Opening mugs
Posters
Desk mats
Coasters & stickers
Good chess club gifts match each member to the opening they actually play, a team order of three or more opening mugs gets 15% off automatically at checkout, and Christmas orders should be placed by 18 November outside the US and by 11 December in the US.
In this guide
What makes good chess club gifts
A chess club is a group of people who see each other every week and know each other's games surprisingly well. That makes it one of the easiest places to choose a personal present. You already know who always plays the London, who answers 1.e4 with the Sicilian and who sacrifices a pawn in every game. Good chess club gifts use that knowledge.
The gifts that work well in a club have three things in common. They can be bought for several people at once without becoming impersonal, they get used at the club or at home rather than stored, and they work for members of every level, from the junior who joined in September to the club champion. A mug with a member's own opening meets all three conditions.
Every Chess4pro design shows a real opening. The mugs print the opening's name and the board diagram of its key position on both sides. The posters add the main line and the ECO code, and posters, desk mats, coasters and stickers are available for ten popular openings. There are 40 opening mugs in total, each $23.
Match each member to their opening
Most members have a favourite opening, and in a club it is rarely a secret. If you are not sure, look at the club's game records, ask a regular opponent or check the member's public games on an online chess site. The table maps common playing styles to the mugs that usually fit them.
| The member who... | Opening mug | Key position on the design |
|---|---|---|
| Plays classical 1.e4 e5 with White | Italian Game | After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 |
| Answers 1.e4 with the c-pawn | Sicilian Defense | After 1.e4 c5 |
| Opens with the queen's pawn | Queen's Gambit | After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 |
| Plays the same setup in every game | London System | After 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 |
| Defends solidly against 1.e4 | Caro-Kann Defense | After 1.e4 c6 |
| Knows sharp Sicilian theory | Sicilian Najdorf | After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 |
| Gambits a pawn whenever possible | Smith-Morra Gambit | After 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 |
| Is the club's joker | Bongcloud Attack | After 1.e4 e5 2.Ke2 |
When a member plays different openings with White and Black, choose the one they play most often, or give two mugs as a pair. Our main chess gifts guide has more ideas organised by type of player.
Three classical openings that between them cover players of 1.e4 and 1.d4. Each mug carries the name and the diagram of its key position on both sides, and three mugs in one order are 15% off automatically.
How the discount works on a team order
The opening mugs have an automatic quantity discount, applied in the cart with no code. Two mugs are 10% off and three or more are 15% off, whether they are different openings or several copies of the same one. Because the discount works per order, one person ordering for the whole club gets it on every mug.
| Mugs in one order | Regular price | With the automatic discount |
|---|---|---|
| 2 mugs | $46 | $41.40 (10% off) |
| 3 mugs | $69 | $58.65 (15% off) |
| 4 mugs | $92 | $78.20 (15% off) |
Shipping matters for a group order too. Free shipping starts at $55 for deliveries to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, so three mugs already qualify. Everywhere else the threshold is $75, which four mugs pass.
For larger orders, our page for clubs and tournaments lets you choose the number of mugs and see the total straight away, with the 15% already applied. If you are ordering for a team coach as well, our guide to chess coach gifts covers presents from a whole class.
Chess club gifts by budget
All prices are regular prices in US dollars. The mug discounts above apply automatically at checkout.
| Budget | Gift | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| $6 | Sticker of an opening | A small present for every junior member |
| $14 | Coaster | The tables where games are analysed |
| $23 | Opening mug | A personal gift for one member |
| $32 or $45 | Poster, 12×16 in or 18×24 in | The club room or a member's study |
| $42 | Desk mat, 16×32 in | The member who also plays online |
| $25, $50 or $100 | Gift card | Prizes, or anyone whose opening you do not know |
For more presents under a fixed amount, see our selection of affordable chess gifts.
Gifts for the club room
Some chess club gifts are for the club itself. A poster of the opening most associated with the club, or of the one the coach teaches to beginners, turns a plain meeting room into a chess room. Posters come in 12×16 in and 18×24 in, are shipped without a frame and carry the main line and ECO code, which makes them useful as a teaching aid during lessons.
Coasters protect the tables where members analyse after their games, and a desk mat works well under the laptop used for online club matches or for showing games on a screen. Posters, desk mats, coasters and stickers are available for the Najdorf, Queen's Gambit, Bongcloud, Scotch, Caro-Kann, French, Ruy Lopez, Italian, London and Smith-Morra.
Prizes for club events and juniors
Club championships, rapid evenings and junior tournaments all need prizes, and the gift card is the simplest choice. It comes in $25, $50 and $100, is delivered by email, can be sent to the winner on a date you choose with a message from the club, and is valid on every product in the store. Any balance left after an order stays on the card for the next one.
For a junior section, stickers and mugs make prizes that children actually keep. A sticker of their opening for every participant and a mug for the winners is an affordable combination. Our guide to chess gifts for kids has more ideas for young players.
A gift card for tournament prizes or members whose opening is a mystery, and a coaster for the analysis tables. The coaster shows the board diagram of its opening with the name below, in the same design as the mug and the poster.
Christmas order dates
Every item is printed when you order, which takes 2 to 5 business days before shipping. For delivery before Christmas, order by 11 December for addresses in the United States and by 18 November for all other countries. Gift cards are delivered by email and are not affected by these dates.
If your club holds an end-of-year meeting or a Christmas tournament in December, count back from that date rather than from Christmas, and place a team order in good time so that everything arrives together.
Questions
What are good chess club gifts?
Gifts tied to each member's own chess: a mug of the opening they play, a poster for the club room or a gift card for prizes. Opening mugs work for every level and can be ordered for the whole team at once.
Is there a discount for buying mugs for a whole team?
Yes. It is applied automatically in the cart, with no code: 10% for two mugs and 15% for three or more in the same order, including different openings.
When should a club order for Christmas?
By 18 November for addresses outside the United States and by 11 December for the United States. Items are printed to order in 2 to 5 business days before shipping. Gift cards arrive by email.
What if I do not know which opening a member plays?
Ask a regular opponent or look at the club's game records. If that is not possible, a gift card of $25, $50 or $100 lets the member choose the design of their own repertoire.
