GothamChess Board | Foldable & Portable, Magnetic Chess Pieces, Organized Fitted Storage, Includes Course by International Master Levy Rozman, Game for Families & Adults | 15.75" x 15.75"

Good chess board, my brother loved this.

Good

This is a decent chess set. I like the style of the pieces, large board size, easy to read column and row markers, although I would have preferred a more mature looking font. What doesn't impress me is the finish on the wood for the board, or apparent lack thereof. This board definitely could use another coat or two of finish, it's rough to the touch because I can feel the wood grain. My board also has a few scratches and marks on it, possibly because the amount of finish used is not enough to properly form a protective film. I'm going to add additional finish to my own board to really make it shine, but it's just a bit sad I have to take this extra step. I understand at this price point, the manufacturer has to cut corners somewhere, and adding more than one coat of finish would add a lot of time to production. If you're looking at this product, be aware you will have to add finish to it yourself or your board may wear out over time, it is not as shiny or well finished as it appears in the promotional images. I know this might be a dealbreaker for some so I felt the need to leave this review.

The quality of the game pieces are excellent, the board is magnetic and a beautiful finished wood , and if you don't know the creator the board is affiliated with get to know him on chessly or YouTube the man it a great teacher # Gothamchess

I really wanted to like this. The board is nice. Easy to see and read. The pieces have some weight and they stay nicely with the magnet. The biggest crushing issue is the holder inside. The pieces do not stay. Every time you go to open or close it, they fall out—specifically the queen, king, and bishop. It makes putting it away challenging. Not worth keeping.

Nice

I have had this for several months and so far no issues with peeled squares or cracked pieces. The board has a satin, natural-wood finish and the wooden pieces are felted. I don't think they're weighted, other than the magnets. It also comes with 2 queens which was a nice addition. The coordinates are large and easily readable. The latches on the side aren't super heavy duty or anything, but so far have done the job. Construction all in all though is a step above a lot of the cheap "combo" game sets that I've seen. I think this would be a reasonable set for an aspiring new chess player or a casual player as sort of an all-purpose set. More seasoned players are probably already into more customized sets and might be best to look elsewhere. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say it's "compact", as it is a fairly large board, but it does fold and is self contained. I have not tried the free online courses yet. I would rate it 4 stars for meeting or exceeding my expectations based on the description. I would also note that while I had the privilege of ordering this for review and didn't have to pay the going price of ~$39 outright, that price does put it sort of in the middle of a wide array of other boards.

Great feeling board!! Classic!