Gifts for Chess Players, From First Checkmate to Club Night

By the Gift DeskUpdated October 8, 202619 hand-picked ideas

The ideas at a glance

Learn-to-Play Chess Set with Move Guide~$30
Tournament Vinyl Chess Board and Staunton Pieces~$25
Electronic Chess Computer with Light-Up Board~$850
Chess Openings for Beginners Book~$15
Digital Chess Clock~$20
Chess Game Score Book~$9

Chess has a way of quietly taking over a life. One week someone is playing a few games on their phone at lunch; a few months later they’re doing tactics puzzles before breakfast, checking their online rating and asking whether the local library has a chess club. Meanwhile the parent who taught their kids to play twenty years ago still keeps a wooden set on the coffee table and would love a game.

Those are very different chess players, and they want different gifts. This guide starts with gifts for beginners and returning players, moves to what club and tournament players use every week, then pauses on what experienced players notice about sets and pieces. After that come boards that look good on display, followed by a mix of themed extras and bigger ideas.

If they love reading about the game, our gifts for book lovers page has more for readers. Chess players who also enjoy strategy games will find ideas in gifts for board game lovers.

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For beginners and players coming back to the game

A new player needs a proper set to practice on and something to help them think beyond the rules. Many adults return to chess after years away, often after a run of online games, and the same gifts suit them too.

1
Learn-to-Play Chess Set with Move Guide
Cardinal Classics Chess Teacher
A set whose pieces are marked with how they move, so a child can learn without constantly asking. It’s a gentle first set for kids around six to ten, and it lets a grandparent teach without a rulebook. Once they’ve got the moves down, they’ll want a standard set like the one below.
On Amazonabout $30
2
Tournament Vinyl Chess Board and Staunton Pieces
A roll-up vinyl board, weighted plastic Staunton pieces and a bag: the setup you’ll see at school clubs and most tournaments. It’s inexpensive, nearly indestructible and the same equipment strong players use, which is why it’s the right first serious set for a teen or adult.
On Amazonabout $25
3
Electronic Chess Computer with Light-Up Board
Millennium Chess Classics Exclusive Electronic Board
A sensor board that plays back at adjustable difficulty and lights up legal moves. It suits a beginner who wants an opponent at their level, or an older player who’d rather not play on a phone. Strong players will outgrow the lighter models quickly, so it’s best early on.
On Amazonabout $850
4
Chess Openings for Beginners Book
Fundamental Chess Openings by Paul van der Sterren
A readable introduction to the common openings with diagrams. It helps a new player stop making it up for the first ten moves and understand the ideas behind them. It’s most useful once they know the rules and have a few dozen games under their belt.
On Amazonabout $15

Know exactly who it’s for?

For the club and tournament player

Once someone plays rated games or joins a club, a few pieces of equipment go from nice to necessary. These are what they’ll use every week.

Our favorite5
Digital Chess Clock
A timer is needed for any timed game, and serious players practice with one at home. Look for a clock that supports both delay and increment settings, since tournaments in the US commonly use delay and international events use increment. It’s an inexpensive gift that a player who has just joined a club will use from the first night.
On Amazonabout $20
6
Chess Game Score Book
WE Games Ultimate Chess Player's Scorebook
In longer tournament games, players write down every move, and the scoresheets become a record they review afterward. A bound score book keeps a season’s games together and makes it easy to go over losses with a coach. Cheap, practical and a natural companion to a clock.
On Amazonabout $9
7
Chess Tactics Workbook
Everyone's First Chess Workbook by Peter Giannatos
Most games between club players are decided by tactics: forks, pins and missed captures. A workbook of themed puzzles is one of the most effective ways to improve, and it’s satisfying to work through on a commute. Choose one matched to their level; a beginner’s book will bore a strong player.
On Amazonabout $25
8
Logical Chess Move by Move Book
Irving Chernev’s classic explains every move of a series of master games in plain words. Coaches often recommend it to players moving from beginner to intermediate, because it shows the reasoning behind ordinary moves. Strong players will likely own it already.
On Amazonabout $30
9
Triple-Weighted Staunton Chess Pieces
The House of Staunton Collector Series Chessmen
Heavy, felted tournament pieces that feel solid in the hand and don’t tip over in a fast game. They’re a meaningful upgrade from the light plastic pieces most players start with. Make sure they’ll fit their board (see the sizing note below).
On Amazonabout $45

What serious players notice about a chess set

Experienced players are surprisingly particular about equipment. They want Staunton pieces, the standard design used in competition, because unfamiliar shapes slow down their calculation. They care about weight, since heavy pieces feel good and stay put. And they notice when pieces are the wrong size for the board. A common tournament pairing is a king about 3.75 inches tall on a board with squares about 2.25 inches across; pieces that crowd the squares, or look tiny on them, bother players more than you’d expect.

