THE 5 MOST EXPENSIVE CHESS SETS

For a brief period last year, chess was the most popular game. This was 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 to purchase a luxury chess set. These are five of the most expensive chess sets in the world.Online Editor: Natasha Hendriks

Carolingi XIV

Piero Benzoni created this beautiful chess set. It contains a scene that pays homage to the ancient battles of the 9th century that took place. Each piece in this chess set is made of fine gold and silver. The Carolingi XIV has a Gothic look and the details on the handmade pieces are incredible. Instead of the standard shaped chess pieces, this medieval set is carved to look like real kings, queens, knights, bishops, pawns and rooks. All this luxurious craftsmanship adds up to a price tag of €95,000Photo: Pianki

J. Grahl

Jim Grahl originally designed this chess set on commission in 1972, and it is unique. Each figure is made of silver and 14-karat gold. The chess board is made of ebony embellished with sterling silver, and even the case is handmade and beautifully detailed. Overall, the set has a sophisticated look and would be the perfect board for someone who admires fine craftsmanship, exotic wood, 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 extraordinarily luxurious items, and the Royal Diamond chess set is no exception. French artist and jewelry maker Bernard Maquin designed the set for Charles Hollander. It took more than 4,500 hours to design and handcraft the chessboard and pieces, making this one of the most expensive chess sets in the world. The classically designed chess pieces are made of 14 karat 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 considered 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 pleasing to the eye, 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 considerably higher.

Photo: Money Inc.

Jewel Royale

The chess sets on this list all contain amazing amounts of jewels, gems, precious metals and exquisite 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 precious stones. By itself, the 18-carat yellow gold piece encrusted with rubies costs €50,000. Because the set is made to order, it takes about four months to complete and ship and costs €1.1 million.Photo: Spettro