Morning Chess

8/10 This is just Aventus. The difference is imperceptible.

Morning Chess is bizarre but interesting, though not for me. It's somehow simultaneously fresh and lived in― maybe the contrast of the citrus with the leather/animalic stuff going on. It reminds me of my grandpa smoking his tobacco pipe as he tended to his avocado trees.

Has anybody decoded their batch code system? Purchased Morning Chess with MAX1 batch code. Nothing in either Checkfresh and Checkcosmetic so I emailed their customer service which was absolutely useless and refused to provide any information. I'm sure it was a canned bot response.

Opens with a bergamot, refined galbanum-leather that is a bit less acrid than one you’d find in Moroccan Leather by Memo Paris, more refined actually (a somewhat bright-greenish leather). The galbanum serves as the continuum for the citrus bias, but overall the profile is a bit dirty from the black amber, and patchouli, in that order, for intensity. In a way, its very reminiscent of No 16 Tomato Leather by Cognoscenti, except here its more approachable, and the leather is more lived in (but formal), in a clean fashion. Its presentation is more like Golfjazz by DS&Durga but in the sense I’ve described beforehand (bright). It’s not as “screechy” as some might put it like Leatherize by DSDurga, but probably louder than something like Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford, and definitely miles ahead of present-day Aventus Creed. A layerable, FBW worthy choice for more formal occasions that speaks loud but isn’t conventionally screechy, but will remain in my queue for the time being. +1 * Leather -> -- A great render by Jérôme Epinette.

On me, it smells like a refined old man, someone's grandpa who goes around town well dressed and chats with everyone. It's a very good scent, I was just hoping the citrus would come out more on me. Oh well, I'll stick to Dear Poppy.

A very elegant pleasant smell i would describe this as a citrus wearing a woody ? leather jacket absolutely love it

Honestly, not much to say about this, it dries down to something very similar to Aventus. Looking at the notes, would not have guessed that. Had I looked at the reminds me of... might should have suspected. A nice citrus and leathery opening that dries down to aventus. Lasts and projects for quite a while, in a tight scent bubble. Thing is, Aventus just isn't my jam, its alright.

Wow this is incredibly well blended! It smells as expensive as it does refreshing. I can't smell this without it evoking the idea of sophistication. This has elicited several comments from passers-by the first day I've worn it. It's masculine, leathery, but airy and fresh. The bergamot in this is citrusy but so well blended that I wouldn't necessarily recognize it as such, it's green and juicy but given depth with the leathery notes. This might be the best masculine-leaning scent I've smelled in quite some time. This would be a safe blind-buy for any guy (or girl, I could definitely see anyone wearing this).

I wanted to try this one because I liked the listed notes. To a certain degree, it is similar to Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede, but it has more leather and warmth. It smells like a dark-brown wooden library in a seahouse somewhere in Massachusetts, and it does have a tangible connection to its name: it smells like a morning chess game with your grandpa, who is always put together. After a few hours, it gives off something that smells edible, like pineapple, which is entirely my perception and probably has no logical explanation. Compared to Ganymede, it seems a little dull. Maybe perfect for a day when you want to smell nice but still grounded.

Кислая кожа, даже не знаю к какому времени суток отнести этот аромат,для дня он не очень,на вечер подойдёт,не офис точно, какой то разовый выход, однозначно надо пробовать перед покупкой.Вообще не мое.

To me, it has a strong smell of lemon rather than bergamot to me. That being said, whatever the note is, it is mixed very nicely with the leather. It's nice. If you love citrus, I'd try this.

I wear this almost exclusively when I'm leaning more masc. I love the perfume but it can also sometimes trigger migraines for me if I'm not careful!

for a week i really liked this and now it smells like the walls i am sorry to be of no help

Back in 2015, I stumbled upon my first bottle of Creed Aventus—a 2014 batch that smelled absolutely heavenly! Fast forward to 2023, and I’m in the market for a new one. Sadly, when I sampled it, I discovered that the entire formula has been revamped. The ambergris is gone, the oak moss is now DNA-altered and the pineapple scent is reminiscent of cheap bergamot. I didn’t want to spend my money on anything that didn’t live up to the original, especially since ‘Aventus’ and ‘average’ just don’t mix. So, I did a lot of digging and finally found Morning Chess. It’s the perfect successor to the original Aventus. It’s not quite as amazing, but it’s definitely a solid second best. Overall, the scent is darker, heavier and more serious than the 2014 Creed Aventus. It can last for 8-12 hours with just 6-10 sprays. The projection is great for 2-3 hours, but after that, it becomes more contained. The presentation should really put Creed & PDM to shame. It’s a fantastic purchase, and I absolutely love it!

wish there was a man in my life who smelled like this

Bergamot with a slight tinge of leather and some Ambery greens . The opening smells like Aventus once Aventus has dried down after about 5 hours…but in all reality morning chess is its own thing. Aventus is professional Morning Chess is classy, sophisticated, and polished (Don’t get me wrong, I’m a die hard Aventus bro) But the two are not comparable, nor should they be compared. Don’t buy this thinking you’re getting Aventus, buy this because it’s Morning Chess.

This sits in between creed aventus and aventus absolu. On the opening and for the first few hours to my nose it smells like a more pineapple forward aventus, but less pineapple heavy than absolu. On the drydown the leather really comes out and it suits the fragrance perfectly. Aventus was always one of my main go to's but this is £100 cheaper and smells just as good imo and more importantly projects and lasts longer. Brilliant fragrance and anyone looking for an aventus style fragrance that smells high quality I would strongly recommend a sample.

