Boards & gear
Boards, sets, and clocks we've researched so you don't have to.
Chess board dimensions: the sizes that actually matterChess board dimensions explained — tournament standard sizes, the 75% rule for pieces, and a size table so you buy a board and set that actually match.Read the guide →The best chess clocks (and whether you need one)Chess clock picks for beginners, club players, and traditionalists — plus time controls, increment vs delay, and who doesn't need a clock yet.Read the guide →The best chess setsThe best chess sets compared: the club-standard combo most people should buy, a genuinely cheap budget set, and the wooden upgrade that's worth it.Read the guide →The best magnetic chess setsA magnetic chess set is only as good as its magnets. The tilt test, the three sizes that matter, and the three sets we'd actually buy.Read the guide →The best self-moving chess boardsSelf moving chess board reviews without the hype — which robot boards actually move their own pieces, which just track moves, and who should skip both.Read the guide →The best travel chess setsWe compared the popular magnetic and folding travel sets. Three are worth buying — one for kids, one for adults, one for your coat pocket.Read the guide →The best wooden chess setsA wooden chess set worth the money has weighted, felted pieces and solid wood — most don't. Our three picks, and the traps the cheap ones set.Read the guide →