Best travel chess set?
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Recently me and a handful of my friends have gotten into chess and have been really enjoying it. I’ve been on the search for a decent travel chess set with decent durability. I have looked at articles over the internet and have not found any consistent answers. Does anyone know of a good set?
Folding boards are a good choice for travelling.
A silicone board with a set of plastic Ultimates is pretty durable and water resistant. It packs down to about the size of a tissue box. You will of course need 21 inches of flat surface to lay it out. You might want to be more specific about needs and locales.
After looking into it more, I really like the leather 9 inch folding board from chess house. I think a smaller board would be best
I’ve purchased many and still looking…. There are pros and cons to all the choices I’ve made so far. Just my honest opinion….. 9in is very very small. Might be just want you need, it would be too small for me
I will browse around a little bit more for a folding wooden set that is a little larger and go for the one that looks best. Thank you everyone!
Apr 12, 2022
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#7
I wish I could remember the thread for you but there was a neat and rather unique folding board that impressed me recently - a US-based product from memory. I didn’t buy one but I remember being taken by the idea and design. If I can find the thread, I’ll link it later.
Agree with Pawnerai, a foldable board of silicone with Ultimates is a good combination the pieces are very enjoyable to play.
Apr 13, 2022
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#9
Spart0n505 wrote:
After looking into it more, I really like the leather 9 inch folding board from chess house. I think a smaller board would be best
I have many travel sets and I like this one the best. I can use it on the plane as well as at the hotel and it takes up very little room. It is a very popular set and out of stock a lot. It is quality, at least the one I have, which I bought about 6 years ago.
Thanks! I think I’ll have to go with that one then, seems like the best fit for me.
I love my wooden travel set (which you can find here : magnetic travel chess set on etsy) which is magnetic and foldable. I use it even in trains (and never lost a piece 
).
House of Chess offers a nice selection of quality wooden travel sets in various sizes and woods:
https://www.houseofchess.com/travel-chess-sets.html#top_cat_id=1&sel_cat_id=3&seo_title=Travel+Chess+Sets&chk_sub_cat_id%5B%5D=3&sort_by=price-1
I got one of their larger ones, 12" board, which comes with an extra set of knights and extra queens, and it's quite lovely:
https://www.houseofchess.com/travel-chess-set-magnetic-folding-12-inch-with-2-extra-queens-pawns-and-4-extra-knights-rosewood-maple-and-inlaid-algebraic-notations.html
Nov 16, 2022
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#13
I'm partial to this one for $60. The board folds to 5"X10"X2", and the chess pieces include extra queens, pawns, and knights; the king is 2". The board is magnetic. I got it for my grandson, and it's well-made. He takes it to school in his backpack every day.
If you want a different size board, the seller has a large number of choices.
I refuse to play on a board that's smaller than 10", and the 12" folding board set I bought three years ago from House of Chess is still the best buy I can think of if portability isn't the ONLY issue.
Nov 17, 2022
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#15
chessmaster_diamond wrote:
I refuse to play on a board that's smaller than 10", and the 12" folding board set I bought three years ago from House of Chess is still the best buy I can think of if portability isn't the ONLY issue.
There's one obvious manufacturing issue with that board - they've put the black-facing notation on white's side and the white-facing notation on black's side of the board!
While I *can* enjoy the occasional game in the park on a teeny tiny board, I can't argue with your love of that 12" House of Chess board, @chessmaster_diamond. Beautiful!
HoopheadVII hat geschrieben:
There's one obvious manufacturing issue with that board - they've put the black-facing notation on white's side and the white-facing notation on black's side of the board!
You're right. I placed the pieces incorrectly for the photo. Mostly because I don't really care for the notation. 
Nov 21, 2022
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#18
chessmaster_diamond wrote:
HoopheadVII hat geschrieben:
There's one obvious manufacturing issue with that board - they've put the black-facing notation on white's side and the white-facing notation on black's side of the board!
You're right. I placed the pieces incorrectly for the photo. Mostly because I don't really care for the notation.
Yeah, I learned in the old P-K4 days
I bought the one @Chessmaster_diamond bought except I went with the one without notation. It is a nice set. I also bought the 9” milled leather set from Chesshouse.com which is also a nice set. I can’t say which is better though. The 9” set is smaller and lighter but the HoC 12” has a really nice finish and nice pieces.
May 23, 2023
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#20
We have the Chess Armory travel set which has gone everywhere with us and is frequently used at home because it's great on a couch or on a bed since the pieces won't spill. It's 9.5" which is a nice blend of playability and portability. I was surprised by how usable it is. The board isn't overly crowded and the pieces have a decent amount of breathing room on the squares. I really dislike boards that are too small for the pieces and this set doesn't seem to have that issue. Price is right too 