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As a devoteed Big Bang Theory fan, I can’t avoid remembering a classic Sheldon quote at least once every December.

Because I think that the art of the gift giving is one of the most complicated life tasks there is. I think I would rather spend dozen of hours trying to understand Seinfield’s jokes than trying to figure out what the ideal present for my friend/relative/family member is.

And just in case you wondered why I haven’t added /girlfriend in the above description, the reason is that my girlfriend is very much the same as humour in Seinfield’s jokes.

Nonexistent.

Um…Anyway.. That’s how I got the idea to write this post. If you happen to know a chessplayer, it is probably not a bad idea to buy something related to chess as a gift.

And if you would like to get a LITTLE more creative and go with something other than conventional chess book/chess set choice, here is a brief list that might hopefully give you an idea or two.

I’ve also tried to take the different sizes of the budget into account. Because naturally, buying gifts with a big cheque in the hand is like playing the game on the “easy” mode. 🙂

1. CHESS CHOCOLATE CANDY MOLD

When the battle heats up during a chessgame, or when the time trouble approaches, taking some chocolate to relax the nerves is always a nice option to have. With these Tifan Silicone Candy Mold it is possible to make your own chocolate pieces. Just be careful during the game, because the phrase “eating the pieces” gets a whole new dimension.

2. CHESS WRIST WATCH

Time is definitely one of the most imporant factors in the life of every chessplayer. Many of us (unfortunately myself as well), are terrible at time management, not only during the chessgame, but also in life. Therefore, with a nice wrist watch such as Vintage Rook Collectible Wrist Watch you may help your colleague to avoid both time trouble during his chess escapades, and trouble during his life.

Especially if he is married.

3. COLOUR CHANGING CHESS MUG

Recently I have become aquainted with the colour-changin-mug phenomenon. Apparently, when you pour a hot beverage into these mugs, they start changing their decoration. To be honest, I haven’t studied the mechanicsm behind it, but for illustration you can check this youtube video.

Since we are limiting ourselfs to chess-related content, these IRocket Heat Changing Mugs are something I would definitely recommend.

Although I would like to own every possible colour changing mug on the world, from the moment I heard something like that exists.

4. CHESS MEMORY STICK

Chess memory stick is probably somewhat more conventional, but nevertheless very usefull tool for every chessplayer.  Since studying chess in modern times is unavoidably connected with the computers.

The Aneew Black Pendrive USB Flash Drives come in different size (from 8 to 32 GB). It will definitely come in handy, for instance to store a growing data with analysis, or simply just to have a backup in case of emergency.

5. CHESS BOTTLE STOPPER

This is the gift where i hesitated the most to give my recommendation.

Because judging from the tournaments held in my home country of Croatia, rarely does a bottle need a stopper when a chessplayer lays his hands on her.

Even so, these Chess Bottle Stoppers are not that expensive and are nice addition to have when the guests arrive.

Because nothing will get the dinner conversation going as a simple: “Oh, nice stopper.. You play chess?”

6. CHESS CUFFLINKS

Since I am not a very big jewerly fan, I avoided digging deeper into any necklaces or rings related to chess.

But this little cufflinks in the shape of the pawn and the knight have caught my attention.

They are best described as “cute” and seem like a nice addition to show your love of the game.

7. HARRY POTTER CHESS SET

I know I have talked against chess sets at the beginning of this post, but I think there are sets, and there are SETS.

This Harry Potter Chess Set is an ideal gift for people who like Harry Potter and who also play chess. All the pieces are identical as in the famous Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone chess scene.

I might  be  quite subjective here, since I am a HUUUGE Harry Potter fan.  But reminds me very much of the days when we were waiting impatiently for the new book to be written and than translated to Croatian.

Of the days when Emma Watson wasn’t the love of my life yet.

8. STAR WARS AWAKENING CHESS SET

Is any further commentary required? The things every NERDVANNA should incorporate. Is there anything better than playing with the Darth Vader as a king or Han Solo as a knight in this Star Wars Chess set?

9. MILLENIUM CHESSGENIUS CHESS COMPUTER

Nowadays, due to the apperance of the modern chess engines, chessplayers spend the majority of their chess time in front of the computer screen.

However, it is true that playing chess online is almost a different sport than playing chess over the board. However, it is not often possible to find a companion willing to spend a couple of minutes or even hours for a mere game of chess.

Therefore, the table top chess computers have made their appearance. Millenium ChessGenius is definitely the most affordable. With the playing strength of 2400 UCSF / 2000 ELO, it is a great gift for a novice chess player. Additionaly, if your kid is as inseparable from his SmartPhone as my brother, maybe this is a possibility to turn his attention to something a bit more useful than the typical click-click-click phone games.

10. NOVAG CITRINE CHESS COMPUTER

Finally, the mother of all gifts. The chess computer of all chess computers. The House of Staunton’s Novaq Citrine Chess Computer.

This computer is definitely the one with most possibilities. The maximum playing strength reaches IM- level, with estimated 2350 ELO rating.

Furthermore, the user can choose between 64 different playing levels. Meaning it will suit players of very broad playing strengths.

Additionaly, the board uses magnetic sensors to interpret your moves and LED lightning to indicate computer’s moves.

Naturally, as expected,  the only downside is the price.

You know I can’t avoid saying that once you get the CHECK, it might mean the MATE to your liquidity.

If you have any opinions, remarks, criticism, insults or jokes, feel free to comment below 🙂