Best chess sets 2021: Improve your memory and sharpen your mind with these chess sets – The Sun
CHESS is having a major moment, spurred on by the success of TV series The Queen's Gambit and our increased time at home.
It's a great life skill - and game - to pick up at any age. We've rounded up the best chess sets for all players below.
9
There are lots of different kinds of chess sets to buy, whether you want something traditional, portable or even themed.
Chess sets can be functional and practical - as well as works of art, with some boards and pieces costing into the hundreds (and even thousands).
Newbies can find chess sets at affordable prices - often including checkers pieces, too - for under 20, which also have the advantage of being portable.
If you want your chess set to be a statement piece, look out for colourful boards, interesting materials (Lucite, anyone?) and unusual designs, like Umbra's Wobble Chess Set, which is a visual feast where the game pieces seem to interact as you play.
From wizards to Mario characters to Star Wars favourites, there are chess sets to appeal to everyone. Top tip: novelty sets are a great way to get kids interested in the game.
This article and featured products have been independently chosen by Sun journalists. It contains links which are ads, and if you click a link and buy a product we will earn revenue.
9
This plastic chess set includes magnetic pieces which attach to the board to stay standing (bonus: reviewers say you can play this in the car as a result).
The portable design can be folded in half for easy travel and fans are impressed by the durability of this set, especially for the price.
The general consensus is that this makes a great starter set for chess newbies, who are less likely to knock pieces over thanks to the magnets, and who find it easier to learn with black and white pieces (as opposed to wood).
The pieces store away easily in the board-box, too.
9
If you're despairing at your child's inability to separate themselves from a screen, then we'd recommend this Super-Mario themed chess game, featuring Mario's Heroes vs. Bowser's Troop.
Recommended for kids 7 and up, reviewers are impressed with the quality and design of the chess pieces (they're hand-painted), and insist kids like to play this version more than traditional chess.
Toy Story, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Fallout versions are also available.
9
Yes, looks are absolutely allowed to influence your choice of a chess set.
This twist on the traditional chess set made from colourful Lucite allows for chess on one side, checkers on the other.
Ideal for game night with the family - and for brightening up a display shelf, too.
9
Designed in collaboration with number 1 ranked chess player for nearly two decades, Garry Kasparov, this is another budget board - except this one has wooden pieces to appeal to traditionalists.
Fans rave about the quality and design, as well as the affordability of this set, which is sturdily built.
'My daughter wanted a chess set after watching The Queen's Gambit and we have been playing every day since.
'This wooden set is really nice and great value for money', writes one reviewer.
9
Anyone worried that chess has a reputation that borders on 'boring' should check out Umbra's walnut and maple chess set, which is anything but.
The eye-catching design consists of a concave wobble board which makes the pieces seem as if they're in motion, interacting with each other as you play.
In addition to helping bring the game to life, the wobble board pieces are beautifully made, with spherical bottoms and plated chrome detailing.
It's a gorgeous statement piece for the home, too.
'I stumbled across this set by accident and knew I had to have one. It looks every bit as good as I hoped.
'Clearly high quality and beautifully designed. Each piece is like mini modern sculpture, as is the board with its wavy structure. Looks like a painstaking product to construct', writes one reviewer.
9
This 32-piece chess set features a London skyline of architecture turned chess pieces, including Big Ben, The Shard and the London Eye.
Made from moulded acrylic, the pieces are double-weighted with felted bases, while the wooden board is cleverly designed to look like a London city map.
You'll also find New York (and New York vs London editions) available at John Lewis.
9
If you like your chess with a side of history, then you'll enjoy this mini replica set of the 12th century Isle of Lewis chessmen, believed to have been crafted in Norway once upon a time and discovered in a chest on the Isle of Lewis in the 1830s.
This stunning set is made from crushed stone resin with heavy pieces, intricately carved with painstaking attention to detail.
The pieces fold nicely into the board for easy storage when not in use.
9
This portable chess set contains a patterned canvas board and 32 silkscreened wooden pieces for chess and checkers fun.
Just zip the pieces in the pouch, roll up the board and take this beautiful chess set with you wherever you go.
