The 8 Best Chess Boards in 2019

Chess has always been the game of intellectuals. But that doesn’t mean it has ever been limited to only professionals or skillful players! From grandparents to grandkids, teachers to students - all love playing chess. It is a fun way to exercise your brain and set up your mind to strategize situations. So here we are with the best chess boards for you to get the best experience while training your intelligence!

Our Best Pick

Wegiel Chess Royal 30 European Wooden Handmade International Set Wegiel Chess Royal European Set costs a little higher but is every bit of value with its incredibly detailed chessmen which makes it a great collectible! The birchwood board can be folded in half and weighs little, while the pieces are made of hornbeam and sycamore. Check Latest Price on Amazon

Our Budget Pick

US Chess Federation's Quiver Chess Set Combo US Chess Federation's Quiver Chess Set Combo seems to be the best budget pick for chess lovers. You can play comfortably on its premium vinyl board and pick green or blue as the color. The single-weighted plastic pieces with traditional Staunton pattern and two additional queens will make the game worth it! The label on all sides and the free bag also make it a good choice at a cheap price. Check Latest Price on Amazon

Quick Comparison: Top 8 Best Chest Boards

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1. ​Wegiel Chess Consul Set 

Wegiel Chess Consul SetCheck Latest Price on Amazon Wegiel has been making high-quality wooden game equipment since 1964. Only in chess boards, they have over 50 artistic variations. One of the most popular products among them has been this version called Chess Consul Brown. The board is big with 18.58 inches in both length and width. It measures 2.36 inches in height and allows a large enough gameplay area for the chess lovers. The chessmen are weighted gently with a king as tall as 3.54 inches! Pawns are the smallest with 1.77 inches height. They are heavy enough to stay in place and not fall over but can be knocked down with a tip. All these pieces are handcrafted in Poland which gives the board a little uneven structure. It is made of beech and birch wood. There are felt liners made of hornbeam and sycamore wood which hold the pieces together. The rows and columns are marked with respective letters and numbers engraved in them.

PROS

  • Big board
  • Made of beech and birch wood
  • Weighted pieces
  • Wood-burner engravings
  • Felt liners
  • Handcrafted in Poland

CONS

  • Expensive
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2. ​aGreatLife Universal Standard Wooden Chess Board Game Set

aGreatLife Universal Standard Wooden Chess Board Game SetCheck Latest Price on Amazon The brand of aGreatLife has been dedicated to bringing more priceless memories for your friends and family with their board game products. Since 2014, this brand of two friends has built many chess boards and we have picked the best one among them for you. This wooden chess board set follows the universal standard to satisfy players from US, Canada and many other countries around the world. The board is 15 inches in size and allows folding for convenience. It has been handcrafted with top quality wood. There is storage space for the pieces which can sit comfortably on its surface and can be closed with equal ease due to the magnet closure. One of the main attractive features is its lightweight construction of just 2.6 pounds. The simple universal design makes it a good option for beginners and light magnetic build makes it an easily portable choice.

PROS

  • 15-inch board
  • Handcrafted
  • Magnet closure
  • Lightweight
  • Ideal for beginners

CONS

  • High price
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3. US Chess Federation's Quiver Chess Set Combo

US Chess Federation's Quiver Chess Set ComboCheck Latest Price on Amazon Instead of typical wood construction, the chess board in this set is made of premium vinyl material. So it takes up less space but is still large enough to hold all the game pieces. It features rank and file labels on every side to avoid confusion beginners. The pieces are made of plastic and follow single-weighted regulation with the traditional Staunton pattern. Instead of just 32 pieces, 2 additional queens are added to its set for pawn promotion! A bag is also provided with the brand of Quiver on it. This bag has two nylon handles and an adjustable shoulder strap for your convenience. This whole combo comes from US Chess Federation (USCF) who has been the official non-profit organization for American chess players since 1939! They released this set so that people of all ages and skill levels can use it comfortably. Since it weighs very light with just 1.85 pounds and comes with a bag, you can carry it around as much as you want! You can roll it up any time into a tight tube-shape.

PROS

  • Premium vinyl board
  • Two color variations
  • Labeled on all sides
  • Traditional Staunton pattern
  • Single weighted
  • Plastic chessmen
  • 2 additional queens
  • Portable
  • Cheap price
  • Bag provided

CONS

  • Board is not sturdy
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4. Wegiel Chess Royal 30 European Set

Wegiel Chess Royal 30 European SetCheck Latest Price on Amazon This is undoubtedly one of the best chess boards we have ever laid our eyes on! Weigel has outdone itself with this European set of chess since all the pieces here have eye-catching details on them. They are all carved carefully and the wooden material makes them look even more aesthetically pleasing! Specifically, they are built with the combination of hornbeam and sycamore wood. The board itself is made of Birch wood and can be folded easily. It is a bit small compared to others with just 11.81 inches in both length and width. It is 1.97 inches tall and each square is measured at 1.18 inches. As soon as others see this, they will surely imagine the price point being very high. But to their surprise, it comes at an actually affordable cost! Even though both the board and the chessmen are made of wood, this item weighs very little with just 1.5 pounds. Due to its incredible crafting and portable quality, this set has always been a popular choice for players.

