So, I had this idea for a new article.  Why not search the web and find various sites that sell t-shirts related to chess?  Even though it’s a niche product, there must be hundreds of websites with cool t-shirts, right?

Well in the end, after a bit of surfing the web, I did find a few sites.  But the truth is, there were only two websites which had merchandise that was worth mentioning, and only one of them had the variety and odd sense of humor that I found appealing.  So, without further ado, here are the two sites in question:

Endgame Clothing (www.endgameclothing.com)

This site has shirts for men and women and also has an accompanying blog.  Shirts cost $22 each.  The blue “horsey” design is the tamest of the bunch.  Most of the others have either a “goth” look or a kind of “biker chess” feel to them.  The designer’s heart is in the right place, but to me, “tough guy” and “chess player” don’t really go together.  That doesn’t mean I’m right or wrong, it’s just not my style. 

Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com/chess)

This site offers a variety of merchandise from a ridiculous number of vendors.  Their website claims they have 6.5 million members who create, sell and buy T-shirts and other products.  They say they’ve been around since 1999 and are based in San Mateo, California.

Most of the shirts on this site also sell for $22 (seems to be the going rate), however what struck me was the sheer variety of content.  There are thousands of designs to choose from and the best part is, many of them are funny, others are minimalist ideas that will appeal to fellow chess players, and some make chess seem (dare I say it) … cool.

So if you see me at the club in a few weeks and wonder where I got that t-shirt, it was probably from Cafe Press …