter series in hardcover books. HD Harry Potter Movie Collection. Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection. 4.8 out of 5 stars 45,449. DVD $39.99 $ 39. 99 $78.92 $78.92.
Harry Potter Wizard Chess Set by Mattel
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The chess set made by Mattel and it comes with a 14” by 14” board and 32 plastic chess pieces (16 white and 16 black) replicating the original, giant pieces from the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone movie.
Build Quality
The chess pieces of this set are made up of moderately heavy plastic mixed with another material that provides some flexibility. It’s not by any means the highest quality but still durable enough for kids to handle (or mishandle). In case you drop a piece on the floor and it breaks, you may not be able to use the ‘reparo’ spell to repair it. So, I would advise handling the pieces with care.
The appearance of the pieces is also very good and the shapes are really well defined. The craftsmanship really shows through when you compare the chessmen to the ones in the Harry Potter movie chess scene. The pieces replicate the movie chessmen almost perfectly.
The board – which is made up of cardboard – folds up in four sections and it not as good as the pieces. The fact that it folds up is not ideal for gameplay since one or the other section may end up not sitting perfectly flat which can hinder gameplay. The size of the board is also very small which can make the pieces cramped up.
Gameplay
This set was never made to play professional chess play so it would not be fair to criticize it for not being suitable for a regulation game of chess. The set is not good enough for serious gameplay due to the pieces being too lightweight and the board feeling slightly cramped up. If they had made the board a little bigger and added a bit of weight to the chess pieces, the set would have been perfect. That being said, if you have bought this set due to it being a “Wizard’s” chess set, it does the job perfectly.
Overall
The Harry Potter Wizards Chess Set is not ideal for the serious chess player but ideal for introducing kids to chess in a familiar, fun way. You are bound to increase your kids’ enthusiasm for chess with this set. It comes with brief but easy to follow instructions which further ensures that the kids stay engaged. It’s also great for grown-ups that love to collect movie memorabilia. As a die-hard Harry Potter fan, this will be a part of my collection for a long time to come.
Harry Potter Wizard Chess Set By The Noble Collection
This themed Harry Potter Wizard Chess Set is manufactured by The Noble Collection under license from Warner Brothers which means you get an exact replica of the original chess set from the Sorcerer’s Stone movie.
Key Features
- Officially authorized by Warner Brothers
- Chessmen range from 2 to 4 inches in height
- Chess board is 18.5 x 18.5 inches
- Overall weight is 4 pounds
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Build Quality
The chess pieces of this Harry Potter Wizard’s chess set are made of high-grade plastic. They are heavier than normal chess sets and also very sturdy.
The chessboard is made of a flat cardboard and is not as high quality as the pieces. It’s just like your typical four square monopoly board and does a decent job.
Gameplay
The set is basically a toy so you can’t really expect it to provide a professional gameplay experience. It does a great job of bringing the Sorcerer’s Stone movie chess scene to life with its beautifully designed chessmen that look exactly like the ones in the movie. Some of the pieces are a little top heavy due to the added weight of the weapons the pieces are carrying. Other than that, this is the perfect chess set to combine your love for Harry Potter and chess into one.
Overall
This Harry Potter themed chess set from The Noble Collection is a cool, fun, chess set that will keep the kids entertained and works perfectly as a gift. For hardcore Harry Potter fans and chess nerds as well, this set is the perfect combination – a true collector’s item.
Original Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone Movie Chess Set
This is one of the very first Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Wizard’s chess set that was made available for sale after the movie became a big hit. I am not sure at what price I bought this item way back in 2002 but it’s more of a collector’s item these days which is reflected by the steep price.
Key Features
- 32 chessmen made of resin and plastic that resemble the ones in the Sorcerer’s Stone movie
- Cardboard chessboard that folds into fourths
- Chess pieces are slightly larger than regulations chess pieces
- A collector’s item, available in both new and used conditions
- The pieces don’t move on their own (if that wasn’t obvious already)
- Storage box not included
- Build Quality
The chess pieces are very well made and look exactly like the wizard chessmen from the movie. The plastic used to manufacture the pieces is of good quality and the pieces hold together very well. Just like the Harry Potter Wizard Chess sets from Mattel and The Noble Collection, the board for this one is made out of cardboard and folds into four parts. This is the biggest letdown for an otherwise very impressive looking chess set.
