We proudly present you with the best wooden chess boards for beginners, tournaments, or chess clubs. Our list includes both cost-effective options to handmade luxury sets with high-quality detail and finish. No matter what your skill level is, you will enjoy our unique range of wooden chess boards to place in your home or give as a gift to a loved one.
Let’s dive right in!
Our Top Picks For The Best Wooden Chess Boards for 2024
Wegiel Handmade European Ambassador Chess Set
Wegiel is a beautiful, homemade European chess set. It’s called the “Ambassador” due to its classical detail, with each piece having color and etching. The board is made from beech and birch wood, with algebraic coordinates printed across its border, giving you elegant detail and quality. The chess pieces are made from hornbeam and sycamore wood, which adds bottom weight to the chessmen. But it doesn’t stop there; Ambassador was handcrafted in Poland from farm-grown lumber, giving you exceptional craftsmanship.
At first, the board may feel uneven or lightweight, but it’s 1/8 inch thick and should stay put on most top-surfaces, especially if you intend to use it for travel. Since the chess pieces are large, they won’t knock off the board quickly, either. There is also a small compartment, which allows each chess piece to be individually placed and secured once the board is folded. The storage gives a nice overall touch, so you don’t lose any pieces and keep away from children.
The entire chessboard is 21.6′′x21.6.”, so keep that in mind if you have a relatively small table or coffee top that you intend to use. But, it should fit comfortably on most tables nonetheless. The inner lining is also thin and fragile, so handle it very carefully when moving the chessboard around. The board itself is a joy to play on at a reasonable price; it feels and looks high-end, made from durable material, and handcrafted.
Wegiel Handmade European Ambassador Chess Set
Chess Armory 15" Wooden Chess Set
Chess Armory 15" is an elegant walnut inlay playing surface, with straps on the interior for holding each piece. Each chess piece has felted bottoms, keeping them from scratching the top-surface. Folding the board has hinges for safe and secure closing and opening. It also folds completely flat, so you don’t have to worry about cracks or holes.
The wood is slender and smooth; it doesn’t feel cheap or scratched easily. Each chess piece is designed superbly, but it may feel lightweight at the touch. Since it’s only 15-inches, its easily stored and fits nicely on a small table. But, due to its size, it’s not meant for tournaments or competitive style chess. We recommend this chessboard as a gift or teaching children how to play chess.
Chess Armory 15"" Wooden Chess Set
Wegiel Handmade European Professional Tournament Chess Set
If you’re looking for a tournament-style chessboard, look no further. This is a handcrafted board, with a classic and handmade feel. Similar to the Ambassador, it has algebraic coordinates around its border, with finer details on the playing surface. You can consider this a ‘regulation board’, approved by the USCF (United States Chess Federation), which is great if you’re considering a tournament in the future.
For beginners, this board is great to get a feel of professional-grade chess with weighted chessmen that you’ll expect if you were competing. However, the pieces are still very light and can fall off easily. The wood material is also light brown so that you can see the lines or edges of the chess pieces. But, it’s not well lacquered, so you can feel how uneven the pieces are when moving.
Wegiel Handmade European Professional Tournament Chess Set
Wegiel Handmade Royal 36 European Chess Set
Similar to other Wegiel products, the board is constructed from beech and birch wood, to give you a classic and vintage look. The chessmen are made from hornbeam and sycamore wood, which add weights to the pieces. The main difference is its size; the entire board is 14.2-inches and can fit on most tables. The numbers are ingrained within the wood, giving it a beautiful detail across the top, so you can easily track your moves and opponent moves.
The set doesn’t meet USCF as it doesn’t follow their specifications or your typical “Staunton” design for the chessmen. For example, the King and Queen have different color dots and have a large crown, which may be too distracting for a tournament setting. However, you will receive compliments about the piece’s design and overall appeal. The pieces and board are top-notch quality, which is to be expected from Wegiel.
Wegiel Handmade Royal 36 European Chess Set
Husaria Professional Staunton Tournament Chess Board
Husaria is the perfect board for both advanced and beginner play. It follows your typical Staunton design and approved by FIDE so that you can feel confident bringing this board to your local tournament or chess club.The board itself is handcrafted from sycomore and sapele mahogany. Sycomore is an excellent tonewood, which gives a very stable and smooth playing surface. It also has algebraic coordinates for recording different chess moves. The only downside is the chessmen doesn’t come included with the board.
The board is 21.5 x 21.5 inches, and Thickness is 0.5 inches. It is large but relatively thin as well, perfect for studying chess, and sits nicely on a desk. The color has a reddish hue, which gives a lovely tone with the chess pieces. We consider this to be the best chessboard on our list for chess tournaments.
Husaria Professional Staunton Tournament Chess Board
Helen Chess Inlaid Wood Board Game Set
Halen is an elegant wooden chessboard that features inlaid precision cut wood squares, made from beech and walnut. The top piece of the board lifts to allow for storage for up to 32 chess pieces inside the case so that you can put away each piece safely.
Each chessman is weighted and carefully crafted for professional chess players, giving you better ease of play. In addition to that, the bottom is felted to protect the playing surface from scratches. Each piece is made from Boxwood, and the entire set weighs in at 6.5 pounds.
The board has legged bottoms, adding that extra stability needed to play chess with friends and family. However, the board is not entirely flat, so it feels slightly bent and not completely leveled. Despite its legs, it still might wobble occasionally.
Helen Chess Inlaid Wood Board Game Set">Helen Chess Inlaid Wood Board Game Set
Syrace Folding Hand Crafted Wooden Chess Set
If you’re looking for a portable wooden chess that you can take on your travels, Syrace might be best for you. It’s made of solid wood with handcrafted carved design, giving you incredible detail and elegance around the edges. It has a built-in storage compartment, allowing you to fold and unfold the chessboard and place your pieces conveniently with its metal clasp. It’s a relatively small and compact chess set, which fits nicely on a tabletop for a quick game of chess. It’s also light weight, so it is the perfect gift for a child just starting and learning the game of chess.
Syrace Folding Hand Crafted Wooden Chess Set
Amerous Magnetic Wooden Chess Set
Another small wooden chessboard, Amerous, has a size of 12×6′′ x 1.8′′ and is foldable, making it easy to take with you for a family gathering, traveling, camping, or at home. There are also storage slots at the bottom of the board, allowing you to place each piece nicely together. The cushion space for the chessmen is firmly tucked, so you won’t have to worry about them falling out during travel. The playing surface has a fully magnetic suction, so your pieces won’t fall off easily during game time and can stay intact.