5 MOST EXPENSIVE CHESS SETS

Last year, chess enjoyed a brief surge in popularity, largely driven by the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit. If you aspire to play like Beth Harmon, investing in a luxury chess set is a natural starting point. Here are five of the world's most expensive chess sets.

Last year, chess was the most popular game for a short period. This is largely due to the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit. If your goal is to be anything like Beth Harmon, perhaps the best place to start is by purchasing a luxury chess set. These are five of the most expensive chess sets in the world.Online editor: Natasha Hendriks

Carolingi XIV

Piero Benzoni has made this beautiful chess set. It contains a scene that pays tribute to the ancient 9th century battles that took place. Each piece in this chess set is made of fine gold and silver. It Carolingi XIV has a gothic look and the detail on the handmade pieces is incredible. Instead of the standard shaped chess pieces, this medieval set is cut to look like real kings, queens, knights, bishops, pawns and rooks. All this luxurious craftsmanship adds up to a price tag of €95.000 Photo: Pianki

J.Grahl

Jim Grahl originally commissioned this chess set in 1972, and it is unique. Each figure is made of silver and 14 carat gold. The chessboard is made of ebony embellished with sterling silver, and even the case is handmade and beautifully detailed. Overall, the set has a refined appearance and would be the perfect board for someone who admires fine craftsmanship, exotic woods, rare gemstones and has plenty of money to spare. The price for a custom made replica of this J. Grahl chess set is € 375.000. Photo: Catwiki

Royal Diamond

Charles Hollander is a company known for selling exceptionally luxurious items, and it Royal Diamondchess set is no exception. French artist and jewelry maker Bernard Maquin designed the set for Charles Hollander. It took more than 4500 hours to design and create the chessboard and pieces by hand, making this one of the most expensive chess sets in the world. The classically styled chess pieces are made of 14 carat white gold and decorated with 9.900 white and black diamonds weighing a total of 186,09 carats – the composition of this set is largely why it costs €415.000.

Photo: Money Inc.

Art of war

Sun Tzu's Art of War is widely regarded as the ultimate treatise on military strategy, making it the perfect theme for a chess set. Victor F. Scharstein designed this masterpiece made of gold and precious gemstones. The set's pieces have an Asian influence and each was hand decorated with rubies, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds. The ebony board itself is a sight to behold, and the legs, hinges, handle and key are carved from gold. The Art of War set has always been one of the most expensive chess sets in the world. When it was put up for auction, bids poured in from almost every continent. The maker turned down a bid of €620.000 for the set that came from Indonesia, so the winning bid had to be significantly higher.

Photo: Money Inc.

Jewel Royale

The chess sets on this list all contain astonishing amounts of jewels, gemstones, precious metals and beautiful materials, but none come close to what would be the most expensive chess set in the world. The Jewel Royale set is carefully crafted and glitters with gold and gemstones. By itself, the 18 carat yellow gold piece inlaid with rubies costs €50.000. Because the set is made to order, it will take approximately four months to complete and ship and will cost €1,1 million. Photo: Spettro