Folding Chess Boards

Folding chess boards

A folding board hinges down the middle so it packs flat, and on most of these the pieces travel inside it. Sterling Chess stocks folding boards and folding sets in sheesham and maple, walnut, ebony and bud rosewood, from an 18cm travel board up to a 45cm case. Most of this collection is a complete set rather than a board on its own, which is worth knowing before you order. Fixed boards are in chess boards.

Sets or boards

Almost everything here arrives with pieces. A board on its own is also available, with 40mm squares in ebony, sheesham or bud rosewood against maple, for players who already have an army. The rest are folding sets: board, pieces, and in most cases somewhere inside the board to put them.

Magnetic or not

Some of the travel sets are magnetic, with a stud in each piece and a concealed iron sheet under the playing surface. That is the difference between a board you can play on in a car or on a train and one you cannot. The magnets are strong enough to hold a position through a knock, not so strong that moving a piece feels like work.

The larger folding cases are not magnetic. They are designed to be played on a table, and the fold is about storage rather than travel. If the board is going in a backpack, buy magnetic; if it is going in a cupboard, you do not need it.

Sizes

• 18cm to 22cm. Genuinely pocketable, with kings from 26mm. These are for playing somewhere you would not otherwise be able to.
• 30cm to 35cm. The compromise size. Kings of 60mm to 70mm, small enough to pack and large enough to play a proper game on.
• 38cm to 45cm. Full folding cases with 80mm to 85mm Staunton pieces, felt-lined interiors and piece bags. These are home boards that happen to fold.

What folding costs you

Worth being straight about the tradeoff. A hinge is a line across the playing surface, and on a cheaper board it is a line you feel as well as see. The sets here are chosen because they sit flat when opened, but no folding board is quite as good to play on as a single solid panel of the same size and price. You are buying storage and portability, and giving up a little surface.

A set in this collection uses a folding card board at 3mm, supplied with a pouch. It is a tournament consumable rather than a piece of furniture, and it will crease along the fold in time. That is what it is for, and the product page says so.

Browse related

• Travel chess sets. Everything built to be carried, folding and otherwise.
• Folding chess sets. The set listings, if you know you want pieces included.
• Wood chess boards. Fixed timber boards.
• Tournament chess boards. Fixed panels in competition square sizes.
• Dal Rossi. The maker of the larger folding cases here.

Buying a folding chess board in Australia

Everything here is held in Australian stock and shipped from Australia, so there is no international freight wait and no customs step.

All products sold by Sterling Chess are backed by a 12 month limited manufacturer warranty. This covers manufacturing defects and cracking, and ensures every product is 100% genuine. Sterling Chess also offers 100 day free returns.

Folding chess board FAQs

Is a folding board the same as a foldable board?

Yes. Both names describe a board hinged down the middle so it closes flat. You will see the terms used interchangeably.

Do folding boards come with pieces?

Most in this collection do. A board on its own is also available, with 40mm squares. Each product page states clearly whether pieces are included.

Do the pieces store inside the board?

On most of them, yes, either in punched slots inside the folded board or in a felt-lined case interior with piece bags. A few do not, and the product page says so.

Which ones are magnetic?

Some of the travel sets, with a magnetic stud in each piece and a concealed iron sheet under the surface. The larger folding cases are not magnetic.

Do folding boards lie flat?

The ones stocked here do when opened. The hinge line is still visible, and that is the honest tradeoff for being able to close the board.

What are they made from?

Sheesham and maple on most, with walnut on the larger cases and ebony or bud rosewood on the board-only option. A set uses a folding card board, which the product page identifies as a consumable.

What size should I buy?

If it is going in a bag, 18cm to 22cm and magnetic. If it needs to work as a home board that stores away, 38cm to 45cm. The 30cm to 35cm range is the compromise between the two.