13 products

13 products


Marble Chess Sets — Handmade Boards & Hand-Carved Pieces

A marble chess set changes how the game feels. The pieces have real mass, so they land with a sound rather than a click, and they stay where they are put. Players who have used one rarely go back to plastic.

How these are made

The board is not printed or veneered. Alternating squares of contrasting stone — white marble against black, green, or soapstone — are cut and set into the surface individually, then polished flat as a single plane. The pieces are turned and carved by hand, which is why the knights differ subtly from one another within the same set.

Choosing a size

Boards run from 8 inches up to 18 inches square. A 12-inch board suits regular play on a side table. The 15- and 18-inch sets are display pieces first — they hold a room, and they are heavy enough that you will choose their home once and leave them there.

Storage

Several sets include a wooden storage box or velvet presentation case, which is worth having: stone pieces chip against each other if kept loose in a drawer.