Folding Chess Sets

What a folding set actually gives you

A folding chess set is a case that opens into the board. The hinge runs down the centre of the board, the pieces travel inside the case, and setting up means opening a box rather than finding a board and then finding the bag the pieces went into. Packing away is the same step in reverse. That is the whole proposition, and it is why a folding set is usually the one that gets used rather than admired.

The trade is the hinge line. It runs between the d and e files and you will see it. On a quality case the two halves close flush and the line reads as part of the board rather than as a fault, which is mostly a question of how well the case is made.

The case and the playing surface

The Dal Rossi cases here use an inlaid timber playing surface rather than a printed panel or a fabric insert, so the squares are timber against timber and the board wears the way a board wears. The case does double duty as the storage, with a felt lined interior and bags for the pieces.

Sizes and what they suit

The 38cm set carries 80mm Staunton pieces in sheesham and natural boxwood on a walnut and maple inlaid surface, with two velvet drawstring bags in the felt lined interior. The 40cm set steps up to 85mm pieces in a light walnut and boxwood finished case. The 45cm set keeps the 85mm pieces and gives them the most room, on a walnut inlaid surface with two felt bags. Larger board, same piece height, more air around the position.

Pieces and board come matched in every case, so there is no fit calculation to do. If you are buying a folding set as a first proper set, that is a real advantage over choosing a board and pieces separately.

Folding, or travelling

A folding set and a travel set solve different problems. A folding set is about storage and setup: it lives on a shelf and opens onto a table at home. A travel set is about the position surviving movement, which is why almost everything in our travel chess sets range is magnetic and built smaller. Take a folding set on a train and the first corner will rearrange the game. If the set will be opened in a car, on a plane or on a camp table, buy magnetic. If it will be opened on a table and put away afterwards, buy folding.

The board on its own

There is a board here as well as the cases. The folding chess board with 40mm squares comes in ebony and maple, sheesham and maple, or bud rosewood and maple, folds the way the cases do, and is bought to pair with pieces you already own. Fit is decided by the king's base rather than its height, and a 40mm square suits a base of roughly 30mm to 35mm. Larger folding and fixed surfaces sit across the chess boards range.

Frequently asked questions

Do the pieces store inside the case?

On the Dal Rossi sets, yes. The case is the storage as well as the board, with a felt lined interior and drawstring or felt bags to keep the two armies apart. The folding board listed here is a board only, so pieces for it are stored separately.

Is the playing surface real timber?

Yes. These are inlaid timber surfaces rather than printed or fabric panels, so the squares are cut and laid rather than applied.

What size pieces come with each set?

The 38cm set comes with 80mm Staunton pieces. The 40cm and 45cm sets both come with 85mm pieces. Every set is sheesham against natural boxwood.

Will a folding set hold up to regular play?

The hinge is the part that takes the wear, so open and close the case by the edges rather than by the lid, and store it closed and flat. Treated that way the hinge stays true and the two halves keep closing flush.

Can I take a folding set travelling?

You can carry one easily, but the pieces are not magnetic and will not hold their position in transit, so pack the game away before you move. For play in motion, look at travel chess sets or the magnetic chess sets range instead.

Are these Dal Rossi sets?

The folding cases are, and the rest of that maker's range sits in the Dal Rossi collection. The folding board is our own.