The Queen’s Gambit Chess Set – How a Spanish Chess Board Business Found Their Set on the Biggest Chess Series in History

Most chess and Netflix lovers have probably heard of the TV series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ starring Beth Harmon and many more. Released in 2020, the now famous production was the first series to have such a positive impact on chess popularity, especially surging its viewer’s interest in high-quality, beautiful chess sets. Chess has been growing in popularity worldwide since the invention of online chess; websites like chess.com have had their user base grow from around 5 or 6 million users to over 100 million in the last 10 years – they reported gaining over 5 million users just in the months following the release of the show. It is now home to the world’s leading competitive players and the largest online chess platform.

The Queen’s Gambit used a wide range of sets during its production, from low-cost pocket-sized chess sets to beautifully crafted luxury chess sets. Many of the scenes, especially surrounding the tournaments showcased an array of very beautiful boards and pieces.

As TV productions do, the show sourced its props from external suppliers, which gave manufactures in the chess set industry a chance to feature their work on a Netflix TV show. Since modern day drama shows entirely based on chess was a new concept, nobody knew how much of an impact the show would have on the industry until it was happening. Retailers across the globe, including us, experienced a major spike in sales which lasted for a long time.

One of our Spanish suppliers, Rechapados Ferrer, was one of the many to have some of their products used in the show. A notable chess board they manufacture that featured was used when Beth and Borgov competed at the 1968 USSR Chess Championship - its matte finish and contrasting colour scheme made it very aesthetically pleasing and it caught the attention of viewers. Since the release of the show, they have renamed the board ‘The Queen’s Gambit Chess Board’ and as expected, have considerably capitalized on it. Despite it not being officially licenced by the show, it certainly allows buyers to experience the luxury portrayed in that scene. It’s the closest you can get to the real deal.

Image of the Rechapados Ferrer Chess Board

Rechapados Ferrer, a renowned Spanish producer of fine, luxury chess boards were established decades ago and supply a large percentage of our luxury boards. They are respected for their expert technique and use of high-quality materials and have become globally recognised in the chess community.

Their Queen’s Gambit chess board is available to purchase in our range and of course, as we do best, we have paired it with complimenting pieces to create beautiful chess sets – but we also stock the all-in-one chess set that Rechapados Ferrer put together. In our 14 years of operation, we have mastered the ability to combine chess pieces and boards, resulting in us being a go-to shop to purchase chess set bundles. However, the option remains open for you to customise your chess set by selecting your preferred chess board and chess pieces, and to optionally compliment it by choosing a storage box for the pieces, and even a timer for when you are playing; whether you’re practicing, playing against a friend, or competing.

Due to the positive impact The Queen’s Gambit had on chess businesses, including ourselves after experiencing more than tenfold growth in sales for our chess sets, we would be delighted to see a continuation of the series, but as the years go by since the limited series released, it seems less and less likely – contrary to many rumours. Despite this, we are proud to have been at the forefront of the surge and it has undoubtedly inspired the industry to further strive for excellence.