Morning Chess opens with a lovely dry cologne blast...and then almost immediately threatens to get sugary. The "leather" is brassy and fake behind its smoke, and there's something fruity in the base. At fifteen minutes in, it's just a basic hissy dark leather, which means it's not too bad; but it's still one of the worst leathers I've ever smelled. Frankly, Vilhelm Parfumerie perfumes all smell cheap, and they don't have the sense to stick to the types of light, fresh scents where a low formula budget can smell great. A tinny, cheap leather just doesn't come out well.

Pineapple and bitter pine needles with a slight nuttiness. The black amber makes it feel boozy and sweet, and the bergamot really sparkles! Morning Chess is a stunning, unisex take on a classic male fragrance!

This is what Aventus should've been. This improves upon Aventus in every aspect minus performance (which is acceptable, but definitely not above-average). If you can cope with that, this is a fully-automatic compliment-generating machine. I had a stranger in the grocery store stop me to say that she'd brushed past me several times and needed to know what I was wearing and wouldn't let me out of the conversation until she knew she'd found the correct bottle on her phone. My girlfriend (who's very tired of me asking her to smell fragrances) lights up every time I wear this. Several strangers in public have had to tell me how nice I smell. This frag reels people in when they get a whiff and it's undeniable.

This is one of my least favorite fragrances I have ever tried. The leather in this is rancid.

Extremely leather forward with smoky, juicy notes that makes you go back for more. First whiff immediately makes me think of deep leather couches in an underground cocktail bar with dimmed lights and wandering eyes. Not familiar with Creed Aventus, but I love wearing this scent at night and at day, more masculine leaning but it is grassier/less smoky on me and I am a woman. Absolutely does have a long lasting fragrance, I would spray this before going out and wake up in the middle of the night smelling it on me!

I got a decant of this just reading the fragrance notes. Its basically Aventus. Maybe Abselu Aventus. Its not bad but it doesnt last very long. I'll stick with Hacivat.

This went from a nice glazed wood piece to Absolu Aventus in about 30 minutes. I like the woody smell, kind of reminded me of a workshop, but I really do not like the Absolu Aventus like scent. I can still smell that woody note a bit while it's drying down, so I don't hate it.

This is not an Aventus clone!!! This is what Aventus wants to be when it grows up! This is presence without pandering. This is confidence without arrogance. This is elegantly understated with a beautiful leather accord that never abandons the composition in favor of "freshening" things up. Vilhelm pulled off a unique masterpiece here that artfully blends citrus with vanilla, patchouli and leather. They all get their time on the mic, but none are campaigning for your attention. That's what makes it so beautiful. You won't smell like everyone else, but they will all be wondering what you're wearing! Wear this and send those Aventus boys into anaphylactic shock! This is Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday, (the parting scene where he holds his frame so masterfully). This is Bond in Casino Royale. This is what you wear when you confidently go your own way!

I can’t believe this fragrance was launched in 2015. It’s a bit more rich than Aventus but a tad brighter and airy compared to Absolu. Regardless of both I I think this is the total winner. It’s not all the way Aventus but I think this the upgrade to Aventus and all the clones the exist. This is high quality stuff, very refined. I’d sample this before Absolu if someone was interested in that. This will be timeless and not necessarily compared to Aventus as time goes on I think. The levels of richness in this establishes such a high quality where I think in general quality will determine it being a timeless scent. It’s an all year round scent. Love the bottle and the name by the way which makes this from an aesthetic standpoint even more underrated. I’m pretty impressed with this especially discovering that it was released in 2015. 10/10 Perfection

The notes here does not show any pineapple here but I get mostly pineapple vibe from it . In the opening I get mango vibe also .If we compare it with other fragrance , Mancera cedrat boise is more airy sweet and less pineapply than this. Montblanc explorer is more spicy and less juicy than this . Also explorer remotely remind me of any pineapple. CDNI is similar but does not smell like pineapple at all. I also compared it with Aventus. So Aventus is more similar to CDNI (though Aventus is much more natural) with having a smokiness. Morning chess is much , brighter, fruitier and uplifting than Aventus. I would prefer morning chess overt Aventus.

Ugh, these reviews are exhausting. Not every fragrance with citrus, leather, and woods is an Aventus clone! Morning Chess is a beautiful, sophisticated fragrance. This fragrance shines in the dead of winter or the heat of summer. Sounds contradictory, but it evokes the embrace of a cold, harsh winter; or quite literally, the cool relief of a summer morning. This fragrance smells like that guy who completely captured your attention in a coastal town. You don't know his story, but you find him completely mesmerizing, and you're sure his life is far more intriguing than yours. Even though you didn't speak to him, you remember and think about him long after you return home. It definitely skews masculine, but I am a woman who enjoys wearing it as an elevated daytime, fresh fragrance (I would never reach for this for evening). However, it can definitely be dressed up or down, and worn day or night, by a man.

Another Aventus clone made by the king of Aventus clones.

This is honestly close enough to Aventus where smelling this up in the air, they are essentially the same. Upon first spray I was like wow that is literally a spot on opening. Only up close can you tell some differences- not as smoky, slightly greener/woody on the dry down. But to the average person this, CDNIM, aventus,etc will all be along the same lines. Good scent, but nothing new or unique about it, if you're tired of this over done scent profile then this most likely wont be worth your time trying. Performance is solid. lasts a long time on skin, sillage is moderate but i can't tell how much I go nose blind to the scent like with most aventus type scent profiles.