BREW-TIFULBest glass coffee cups you can buy in 2021
SMART TIMEThe 10 best smartwatches you can buy in 2021
PERFECT BREWSage's Smart Kettle BKE820UK review: Is it worth the money?
freshen upBest aftershave for men: from Dior Sauvage to Creed and Bleu de Chanel
pump it upThe 8 best value and cheapest dumbbell sets you can buy in 2021
HIGH FRYING9 best air fryers to buy in 2021
We've designedSun Selectsto help you to find the best products that won't break the bank.
Need some more game ideas? These board games are sure to be a hit.
Enjoyed our roundup of best chess sets? Then you might like our selection of eco-friendly toys for kids, too.
This article and featured products have been independently chosen by Sun journalists. It contains links which are ads, and if you click a link and buy a product we will earn revenue.
See the original post:
Best chess sets 2021: Improve your memory and sharpen your mind with these chess sets - The Sun
- YouTuber GothamChesss How to Win book banned from Speed Chess Championship - Dexerto - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Chess on ice: Inside the strategic and social game of curling - WHEC.com - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- U.S. Chess Champion is Bullish on these 3 New Year Stocks - TipRanks - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Chess on the beach: An initiative by the Argentine Olympic Committee - Chess News | ChessBase - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Chess Wimbledon starts with world champion challenged by rising stars - The Guardian - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Free chess club builds community and critical thinking in Flint - Flint Beat - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Cheating just three times massively ups the chance of winning at chess - New Scientist - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Tata Steel Chess: Tale of two draws for world champion D Gukesh as crucial year begins - The Indian Express - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Queen of Chess Trailer and Key Art From Netflix - Vital Thrills - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- The one change that worked: I tried all the hobbies I thought Id hate and found friendship and escape - The Guardian - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Herrin City Library to host 'Chess at the Library' - WPSD Local 6 - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Video: XR disrupts Tata Steel Chess Tournament, dumps 2,025 Kg of coal at the venue - NL Times - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Every Lesson Counts: The Present and Future of Chess in Education International Chess Federation - FIDE - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Vietnamese youth take chess to new heights with smart technology - vietnamnews.vn - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Tabulo is chess meets Balatro and it's out now - GamingOnLinux - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Chess960's random setups still favor white, new study reveals - Phys.org - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Ravens still have the chess pieces to put Patrick Queen in checkmate - Ravens Wire - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Ravens still have the chess pieces to put Patrick Queen in checkmate - Yahoo Sports - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Welcome to the Wild World of Chess Streaming - The Wall Street Journal - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- World Chess Weekly: Is Magnus Carlsen Now The Most Dominant Figure in Sport? - World Chess - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- The Chess Set That Plays By Touch, Ships Flat, Wastes Nothing - Yanko Design - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Hong Kong International Open 2025: A record-breaking success International Chess Federation - FIDE - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Rams Agree to Multi-Year Deal With Versatile Chess Piece in Roster Update - Heavy Sports - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Hou Yifan on chess, life beyond the board and why winning was never everything - The Hindu - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Alireza Firouzjas rollercoaster: From being hailed as the next big thing in Chess to missing out on 2026 Candidates - The Indian Express - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- 14-year-old Turkish chess prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus falls to Carlsen at world championship - Trkiye Today - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- From chess to a medical mystery: Great global reads from 2025 you may have missed - NPR - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- World Rapid and Blitz: Carlsen's Double Gold, Goryachkina's First World Title, and Assaubayeva's Blitz Dynasty - US Chess Federation - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Kazakhstans Bibisara Assaubayeva Wins Third World Blitz Chess Championship - The Times Of Central Asia - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Who is GM Hikaru Nakamura? The champion who took chess to millions online - Times of India - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Annual STEMathon winners put a new spin on chess to help seniors - West Newsmagazine - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Russia Shut Out of Chess World Top 20 for First Time in FIDE History - World Chess - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Balanced Rook Chess Club brings the community together - FOX21 News Colorado - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Remembering Spassky, Naroditsky as a busy chess year closes - Washington Times - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Marketing a Business and Keeping Your Brain Sharp: Lessons from Chess and Complex Games - CustomerThink - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Chess: Carlsen wins World Rapid crown after dramatic recovery from disaster - Financial Times - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsen also takes the Blitz crown and adds 20th World Champion title in chess - Gamereactor UK - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Reflections of 2025: A smash that shook the chess world, a controversial outburst at the US Open and a false dawn in Indian football - The Indian... - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Gukesh