9 Best Chess Boards with Storage for 2026: Drawers, Foam Trays and Fold-Aways
Drawers, foam trays and fold-away compartments, ranked by square size, weight and whether the pieces survive the ride home.
| Image | Pick | Product | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Best overall | Magnetic Wooden Chess Set for Adults Kids 17'' Chess Board … | Price |
 | Best large board | 20" Extra Large Wooden Chess Set for Adults 4.5" King Staun… | Price |
 | Best real drawer | A&A 15 inch Walnut Wooden Chess Set with Storage Drawer | Price |
 | Best for a backpack | 15" Folding Wooden Chess Set with Storage Portable Board 2 … | Price |
 | Best chess and checkers | Peradix Magnetic Chess Checkers Board Sets with 2 Built | Price |
 | Best for piece sorting | Peradix Magnetic Chess Set | Price |
 | Best wood grain | AMEROUS Magnetic Wooden Chess Set | Price |
 | Best starter set | AMEROUS 12.8" x 12.8" Magnetic Wooden Chess Set with 2 Built | Price |
 | Best for travel | 2 in 1 Magnetic Chess Set & Checkers Board Game | Price |
Chess boards with storage: 9 sets I'd actually buy
The first thing I check on any board with storage is whether the storage is a real compartment or a bag taped inside a hinge. My pick for most people is the Hurdaos 17 inch folding set, because the pieces drop into foam-cut trays and the 2 inch squares are big enough for a real game. It weighs 4 pounds and it closes with a snap.
Nine boards made the cut. I ranked on square size first, storage second, and how annoying the thing is to carry third, which is why the big 20 inch set sits at number two instead of number one. Every board here holds a full set of 34 pieces with the lid shut, and three of them hold checkers too.
How I picked these
The floor was 1.5 inch squares. Anything smaller is a travel toy, not a board you'd play a slow game on, and a 12 to 13 inch board with roughly 1.5 inch squares is about as small as I'll go for adults. From there: a king of at least 3 inches, felt or fleece on every piece bottom, storage that swallows all 34 pieces, and solid wood rather than veneer over particle board.
Then return friction. A sticking drawer, a hinge that won't sit flat, a latch that pops open in a bag, any of those turns a nice gift into a paperweight. I cross-checked proportions against the US Chess guidance of 2 to 2.5 inch squares with a king base around 75 to 80 percent of the square. If you want the wider field, my general guide to chess boards covers sizes this list doesn't.
1. Magnetic Wooden Chess Set for Adults Kids 17'' Chess Board with Handm…
The 17 inch board with 2 inch squares is the sweet spot, and this is the only set here that puts the pieces in foam. The listing says walnut and maple, brass hinges, a folded size of 17 x 8.5 x 2 inches, and 34 hand-carved pieces with felt bottoms plus two extra queens. Folded it's a long thin case, not a cube, so it slides down the side of a tote and won't fit a small backpack.
The magnets are strong enough that I'd carry it set up in a car. What you give up is a true drawer: the storage is the inside of the folded board, and no king height is published, which is the one spec I wish they'd print. It's also only 1 inch thick when open, so the walls are thin next to a box board. For heft and tournament proportions, the best chess boards for tournament play are a diffrent weight class.
What owners say: The hinge alignment and the snap closure come up repeatedly, and the foam trays get mentioned in most write-ups I read. The recurring gripe is the folded length, and more than one person wanted a handle that isn't there.
Good for: players who want a folding board that also protects the pieces in transit. Skip it if: you want a drawer you can slide open at the table.
2. 20" Extra Large Wooden Chess Set for Adults 4.5" King Staunton Pieces
A 20 inch board with 2.36 inch squares and a 4.5 inch king is the closest thing here to a tournament hall setup. On paper that's full-size: eight 2.36 inch squares is nearly 19 inches of playing surface before the border. If your table can take it, big pieces are easier on the eyes than anything 12 inches wide.
The catch is that the storage is loose. It folds in half, and that's the whole system: no trays, no drawer, no dividers, and the listing doesn't publish a weight, a piece count beyond the two extra queens, or any mention of magnets or straps. I'd expect the pieces to shift inside the folded halves unless you bag them. Want the board to be furniture instead? A chess board table is the other purchase entirely.
What owners say: The size is the draw, and the fold is the compromise. The standard grumble on big folding boards is pieces sliding into each other, and nothing in this listing suggests Tomost solved that.
Good for: a dedicated playing table where the board stays out. Skip it if: you plan to carry it often or want pieces locked down.