PROS

  • Detailed crafting
  • Hornbeam and Sycamore pieces
  • Folding Birchwood board
  • Handcrafted
  • Collectible value
  • Lightweight
  • Affordable

CONS

  • Small board
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5. Winning Moves Games No Stress Chess

Winning Moves Games No Stress ChessCheck Latest Price on Amazon One of the best options for beginners or people who want to learn chess will be buying this chess set. Its board features two sides - one for the learners and one for the standard players. On the learner side, every piece’s name is printed on the respective square along with their figures. There are also directions drawn on it explaining where the placed piece can go. 56 action cards make it easier for you to understand how each piece works and which one to use at the moment. They also make it more fun since they are filled with unpredictable moves and random draws. The provided black plastic tray is used to hold them in place. Once you have mastered the rules, flip over to the standard version of the game and play like a pro! Thus, gifting this to someone who is completely unfamiliar with chess will really help them. This whole set will introduce them to the strategies step by step.

PROS

  • 2-sided board
  • 56 action cards
  • Plastic card tray
  • Multiple difficulty levels
  • Cheap price

CONS

  • Pieces are knocked over easily
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6. Wegiel Ambassador European Chess Board

Wegiel Ambassador European Chess BoardCheck Latest Price on Amazon Another chess game set on our list with incredible details is this one from Wegiel. The combination of cream and brown colors throughout the board and chess pieces remind you of the delicious chocolate-vanilla combo. On the queen and king of each side, there are crowns of the other side’s color! Even on the board, the engravings of columns and rows are done with care. The board is made of beech and birch wood, while the felt bottom pieces are crafted from hornbeam and sycamore wood. All of these are made in Poland by expert craftsmen. It is a pretty large set with the board measuring 21.65 inches in width and length. Each square is 2.24 inches and the king is 4.5 inches tall. The whole set comes pretty heftily at almost 4.7 pounds!

PROS

  • Handcrafted
  • Detailed pieces
  • Board of beech and birch wood
  • Felt bottom chessmen
  • Pieces made of hornbeam and sycamore
  • Made in Poland

CONS

  • Expensive
  • heavyweight
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7. Big Mo’s Toys Magnetic Travel Chess Set

Big Mo's Toys Magnetic Travel Chess SetCheck Latest Price on Amazon Taking a detour from the exquisite wooden sets, let’s pay a visit to the metallic kings and queens! Welcome the chessmen coated in golden and silver hues to add some luster to the game. Both the board and the pieces are magnetized. Therefore, no matter how many bumps you face, the 32 pieces will stay in place and keep your game safe. You can fold the board any time into half and all these pieces will fall into the newly formed box for easy storage. This can then be taken anywhere making the whole set portable and travel-friendly. They are all made of high-quality durable materials which have also been tested to be non-toxic. Thus children can play with it safely without any possibility of physical hazards. Though the board is a bit smaller in size than most of its competitors, this set comes at a pretty cheap price.

PROS

  • Gold and silver chessmen
  • Magnetic board and pieces
  • Non-toxic materials
  • Folding capability
  • Cheap price

CONS

  • Small in size
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8. GZNIGHT Folding Magnetic Travel Chess Set

GZNIGHT Folding Magnetic Travel Chess SetCheck Latest Price on Amazon We will end our list of best chess boards with another group of knights in shining armor! This one is from GZNIGHT and features many of the characteristics similar to the previous chess set. It is made of durable resin and the board has a smooth surface which will be comfortable in your hands while playing. It also has the light magnetism to keep the golden and silver pieces in place. Though the board is pretty small with 9.8 inches size, its cheap price and portable quality make up for it. The board can be folded in half to store all the 32 pieces inside. Besides, two plastic bags are also provided to carry the whole set. A decent gift box also comes with it in case you are planning to give this whole set as a present.

PROS

  • Durable resin material
  • Gold and silver pieces
  • Light magnetism
  • Folding allowed
  • 2 storage bags provided
  • Portable
  • Cheap price

CONS

  • Small board
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Things to Know Before Buying How to care for your new chess set?

After you are done with bringing the brand new shining chess set to your house, you need to take good care of it so that it lasts for years! Here are some simple tips to do so:

No heat

While picking a place in the room to store the new set, do not pick one where sunlight hits directly. Heat and humidity are bad for wooden chess sets because they might cause warping, cracking and discoloration in them.

No moisture

Like any other wooden piece, your chess set should also be kept away from moisture. Do not play it when your hands are damp or wet - because of water or sweat. Always dry them before sitting to play in order to make the set last longer.

Cleaning solution

Firstly, there is no need to polish or wax wooden chess pieces unless instructed by the manufacturer since they know the best for these products. If you can, make the cotton cloth slightly damp with a dilute solution of vinegar and water. Then just wipe the board and pieces with it to remove any odor or stain from them.

What if a piece breaks down?

If any of the chessmen breaks down or gets dismembered, use a drop of wood glue to fix them up. Leave them like that for a couple of hours or overnight to dry down. They will be as good as new in the morning!

Final Verdict

Train yourselves to become the best chess players in town with the best chess boards! Make your pick among these eight variations and decide if you want wooden soldiers or metallic? Either way, defeat your enemies in style and with elegance having these amazing chess sets at your disposal.