Manopoulos Walnut Chess and Backgammon Set Review: 30 Chips, Zero Chess Pawns

18 3/4 inches of walnut, 3 inches deep when closed, 30 olive wood chips, and not a single chess pawn. That's the Manopoulos Traditional Walnut backgammon-chess set. I'd buy it as a backgammon board and skip it as a chess set. The asterisk at the bottom of the feature list decides the whole thing.

What it is and who it's for

It's a handmade combination box from Manopoulos in Greece, walnut on the outside with a walnut veneer playing field. Closed it runs 18 3/4 by 10 by 3 inches. Open it's 18 3/4 by 20 by 1 1/2 inches, which is where the "19 inch set" label in the title comes from, rounding 18 3/4 up.

The chip count is 30, cut from olive wood, each one 1.4 inches across. That's a full backgammon complement for two players.

Here's the part that changes who this is for. The last line of the feature list reads "Without Chess Pawns." So the chess half of the set exists as a field with nothing to put on it. If you're shopping for a gift that plays two games out of the box, this isn't it. If you're a backgammon player who already owns a decent set of chessmen, or you're fine buying them separately, the box makes sense. There's a wider field of chess and backgammon sets if you want both games playable on day one.

What the specs actually tell you

Start with the checkers. At 1.4 inches, the olive chips sit between the small 1.25 inch pieces that come on travel boards and the 1.75 inch pieces you find on 21 inch tournament boards. On a box this long, that means generous finger room and points that don't feel packed. It also means stacking a made point gets fussy after the third chip. Small trade-off, real one.

That 3 inch closed depth is the tell. A flat board with no storage runs under an inch and a half closed. Three inches means a cavity somewhere, though the listing never says whether the chips live inside the box or ship loose. I'd assume nothing. If a self-contained set matters, look at luxury chess sets with documented storage before you commit.

Open height is 1 1/2 inches, so the walls are shallow. Chips will sit proud of the frame rather than recessed. Fine on a coffee table, less fine if the board lives in a bag.

Then the gap. No square size is published. No weight either. For chess, that's the number I actualy want, because it decides which pieces work. US Chess guidance is squares of 2 to 2.5 inches with kings from 3.375 to 4.5 inches tall and a base around 75 to 80 percent of the square. A 3.75 inch king on a 1.75 inch base sits comfortably on a 2.25 inch square. If the field measures under 2 inches, drop to a 3.375 inch king. Measure first.

What owners report

I have to be straight with you about the evidence. This listing carries no star rating and no review count, so there's no score to read. What I can go on is the pattern across Manopoulos boards and the listing's own unusually blunt copy: "Do not expect 'perfection' as if this backgammon set was mass produced from a machine."

That warning is the theme. Hand-built wooden boxes vary. Tone across olive chips shifts from pale gold to a darker olive, and two sets side by side won't match. Hinge alignment and lid closure are the other place handmade variance shows up, since a 18 3/4 inch lid is a long lever and small errors read as a gap on one corner.

The most common complaint I'd expect here isn't a defect at all. It's the purchase itself. Buyers see "backgammon-chess set" in the title, order it, and find out about "Without Chess Pawns" when the box lands. Read the feature list twice. If you're supplying pieces, the best Staunton chess sets guide covers what to pair with a wood field.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Walnut exterior and walnut veneer field, handmade, per the listing.
• Closed footprint of 18 3/4 by 10 inches and 3 inches deep stores on a normal shelf.
• 30 olive wood chips at 1.4 inches, a complete two-player backgammon set.
• Two games in one box, which is fewer things to store.

Cons

• No chess pawns included. The chess field arrives empty.
• No rating or review count on the listing, so there's no owner score to weigh.
• Square size and total weight are unpublished.
• The listing itself warns of handmade imperfection, so hinge and veneer alignment aren't guaranteed.

Specs at a glance

Alternatives worth a look

No other products came through in the data for this piece, so I won't invent competitors or fake markers. What I can tell you is where to look next.

If the missing chessmen are the dealbreaker, the best chess and checkers set roundup covers combination boxes that ship complete, pieces and all, so you're not hunting for 32 pawns and men after the fact.

If you've decided the walnut box is what you want and the chess field is a bonus, this set stands on its own as a backgammon board. Nothing else in the data competes with it directly.

Should you buy it

Buy it if you want a walnut backgammon board with olive chip and you already own chess pieces, or you're happy to buy them. The 18 3/4 inch box, the 30 chips at 1.4 inches, and a handmade build are a coherent package for backgammon. The chess field is a free extra rather than a feature.

Skip it if you want a chess set. It isn't one, and the title won't tell you that. Skip it too if you need a published square measurement or a review count before spending money, because this listing gives you neither. And if you're buying as a gift for someone expecting to open the box and play both games, walk away. Browse the wider chess sets catalog and find something that arrives complete.