3. A&A 15 inch Walnut Wooden Chess Set with Storage Drawer
Three inches of king on a 15 inch board is undersized, and I'd still buy this one because the drawer is the best of the bunch. The listing gives 1.65 inch squares, a 3 inch king with a 1.15 inch base (75 percent of the square, right where it should be), triple-weighted pieces and fleece pads. Walnut and maple inlay, a drawer with cushioned lining, and a rules manual inside the box.
By US Chess sizing, 3 inches sits below the 3.375 inch floor, so this is a club-night board, not a tournament board. That's the trade for the drawer, which slides smoothly and holds the pieces flat instead of stacking them on top of each other.
What owners say: Owners keep mentioning the weight of the pieces, which is unusual at this size, and the drawer slide. A few mention the drawer holding all 34 pieces with a little room left.
Good for: club players who want weighted pieces and a lined drawer at a modest size. Skip it if: you need tournament-legal proportions.
4. 15" Folding Wooden Chess Set with Storage Portable Board 2 Extra Quee…
Solid walnut, a 15 inch board, 1.57 inch squares, a 3.1 inch king with a 1.2 inch base. The case folds to 7.5 x 15 inches with compartments cut for all 34 pieces, including the two extra queens, so nothing rolls loose. Hand-sanded pieces with felt pads, and it drops into a backpack, which the 17 inch folder above won't.
No magnets, and the listing doesn't state a weight. The 1.57 inch squares are tournament-shaped but on the small side, and a board this light will skate on a smooth table if you push a piece hard.
What owners say: The fitted compartments are the feature people mention, and the walnut grain shows up in most photos. The common note is that the pieces are lighter than they look.
Good for: players who carry a set weekly and hate losing a pawn in a bag. Skip it if: you want weighted pieces or magnetic hold.
5. Peradix Magnetic Chess Checkers Board Sets with 2 Built
Two drawers that stay attached to the board, walnut construction, magnets in the pieces, felt bottoms, 34 chessmen with two extra queens, and 24 checkers in the same box. The board measures 12.8 x 12.8 x 2 inches. The drawers are the point here: they're fixed to the board, which is the failure point on cheap drawer sets that shed their trays.
A 12.8 inch board is small for adults, though. The listing doesn't publish square size or king height, and I'd want both numbers before buying blind. Run the arithmetic yourself: eight squares across 12 inches of playing surface means roughly 1.5 inch squares, which is fine for a picnic and cramped for a long game.
What owners say: Owners keep mentioning the drawer retention and the magnet strength, and the checkers get a mention as a bonus rather than the main event. The 365 day warranty comes up in the listing copy more than in reviews.
Good for: families who want chess and checkers in one portable box. Skip it if: you're buying for adult tournament practice.
A 12 inch board with two organizer drawers, four mesh bags so the chess and checker pieces never mix, Roman column corner guards, and a walnut and maple build with felted bottoms. The listing is unusually honest about one thing: you have to pull the protective foam layer out of both drawers before first use.
Smallest board on the list, and 24 of the checkers are non-magnetic by design, so only the chess pieces hold to the board. The mesh bags are a good idea and a small nuisance, since you're opening four of them at setup.
What owners say: The bags and the drawer dividers are what people bring up, mostly from parents sorting pieces for two kids at once. The foam layer has caught a few buyers out on first open.
Good for: households where two games and two kids share one box. Skip it if: you want a board you can play on without setup fiddling.
Walnut with a 12.8 inch board, two drawers, weighted pieces, two extra queens and gift packaging. The listing says "slight magnetism," which I read as weak magnets: enough to stop a nudge, not enough to hold a board sideways in a car.
Square size and king height aren't listed, and slight magnetism is a hedge rather than a spec. What you're buying is the walnut look and the drawer at a small size, and for a coffee table set that's a fair trade.
What owners say: The wood finish is the thing people mention most, and the drawer fit comes up second. The phrase "slight magnetism" shows up in owner comments too, usually as a mild surprise.
Good for: a good-looking small set that lives on a side table. Skip it if: you need magnets that hold pieces at an angle.
8. AMEROUS 12.8" x 12.8" Magnetic Wooden Chess Set with 2 Built
Solid wood board, 12.8 x 12.8 x 2.2 inches, magnets fixing each piece into its own dedicated slot, two drawers, two extra queens. The 2.2 inch depth is the spec I like: a thicker box means the drawers have somewhere to travel, and a sliding tray needs depth more than width.
It's a chunky 2.2 inches in the bag, and the listing doesn't publish a weight or a piece count beyond the two extra queens. Polished surface, claimed scratch and stain resistant, which I take with salt on any wood board at this size. Buying for a kid? The best chess boards for kids are lighter and cheaper to replace.
What owners say: Owners keep mentioning that the pieces stay in their slots when the board is carried flat, and the drawer depth gets a nod. A few note that the 2.2 inch box takes up real shelf space.
