The Best Luxury Chess Sets (For Both Playing and Displaying)

Either way, chess has held players in its grip for more than 1,500 years, making it one of the world's oldest and most enduring games.

Despite being reinvented for the digital age through apps, online tournaments, and AI-powered opponents, there remains something irresistible about playing on the physical board. The 32-piece game, with its seemingly infinite possibilities, has been reinterpreted countless times by designers, artists, and luxury maisons alike.

Whether you're sharpening your strategy, hosting an elegant game night, or simply looking for a statement piece worthy of display, these are the best luxury chess sets to elevate your next match.

The best luxury chess sets

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  Best heritage set

  Hermès, Samarcande Chess Set

  Some chess sets are bought for the next game; others are bought for the next generation. Hermès' Samarcande chess set firmly belongs in the latter camp. Named after the historic Silk Road city where East and West once met to exchange precious goods, the set is a celebration of craftsmanship at its most exacting. The board combines mahogany with intricate leather marquetry, while hand-sculpted pieces in cassia wood are finished with weighted stainless-steel bases.

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  Best architectural set

  Zaha Hadid Design, The Towers Field Chess Set

  As one should expect from Zaha Hadid Design, this chess set reimagines the traditional game as a miniature skyline, replacing familiar figurative pieces with polished resin forms that rise (and fall) like soaring city towers. Set against a lacquered board with a silk-screened grid, the result feels unmistakably Hadid, transforming a centuries-old game into a futuristic piece of collectible design.

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  Best traditional set

  Hector Saxe, Coffret d'Échecs Impression Alligator

  Sometimes, the smartest move is sticking to the classics. And while some designers have spent decades reinventing the chessboard, Paris-based Hector Saxe proves there's still plenty to be said for tradition. This alligator leather chess set embraces the game's classic format, elevating it through craftsmanship rather than novelty. Hand-finished in France, the case is wrapped in richly textured leather that is available in black or deep red. 

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  Best travel set

  Pucci, Vivara Print Travel Chess Set

  No Mediterranean escape is complete without a touch of Pucci. Now, the Italian fashion house's kaleidoscopic prints can accompany you from the beach club to the chessboard. Decorated with the brand's signature Vivara motif, this foldable set slips neatly into a beach bag or carry-on. Two zipped compartments keep every piece securely stored between matches, whether you're passing an afternoon poolside in Capri or aboard a yacht in the Aegean.

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  Best minimalist set

  Giobagnara, Delos Marble Chess Set - Travertino

  Giobagnara has crafted its game pieces from marble with hand-stitched leather detailing. The board reduces the familiar checkerboard to perhaps its most minimal form: blocks and squares. While it comes in a choice of ‘70s-inspired colors, the pieces are sculpted from contrasting marble finishes, with subtly notched edges to distinguish each character without disrupting the set's restrained aesthetic.

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  Best set to display

  L'Objet, Marble and Malachite Chess Set

  The trouble with beautiful chess sets is that they're rarely returned to the cupboard after game night. L'Objet leans into that reality with a board that doubles as a decorative centerpiece. Eschewing traditional figurines, the brand replaces kings, queens, and bishops with a collection of abstract gold-tone sculptures that wouldn't look out of place in a modern art gallery. They sit on a striking malachite-effect board framed by marble and a lacquered wood base. 

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  Best multi-use set

  Rabitti 1969, Sanremo Leather Games Compendium

  Why stop at checkmate when there are several other ways to win? Rabitti 1969's Sanremo Compendium is the luxury solution for the indecisive host, combining chess, backgammon, checkers, and dominoes in one carefully crafted package. Wrapped in the Italian brand's signature leather, the set is designed to move effortlessly between games, ready to settle everything from a fiercely competitive chess match to a more leisurely post-dinner game of backgammon. 

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  Best for the fantasist

  Purling, Gold Leaf Bones of Stone Chess Set

  One of the British maker's most distinctive designs, this handcrafted set from Purling embraces the drama and fantasy of a good chess game. A gothic monochrome palette is accentuated by hand-applied gold leaf detailing, while the clawed feet and glazed earthenware pieces really lean into the set's mythical and antique-inspired design. It's rich in character and unapologetically theatrical.

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  Best modernist set

  Brunello Cucinelli, Walnut board game

  Few brands have earned the description of quiet luxury quite like Brunello Cucinelli. But while the Italian house's typical medium is usually all soft cashmere and clean-cut tailoring, the same philosophy extends into the games room. Crafted in Italy from walnut wood with sandstone, brass, and aluminum detailing, this chess set embraces a distinctly modernist sensibility. Clean lines, muted tones – much like Cucinelli's clothing. There's nothing obnoxiously flashy about it, but that’s also the Cucinelli charm.

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  Best contemporary set

  Ralph Lauren Home, Fowler Chess and Draughts Game Set

  The problem with many luxury chess sets is that they can sometimes feel a little too precious. Ralph Lauren offers a more contemporary balance, creating a set that is undeniably elegant but still inviting enough to actually use. Entirely handcrafted, the Fowler set combines chess and draughts on a board composed of individually cut leather tiles that are stitched and housed within a sleek leather case. The playing pieces are rendered in contrasting metallic finishes, replacing traditional ornamentation with clean, architectural lines that feel decidedly modern.

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  Best garden set

  Geoffrey Parker, Giant Chess Set

  Most chess matches are confined to a tabletop. This one takes over the entire garden. Handcrafted from ash and sapele hardwood, this giant chess set transforms the centuries-old game into something closer to a landscape feature (in both size and stature). Retailing at £63,000 (approx. $84,325), it takes four to six months for Geoffrey Parker’s master turner to handcraft the 34-piece set from ash and sapele hardwood, before each is then weighted for stability and finished with a protective lacquer to protect from the predictable English downfall. 

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How we chose the best luxury chess sets

Each item featured is independently selected by Elite Traveler’s editors and contributors, informed by first-hand reviews where possible and in-depth research where not. Our curation spans the world’s most luxurious brands, chosen for their uncompromising quality, size, inclusions, and exceptional craftsmanship.