GeoCities.us
» TimesSquare » Board|
GeoCities.us
» TimesSquare » Board |
Get your FREE home page! |
 |
Knight Moves Chess Supply
Chess sets, clocks, books and scholastic supplies by mail Norman Ellis, proprietor • Established 1996 |
| [ Sets & Boards | Clocks | Books | Scholastic Program | How to Order | About Norman ] |
|
Welcome. Knight Moves is a small mail-order chess supply that I run from a spare room in my
house, and I keep it small on purpose. I stock the things a club player, a parent or a school
actually needs: sturdy plastic tournament sets, roll-up boards, clocks that survive a
scholastic tournament, and a shelf of the books I would recommend to a friend. I don't carry
carved onyx sets or gold-plated kings. If you want something to play with, you're in
the right place.
Every order is packed by me, personally, usually the same day I get your check. If something arrives broken, tell me and I will replace it. That's the whole guarantee, and I've never had to argue about it. |
| Sets and Boards | ||
| Item | Description | Price |
| Tournament set | Solid plastic Staunton pieces, 3 3/4" king, weighted, black and cream. Extra queens included. This is the set you see at every club and scholastic tournament in the country, and it will outlast your car. | $12.00 |
| Roll-up vinyl board | 20" x 20", 2 1/4" squares, sized to match the tournament pieces. Green and buff (the standard), or burgundy and buff. Rolls up and goes in a backpack. Wipes clean. | $6.00 |
| Set + board combo | One tournament set and one roll-up board, together. My most popular item by a mile. | $16.00 |
| Club pack | Ten set + board combos, for a club or a classroom. Ask about the scholastic discount if you are a school. | $145.00 |
| Score books | Spiral bound, 50 games each, room for both players' names, the date, the result and 60 moves. Every scholastic player should have one. | $2.50 |
| Wall demonstration board | Vinyl fold-up board with slotted pieces for teaching in front of a class. 27" square. Hangs from two nails. Teachers, this is the one you want. | $32.00 |
| Chess Clocks | ||
| Item | Description | Price |
| Analog wind-up clock | Two mechanical dials in a plastic case, with the little red flag that falls when the minute hand passes twelve. No batteries to forget. Perfectly good for club and scholastic play. | $25.00 |
| Analog clock, wood case | Same works as above in a stained wooden case. Handsome on a coffee table; I own one myself. | $42.00 |
| Digital clock | Battery-powered, with sudden death, time delay and bonus (Fischer) modes. Runs on one AA battery. If you play in rated tournaments that use delay, this is what you'll need. Comes with my one-page "how to set it" sheet, because the printed manual is not much help. | $60.00 |
Books  | |
I carry a short list of books rather than a long one, because I only sell what I've read.
Prices run from $8 to $25 depending on the title. Broadly, I keep:
|
The Scholastic Chess Program
 This is the part of the business I care about most. Chess in schools is growing every year, and I have watched what it does for a nine-year-old to sit down across from an opponent, think three moves ahead, lose, shake hands and come back next week. So here is what I do for schools, libraries, scout troops and after-school clubs: 1. Sets at a discount. Any school or non-profit youth program gets 15% off the club pack (ten sets and boards) and 20% off two or more club packs. Demonstration boards, score books and rulebooks are 10% off for schools. I need a letter on school letterhead or an e-mail from a teacher's school address, that's all. 2. A starter kit. For a brand-new club I put together a kit with ten set/board combos, one demonstration board, ten score books, one rulebook, one beginners' book for the teacher and my own six-page "How to Run a School Chess Club" handout, for a flat $185.00 plus shipping. Everything a club needs to meet on Tuesday. 3. Coaching referrals. I am not a coach, but I know most of the club players and tournament directors in this part of the state, and several of them coach scholastic groups for a modest fee or for free. If you tell me where your school is I will try to put you in touch with somebody. No charge for the introduction, and I take nothing from the coach. 4. Tournament help. If your school wants to run its first tournament, e-mail me. I can explain pairings, time controls and what to do about a crying second-grader, all of which I have dealt with more than once. |
| How to Order |
|
I don't take credit cards and I don't have an order form. It works like this:
Step 1. Send me an e-mail at [email protected] listing what you want, how many, and your mailing address. Step 2. I'll reply within a day with your total, including shipping, and the address to mail your check to. (Shipping is usually $4 to $6 for a set or a clock, more for a club pack; I charge what the post office charges me, rounded to the dollar.) I ship by Priority Mail inside the United States. Step 3. Mail your check or money order, payable to Knight Moves Chess Supply. Schools may send a purchase order and I will invoice. Step 4. I ship the day your check arrives. Most orders reach you in two to four days after that. If you'd rather talk to a person, you can reach me at (555) 555-0142, evenings are best. If the machine picks up, leave your name and I'll call you back. Please don't leave order details on the machine; e-mail is much less likely to get garbled. I am happy to answer questions about which set or clock is right for you before you buy anything. Ask away. |
|
About Norman. I've played chess since I was ten and have run the mail-order side of
things since 1996, after too many people at the club asked me "where do you get the good
plastic sets?" I am also the secretary of our local chess club; you may have seen me on our
club's page, The Chess Corner. Knight Moves is just me,
a computer, a spare bedroom full of boxes, and a very patient wife who has learned to step
around them.
A note about the name: the knight is the only piece that can jump over others, and the only one that moves in a way that surprises people. It seemed right for a business that skips the store and goes straight to your mailbox. |