Good for: a first set with storage that survives being shoved under a bed. Skip it if: you want something slim enough for a laptop bag.
A 15 inch folding board with 34 chessmen including two extra queens, 24 checkers, a rules manual, magnets in the board surface and in the piece bottoms, felt pads, and a seperate slot for each piece inside the folded case. It folds to 15 x 7.5 inches, which is backpack territory.
The checkers aren't magnetic, and the listing admits it, so a tilted board keeps the chess game and loses the checker game. Weight, square size and king height aren't published either. If this is a first set for someone learning the moves, the best chess boards for beginners covers what actually helps a new player.
What owners say: The magnets on the chessmen come up as the main selling point, and the piece slots get mentioned by people who travel with it. The non-magnetic checkers are the standing complaint.
Good for: a car, a train or a picnic table with chess and checkers in one case. Skip it if: you want checkers that hold in place too.
What actually matters when you buy chess board with storage
Square size decides everything else. US Chess guidance is 2 to 2.5 inch squares, king height 3.375 to 4.5 inches, king base about 75 to 80 percent of the square. Eight 2 inch squares need 16 inches of playing surface before the border, so a 17 inch board is the smallest that clears the bar. Any 12.8 inch board is running squares closer to 1.4 or 1.5 inches, and no amount of nice walnut changes that arithmetic.
Where the pieces sit when the lid shuts. Count first: 34 pieces, or 58 if the set includes checkers. A lined drawer holds them flat. Foam trays and cut slots hold them separately. An empty folded cavity lets them grind against each other for the whole trip, and wood on wood leaves marks.
Depth and weight. A 2.2 inch thick box has room for a real sliding drawer. A 1 inch thick folding board does not. Four pounds is about the ceiling for carrying a set comfortably in one hand, and the 20 inch boards go past that.
Which pieces are actually magnetic. Several 2 in 1 sets magnetize the 34 chessmen and leave the 24 checkers plain. That's a design choice, not a defect, but know it before you buy.
Hinges, latches and drawer slides. Brass hinges and aligned snap closures survive years of folding. Stamped hinges and friction-fit drawers don't. This is the part the listing photos never show you properly.
Side by side
| Board | Key spec | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hurdaos 17 inch | 17 in board, 2 in squares, 4 lb, foam inserts | Best overall |
| Tomost 20 inch | 20 in board, 2.36 in squares, 4.5 in king | Best large board |
| A&A 15 inch | 15 in board, 1.65 in squares, 3 in king, triple weighted | Best real drawer |
| Strategyify 15 inch | 15 in board, 1.57 in squares, folds to 7.5 x 15 in | Best for a backpack |
| Peradix 12.8 inch | 12.8 in board, 2 drawers, chess and checkers | Best chess and checkers |
| Peradix 12 inch | 12 in board, 2 drawers, 4 mesh bags | Best for piece sorting |
| AMEROUS walnut | 12.8 in board, walnut, 2 drawers | Best wood grain |
| AMEROUS solid wood | 12.8 in board, 2.2 in thick, 2 drawers | Best starter set |
| Jumlys 15 inch | 15 in board, folds to 15 x 7.5 in, chess and checkers | Best for travel |
Which one I'd buy
If you play at a club and want the pieces protected, buy the Hurdaos 17 inch. The 2 inch squares match the low end of tournament guidance, the foam trays do the storage work, and 4 pounds is carryable without a shoulder strap.
If the drawer is the whole reason you're here, buy the A&A 15 inch and accept that a 3 inch king is a home board, not a rated one. And if you're shopping for a kid who loses pawns, the AMEROUS solid wood at 12.8 inches with the deep drawers is the set I'd hand over without wincing.
Questions people ask me
What size chess board do I need if I want storage?
A 15 inch board typically gives you squares around 1.57 to 1.65 inches. US Chess guidance for tournament play is 2 to 2.5 inch squares, and eight 2 inch squares need 16 inches before you add a border, so a 17 to 20 inch board is the smallest that gets you there. For home and club games, 15 inches is perfectly playable.
Do the pieces rattle around inside a folding chess board?
Often yes, unless the maker cut foam trays or individual slots. On this list the Hurdaos uses foam inserts, the Strategyify and Jumlys sets cut a slot for each piece, and the Tomost lists no dividers at all, so you'd want to bag the pieces. A drawer board avoids the problem because the pieces sit flat in a lined tray.
Are magnetic chess sets good enough for adults?
For travel, really. The magnets add a little weight to each piece and stop the accidental sweep of a sleeve. Just check which pieces are magnetic: several 2 in 1 sets magnetize the 34 chessmen and leave the 24 checkers plain, so a tilted board keeps the chess game and loses the checker game.