Chess Gifts for the Player Who Owns Three Boards and Uses One

The chess player already owns a board. Probably three. A folding travel set, a plastic tournament set from a club, and whatever came in a box with a checkers side. All of them live in a drawer, and the actual chess happens on a phone.

The gift that changes that is a board too good to put away. Marble is heavy, it does not fold, and it looks like furniture, which is exactly why it stays on the table and why the game gets played on it. A marble set is the difference between a player who says they like chess and a house where chess is visibly played.

Why marble and not another wooden set

The wooden Staunton set is the correct gift for a competitive player, and if that is who you are buying for, read the last section first. For everyone else, the wooden set is the one they already have. The chess clock is for someone who plays timed games, which is a specific person. The book of openings is a bet they have not read it. The chess subscription is a bet they do not already pay for one.

A marble board is a piece of the room. It weighs enough that it is not casually moved, the pieces have heft, and the contrast of two stones is the thing people notice from the doorway. Nobody buys one for themselves, which is the definition of a good gift.

Under $250: the 12-inch sets

Twelve inches is the size that fits a side table or a desk corner. These are the sets to give a player who has never owned a stone board.

• Marble Chess Set, White and Red/Green, 12", $199.99. The most affordable stone set here and the one with color in it.
• Marble Chess Set, White Coral and Red, 12", $199.99. Warm tones. The set for a room with wood and leather in it.
• Marble Chess Set, Black Zebra and White, 12", $199.99. Veined black against white. The most dramatic of the 12-inch boards.
• Marble Chess Set, Black and Botticino, 12", $239.99. Botticino is a warm cream Italian marble. Against black it is the classic look, and this is the set we keep the most of in stock.
• Marble Chess Set, Black and White, Black Border, 12", $239.99. Pure black and white with a black frame. The set for a modern room.
• Marble Chess Set, Red and White, 12", $249.99. Red marble squares. The one for the player whose personality is not neutral.

$250 to $350: the sets that anchor a table

• Marble Chess Set, White and Black, 12", $269.99. The reference set. If you are unsure what they like, this is the answer.
• Large Marble Chess Set, Black and White Coral, White Coral Border, 16", $269.99. Sixteen inches, which is coffee-table scale. The pieces are easier to handle and the board reads from across the room.
• Large Marble Chess Set, Black Zebra and White, 16", $269.99. The zebra marble at the larger size.
• Marble Chess Set, White and Coral, White Border, 12", $299.99. Pale on pale, with a white frame. The quietest set here and the one that suits a light room.
• Large Marble Chess Set, White and Black, Fancy Pieces, White Border, 16", $329.99. The 16-inch board with the more ornate carved pieces. For the player who will look at the knights as long as they look at the board.
• Large Marble Chess Set, Black and White Coral, Fancy Pieces, 16", $329.99. The same ornate pieces on black and coral.

The statement piece

• Marble Chess Set, Extra Large, White and Black, 20", $509.99. Twenty inches of marble. This is a board that gets its own table, and once it has one, that table is where people sit.
• Marble Chess Table, Red and White Coral, Fancy Pieces, 24", $1,999.99. The board and the table are one piece of marble furniture. For the anniversary, the retirement, or the house that finally has the room.

Which stone for which room

Black and white or black and Botticino for a room that is already furnished in dark wood or leather. White and coral, or the white-border sets, for a light room where a dark board would sit like a hole in the table. Red or zebra for a person with a strong sense of their own taste, and only if you know that taste. If you are guessing, guess black and white.

A note on care

Marble is stone. It does not want acid, so wine and citrus get wiped up rather than left, and it does not want to be dropped. Beyond that it is dusted. A set treated that way looks the same in twenty years, which is the whole argument for stone over wood.

When to buy something else

• They play in tournaments. Competitive players train on a standard Staunton set with regulation square sizes and weighted pieces, and a marble set is not that. Buy them the tournament set they actually use, or a good clock, and give the marble board to the player who plays for the room.
• They travel with their chess. A marble board goes nowhere. A folding wooden set is the right gift for a player who plays in parks and cafes.
• They live in a small place with no flat surface to spare. A 12-inch set needs a table corner permanently. If there is not one, the gift becomes a storage problem.
• They play only online. Some do, and they are happy. A subscription or a book is the honest gift.
• The recipient is a young child. Marble pieces are heavy and they chip when thrown. Under about eight, buy plastic and buy the marble set later.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good gift for a chess lover who has everything?
A marble board, because it is the one chess object people do not buy for themselves. Twelve-inch sets from $199.99, sixteen-inch from $269.99.

What size marble chess set should I buy?
Twelve inches for a desk or side table. Sixteen inches for a coffee table. Twenty inches or the 24-inch table for a board that gets its own spot in the room.

Is a marble chess set good for actually playing?
Yes, for casual and serious home play. Tournament players train on regulation Staunton sets, which are a different thing.

Which color marble chess set is the safest choice?
Black and white. The classic at $269.99 in 12 inches, or black and Botticino at $239.99 if you want a warmer white.

How much does a marble chess set cost?
$199.99 to $249.99 for a 12-inch set, $269.99 to $329.99 for 16 inches, $509.99 for the 20-inch board, and $1,999.99 for the marble chess table.

More on choosing one: marble chess sets, artwork and gameplay, and the chess set buying guide.