ASNEY Chess Set Review: The ELONGDI 15-Inch Folding Board, Spec by Spec

Two numbers do most of the talking here: 15.35 inches across when it's open, and 2 inches thick when it's folded shut. That's a board you can actually carry, not a magnetic strip set that lives in a drawer. I'd buy it as a knockabout club-night board and a travel set, and I'd skip it the moment you want tournament squares or furniture-grade wood.

One housekeeping note first. People reach this listing through a search for "ASNEY chess set" while the brand on the box reads ELONGDI, and the folded footprint is 15.4 by 7.68 by 2 inches. Same board, two names. I've gone by the specs in the listing, not the label on it.

What it is and who it's for

It's a wooden folding chess set with magnetic pieces and a magnetic playing surface. The listing says the pieces stay put even with the board held upside down, which is the claim every travel set makes and the one worth testing yourself. Walnut coloring on the wood, felt on the base of each piece, rounded corners, two metal locks on the outside, and a sponge card tray inside so every piece has its own slot. Open it and you get 15.4 by 15.35 by 1 inch of playing surface. Fold it and you get the 15.4 by 7.68 by 2 inch slab.

Extra queens come included, and that detail matters more than beginners expect. Promotion to a second queen happens in a lot of club games, and hunting for a spare rook is how friendly games turn sour. Beyond that, the listing publishes no king height, no piece count, no weight, no magnet grade. If you need those numbers before you spend money, they aren't there. If you're weighing options across a wider field, my guide to the best wooden chess sets covers which specs deserve to be non-negotiable.

This one is for the player who sets up at a pub table, on a train, in a hotel room, or on a picnic blanket, and wants wood instead of plastic. It's also a sensible starter set for a kid, since 15 inches of board fits on a school desk.

What the specs actually tell you

Start with the folded size. Two inches thick and 15.4 inches long is the shape of something that slides into a laptop sleeve or under a car seat. That's the entire reason this design exists. A solid wood board of the same playing size doesn't travel at all, and a roll-up mat offers no piece protection.

Then do the square math. The open board measures 15.4 by 15.35 inches on the outside, and some of that is frame plus a center hinge, so the actual playing field is smaller than the number suggests. Give the frame an inch per side and the hinge a quarter inch down the middle, and you're looking at squares comfortably under 2 inches. US Chess guidance puts tournament squares at 2 to 2.5 inches with king heights around 3.375 to 4.5 inches. I can't confirm the king height because the listing never states it, but folding sets built to this footprint almost always land under that floor. Good for casual play and travel. Not what I'd bring to a rated game, and if that's your goal, read best chess sets for tournament play instead.

"Walnut coloring design" is the line to read twice. That's a finish describing a walnut look, not a promise that the board is solid walnut. At this size and construction, expect a wood composite or a lighter hardwood under a stain. Nothing wrong with that in a travel set. Just don't buy it expecting grain you'd put on a coffee table.

The two metal locks are the part I'd watch. They take all the wear from a set that gets carried, opened and shut a few hundred times a year. Retro styling is fine; a lock that still catches in year three is better. The listing says the locks resist oxidation from sweat, and doesn't say what the lock bodies are made of beyond metal.

What owners report

The listing data I pulled carried no star rating and no review count, so I can't hand you a number, and I won't invent one. What I can tell you is what comes up over and over with this class of magnetic folding wooden set.

People like the magnets. Pieces staying on the board while it's carried mid-game is the feature that sells these things, and a 20-minute walk to club night is exactly the trip it's built for. The sponge card slots get mentioned a lot too, mostly by people who've had pieces chip in a cloth bag.

The most common complaint with folding magnetic sets is size. Photos make the board look bigger than it is, and buyers open the box expecting a full club board. At 15.4 inches on the outside, that's a live risk here. The second complaint is hinge and lock hardware loosening after a year of hard carrying. If you want to compare the wider field, my chess sets hub sorts the categories, including the 2-inch-square tournament boards this one isn't.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Magnetic pieces and a magnetic board surface, with the listing claiming pieces hold when the board is upside down.
• Folds to 15.4 x 7.68 x 2 inches, so it genuinely travels.
• Extra queens included, so promotion doesn't stall the game.
• Sponge card slots hold each piece separately and cut down on chips.
• Rounded corners and felt bases, both of which reduce scratches and rattling.

Cons

• No king height, piece count, weight or magnet grade published in the listing.
• Open board is 15.4 inches on the outside, so squares land under the 2-inch tournament floor.
• "Walnut coloring" is a finish, not solid walnut.
• Two metal locks are the wear point on a set that gets carried alot.

Specs at a glance

Alternatives worth a look

The product data I was handed for this piece contains one ELONGDI listing and nothing else, so I'm not going to invent competitors or ASINs to fill the space. Here's where I'd send you based on what you actually want.

If the folding idea grabbed you but you want a set that lives on a table, that's a different purchase. Solid Staunton sets in real hardwood, with king heights from about 3.375 to 4.5 inches, are the standard for good reason, and the best Staunton chess sets roundup covers the shapes and the price steps between them.

If you're buying a gift and want something that reads as an object rather than a travel tool, a 15-inch folding board isn't it. The best luxury chess sets guide is where that conversation starts, and it's a different budget entirely.

Should you buy it

Yes, if you want a wooden set that travels and you play casual games. The magnets, the 2-inch folded profile, the piece slots and the extra queens all point at one job: a board that survives a bag and a bar table. That's a job worth covering, and this set covers it.

No, if you need a board for rated play or a piece of wood you'll pass down. Squares under 2 inches and a walnut-look finish will irritate you inside a month. Buy a solid Staunton set for the house and a cheap travel board for the car, and you'll spend a little more and stop thinking about it.