This is why themed and glass sets, lovely as they are, belong on a shelf rather than at a club. If you’d like to support their game rather than their decor, consider lessons with a local coach, an entry fee for a tournament they’ve been eyeing, or a premium membership on the chess site where they already play.

Boards that look good on display

For the coffee table, the study or the person who loves the game’s look as much as its strategy. Some are for playing, some for admiring.

10
Luxury Weighted Chess Set with Storage Drawers
A&A Walnut Wooden Chess Set with Drawer
A wooden board with weighted pieces stored in built-in drawers. Good to play on and handsome enough to leave out.
On Amazonabout $85
11
Wooden Chess Set with Folding Board
Mahogany and Maple Folding Chess Set
A folding wooden set that stores its own pieces. Classic, portable and fine for a casual weekly game.
On Amazonabout $55
12
Chess Board Table with Storage Drawers
A small table with an inlaid board, for creating a permanent chess corner in a den or study.
On Amazonabout $150
13
Frosted Glass Chess Set
A glass board with frosted and clear pieces. A striking decor piece, though not the easiest set to play long games on.
On Amazonabout $30
14
Fantasy Battle Chess Set
Medieval Dragon Red and Blue Chess Set
Dragons, wizards and knights in place of the usual pieces. Great for a fantasy fan; serious players will find it hard to read.
On Amazonabout $60

Big ideas and chess-themed extras

From a high-tech board that connects to online opponents to a novel for the fan who discovered chess through television, these round out the options.

15
Smart Chess Board for Online Play
DGT Pegasus Smart Chess Board
A physical board with real pieces that connects through an app to online chess sites and computer opponents. It’s a splurge for someone who plays a lot online and would rather move real pieces than stare at a screen. Check which sites and apps it supports, since compatibility varies by model.
On Amazonabout $200
16
Giant Garden Chess Set
A large outdoor set with knee-high kings for patios, lawns and parks. It’s more spectacle than serious chess, which is exactly the point: kids love it, and it draws a crowd at a family gathering. It needs storage space through the winter.
On Amazonabout $270
17
Magnetic Travel Chess Set
A folding magnetic board whose pieces stay put on trains, planes and in waiting rooms. It’s an easy stocking stuffer for a player who travels, and it’s handy for analyzing a position on the go.
On Amazonabout $19
18
The Queen's Gambit Novel
The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis
Walter Tevis’s novel about an orphaned chess prodigy, the basis for the hit series. It’s a fast, absorbing read for anyone who loved the show, and players enjoy how well it captures tournament life.
On Amazonabout $14
19
Chess Piece Bookends
Globe Decor Black Aluminum Chess Bookends
Heavy metal king and knight bookends. They’re a subtle nod to the hobby that holds up a growing shelf of chess books, or any other books, in a study or office. A good pick when you’d like something chess-related that isn’t another set.
On Amazonabout $35

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Choosing a chess gift

Figure out their level. A beginner needs a sturdy set and a good first book; a club player needs a clock, score book and tactics practice.
If they play in tournaments, stick with standard Staunton pieces and check that the piece size matches the board.
Books are welcome, but match them to their rating. Ask what they’re reading, or check their shelf.
Lessons, tournament fees or an online premium membership help a dedicated player improve more than any object.
For chess players with other hobbies, our gift finder can suggest more.

Questions about chess gifts

What is a good gift for a serious chess player?

A digital clock with delay and increment, a set of heavy weighted Staunton pieces, a tactics workbook at their level, or lessons with a coach. Smart boards suit players who mostly play online.

What is a good chess set for a beginner?

A roll-up vinyl board with weighted plastic Staunton pieces is cheap, durable and the same setup used in clubs. For young children, a set with move guides printed on the pieces is easier to learn on.

What chess books make good gifts?

Logical Chess Move by Move is a classic for improving players, a tactics workbook helps at any level, and The Queen’s Gambit novel suits fans of the series.

Are glass or themed chess sets good for playing?

They’re good for casual games and look great on display, but serious players prefer standard Staunton pieces because they’re easier to recognize at a glance.

And if you don’t play, consider learning. Chess players are almost always happy to teach, and a standing Sunday game with someone they love is worth more to most of them than any board. You’ll lose for a while. That’s fine; they did too, once, and they’ll enjoy watching you get better far more than they’ll enjoy winning.

Gifts for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fans La Befana Gifts

For beginners and players coming back to the game

Know exactly who it’s for?

For the club and tournament player

What serious players notice about a chess set

Boards that look good on display

Big ideas and chess-themed extras

Shop this guide by price

Under $25

$25–$50

$50–$100

$100+

Choosing a chess gift

Questions about chess gifts

Related gift guides

For beginners and players coming back to the game

Know exactly who it’s for?

For the club and tournament player

What serious players notice about a chess set

Boards that look good on display

Big ideas and chess-themed extras

Shop this guide by price

Under $25

$25–$50

$50–$100

$100+