makes big mistake as he loses to 12-year-old chess prodigy in World Blitz Championship - WATCH - Firstpost - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Gukesh stunned by 12-year-old chess prodigy after blunder from world champion in World Blitz Championship - The Indian Express - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- World Blitz Championships: Arjun Erigaisi ends year with bittersweet bronze, Magnus Carlsen makes a comeback for ages to win title - The Indian... - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- World Rapid Championships - Live! - ChessBase - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- National master, UH lecturer headlines chess exhibition at UH Mnoa - University of Hawaii System - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- As Rochesters chess scene grows, one high school team is eyeing another statewide title - MPR News - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- 'Athletics for the Mind' Bennington Free Library to host chess tournament - Bennington Banner - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Women at the helm of national federations - ChessBase - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Anime Auto Chess Roblox Codes [RELEASE] (December 2025) Working and Updated List - FRVR - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Setting the Board: Bryce Pinkham Guides the Audience Through Chess on Broadway - Broadway Shows - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- World Chess Weekly: Here's A FIDE Event Carlsen DOES LikeStarting Now, The Rapid & Blitz - World Chess - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- City Football Group exit Mumbai City; Indians impress in opening rounds of World Rapid C'hips: Indian Sports, December 26 - ESPN Philippines - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Opening press conference sets the stage for 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships - FIDE - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Meet Goutham Krishna H, International Master from Thiruvananthapuram, who made heads turn at World Rapid Championship - The Indian Express - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Chess Grandmaster Jonathan Hawkins, 42, Dies Of Rare CancerA Week After Appeal To Help Him - World Chess - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Heated Rivalry Is Really Just Chess the Musical - Vulture - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Mindsets Conference Explores Growth, Purpose, and the Future of Chess Education - US Chess Federation - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Young Chess team shows resilience to shine in Puerto Rico - News Room Guyana - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- 3 Monster Issues Chess Will Have To Grapple With In 2026 - World Chess - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- New Doc Queen of Chess Tells the Story of a Female Prodigys Thrilling Battle to the Top - Netflix - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Become the piece you capture in the chess-inspired Mate'Morphosis on January 9 2026 - GamingOnLinux - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Chess prodigy: 'My opponents get annoyed when they lose to a child' - BBC - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Chess Now Has a Patron Saint. A Company Made It Happen. Is That... Allowed? - World Chess - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Columbia-based chess program expands to Charleston schools, aims to broaden who plays the game - Post and Courier - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Hikaru Nakamura interview: Studying chess 10 hours a day is nonsense its outdated - The Indian Express - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Better to play one great chess event than 10 bad ones: Wesley So | Sports News - Hindustan Times - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Joseph Chess Obituary (07/17/1948 - 12/11/2025) - Ann Arbor, MI - Kalamazoo Gazette - MLive.com - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Chess and Cakes, tea time and chess tournament at the Monsieur George hotel, one Sunday a month - Sortir Paris - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Hastings, The Grand Old Tournamant, Begins For The 99th Time. It Needs A Lift To Make 100 - World Chess - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Chess Federations From England, Norway And Ukraine Stand Up To FIDE Over Return Of Russian Teams - World Chess - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- BETBY introduces 24/7 Live Chess betting ahead of FIDE World Championships - Esports Insider - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- GCL: Four teams tied for first place, Anand beats Gukesh - Chess News | ChessBase - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- 'It was never through effort': World Chess Champion D Gukesh reacts to Anish Giri's 'different person' re - The Times of India - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Three-year-old chess prodigy becomes youngest player to earn official rating - The Guardian - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Niemann dives to victory as Freestyle Chess Finals start with underwater exhibition - Reuters - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Students honor longtime Co-op City chess teacher with surprise gift - News 12 - The Bronx - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- IBM unveiled its Deep Blue chess supercomputer prototype 30 years ago today two years later in its second attempt, it defeated Grandmaster Garry... - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- How Chess Went From Cult Fave to Broadway BreakoutWith the Help of a Winning Score - Variety - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Will the fall musicals Chess, Queen of Versailles, and Two Strangers resonate with Tony voters? - Gold Derby - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Three-year-old chess prodigy sets sights on becoming youngest grandmaster in history - Washington Times - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Oscar-Winning Chess-Themed Animated Short 'War Is Over' Released To Public - Chess.com - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- 'A really big deal': Sask. chess player is two steps away from becoming a grandmaster - CBC - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]