Gameplay
The gameplay is like any other movie based themed chess set – not the best. You can still play chess on it but it’s mainly meant as a fun, toy set for the Harry Potter fans that want to re-live the experience of Ron and Harry from the Sorcerer’s Stone Wizard’s chess scene in the movie.
Overall
If you or your children are fans of Harry Potter or chess (preferably both) and you can find one of these sets – whether new or used – you should go ahead with your purchase with confidence. This is one beautiful chess set that you or the kids will cherish for a long time.
Harry Potter Final Challenge Chess Set
Worth it would be an understatement for this fabulous Harry Potter themed chess set that replicates the chess game from the Sorcerer’s Stone movie.
Key Features
32 intricately designed and highly detailed chess pieces ranging from 2.5 inches to 5.5 inches in height
The chessboard resembles the one in the movie and measures 20 x 20 inches
Authentic movie replica authorized by Warner Bros
Build Quality
The chess pieces are made out of die-cast zinc and PVC so apart from being extremely beautiful, they are extremely sturdy as well. Since they are metal, the pieces are very heavy and look exactly like the ones in the movie. The chessmen resemble the original pieces from the movie and are highly detailed. Different pieces can be seen carrying different weapons just like in the movie.
The board is made of die-cast zinc and plexiglass. The manufacturer has made the board to look like the one in the movie by having a printed sheet and covering it with plexiglass. For this price, the board could have been better quality. With that said, you can upgrade the board (very cheaply) by buying 2” white polished marble and 2” black granite square tiles and either gluing them or just leaving them on their respective pieces.
Gameplay
The pieces are quite large for the 2” squares of the Harry Potter The Final Challenge Chess Set. You will have to be careful not to run into other pieces when making your moves. Other than that, the gameplay is very enjoyable and is as good as it gets with movie-themed chess sets.
Overall
All in all, if you have the money to spend, buying the Harry Potter Final Challenge Chess Set is a no brainer. This is the closest thing you can get to experiencing the chess battle scene from the Sorcerer’s Stone movie. Incredible finishing, high-quality materials and craftsmanship, and tons of Harry Potter Wizard chess fun. Just don’t expect the chess pieces to move with your voice!
Lego Harry Potter Chess Set
The Lego Harry Potter Chess is sadly just an idea that never came to life.
Lego has a feature on its website where users can submit their ideas and pitch them to the community to get support.
If enough people (10,000 to be exact) like a particular project and “support” it, it goes to the Lego Ideas staff who can then decide to produce and make it available for purchase to the public.
The Lego Harry Potter Chess project, pitched by user jmjt4 managed to get 4445 supporters in total and received a lot of buzz from Harry Potter and chess nerd around the world. However, it needs another 5000+ supporters for it to be approved and made available for purchase in stores.
It was a beautifully designed Harry Potter themed chess set concept that would have a total piece count of 1706 had it been produced. The concept replaced one black rook and bishop with Hermione and Harry’s mini-figures while Ron was made to ride atop the classic riderless knight in from the wizard’s chess in the movie.
Imagine putting those pieces together to get the gorgeous end result you see in the picture above. Unfortunately, imagination is all we have for now for this beautiful Lego Harry Potter chess set.
All is not lost, though.
If you want to experience the Harry Potter world through Lego and are ready to compromise on the wizard’s chess part of it, the Lego Harry Potter board gameis great fun. I know this doesn’t really make up for it but as Ron would say:
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That’s chess. You’ve got to make some sacrifices.
Although the set has been discontinued by Lego, you can still get in new or used condition from some sellers. The price is a steep but in my view, still worth it given the hours of endless fun it will provide.
Final Word
Harry Potter Complete Movie Set
With that, the Harry Potter Chess Sets review comes to an end. I have tried to give you an honest opinion of all the Harry Potter themed chess sets that are currently available. If you have any questions or suggestions in order to improve this information, please feel free to let me know through the comments.