Folding tournament board

I've played for many years and remember a folding tournament board from 40 years ago.  It was made of very nice "book binding" material and lasted a long time.  Does anyone know of a place that makes anything like this?

The last  company to offer those was House of Staunton.  They discontinued the line some years ago for lack of sales.

I love those old fabric folders but their day has passed.

Here's a specimen of the discontinued HOS folding linen board ---->>

Thanks for the info.  Hope you get many years of use...

This is vinil-chipboard made, from México.

I'm not real fond of a board that folds more than once—personal preference.  Those boards from the past and the one Crappov photographed above were of the highest quality and looked great!  But nothing ever stays the the same or lasts forever!?  I think it was Mark Twain who said,"I never failed to recognize an opportunity, until it ceased to be one."

If you are looking for a linen folding board such as the one that Crappov showed, they are available for purchase on the HoS site. They are on clearance actually, however, only come in 1.75" squares.

http://www.houseofstaunton.com/the-house-of-staunton-single-fold-linen-chessboard.html

http://www.houseofstaunton.com/the-house-of-staunton-single-fold-linen-chessboard.html

Good call.

Thanks for the info.  I did see those a couple of days ago, but noticed that the board square size was smaller than I would like.  Almost every board made back in the 70's and 80's for tournament use had 2.25 inch squares.  The one linen board I did purchase about 4 or 5 years ago (From the HOS) had 2.375 squares because I like just a little more room for my pieces.  That board is now showing some wear and prompted my search for a replacement.

Those 1.75 inch boards are old stock that they found in the warehouse a while back.  They quit making new boards several years ago.  

Once in a great  while, one of the old folding Drueke boards will turn up on eBay but I've never seen one of the HOS boards there.

I had an email exchange with Frank C. about those boards.  He said they were expensive to produce (basically handmade) and slow sellers, a bad combination.  I bought three of the single-fold 2.375 inchers and two of the double-fold 2.25 inchers. I'm just a fan of this type of board!  They are much nicer to play on than vinyl, in my opinion.

I guess your best bet is to just watch eBay.  Good luck.

There are cardboard chess boards on ebay right now with 2.25" squares for sale.  But they are the type which have two folds. 

I have seen some large single fold boards for sale here and there.  I would keep looking, one is sure to turn up. 

I'll agree with crappov that these boards are underrated.  For many people they are the first chess board they will encounter, and are thus thought of as a bit pedestrian.  But for playing a game they do the job and do it well without getting in the way. 

I had one of the HOS ones but sold it in a package of stuff when I was downsizing a few years ago.  I loved playing on it but didn't find many opportunities to.  The vinyl boards just fit my backpack better so I never took it out and at home I had a wood board to use.

It was a great board, though.

The best portable chess board wast this board from one of the link i. Thiz board it was wood with some magnet cost 200 ish

For anyone still interested in folding linen boards, House of Staunton is offering linen boards with 2.25 inch squares and notation again.  They're a bit pricy ($24.95). I haven't purchased one yet, but appear well made.  My only nit is that they come with the USCF logo on H1.  

These look cool

Also, Wholesale Chess offers single fold PVC boards ($12.95) with 2.25 inch squares and notation.  There are quite a few positive reviews of the board on the Wholesale Chess.  I haven't tried one; I'm not sure how it compares with the HOS Linen boards.  Any feedback or comparisons to the linen boards would be most welcome.

I actually just bought one of the House of Staunton linen boards.  I also had bought one of the PVC boards from Wholesale Chess a good number of years ago.  About a year ago I inherited from a deceased chess playing friend, one of the original Drueke linen boards and I still own one from The House of Staunton when they sold them over 14 years ago.  Here are my observations:

1. The original Drueke linen board really looks like linen.  When you look closely at the board you can see the individual threads making up the surface or linen.  And it is very nice in coloring.

2. The House of Staunton linen boards from the early 2000's are nice but just a bit brighter in color.  And the 2.25" one has warped to the point where you don't want to use it for a game.  The 2.375" square boards are just fine and I still use them.

3. The Wholesale Chess board is cheaply made and looks cheap as well.  In this board and others of the same ilk from The Chess House and others, the PVC pulls away from the cardboard inside and  the whole thing is kind of like a balloon, not good.

4. This latest HoS linen board is a disappointment to me and I'm glad I got a discount on it because I had bought a couple other items at the same time.

The colors are very light and kind of bright.  Also it does not look anything like the linen of the original Drueke board or the older HoS  boards.

The surface of the board looks very similar to the surface of some other game boards, especially Monopoly and Sorry.  While I plan on using the board in less serious games, I do feel it is overpriced.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts @Eyechess, I may hold off on acquiring the new HOS linen board.   I wish they had used the dark green employed in their original offering.  The light green looks a bit bright to my eyes as well.  

Yes, I am disappointed with that board.  I believe it is linen but it looks like paper.  It looks as if the ink fills in the gaps of the threads making it smooth looking.