Travel Chess Sets: Why Magnetic Is the One to Buy
Nov 4, 2026 · The Editors
What makes a travel chess set worth carrying — magnets, folding boards, size — and which kind suits planes, trains and holidays.
A chess game started on a train ends the first time the train brakes, unless the pieces stay where you put them. That is the whole case for a magnetic travel chess set, and most of the case for buying one at all.
What makes a good travel set
Magnetic pieces. Each piece has a magnet in the base and the board has a steel or magnetic layer, so the pieces hold their squares on a moving train, a tray table or a knee. A game can be folded away half-finished and is often still intact when you open it.
A folding board that stores the pieces. The best travel sets fold in half like a box, with the pieces stored inside. Nothing to lose, nothing to carry separately.
The right size. Travel boards range from pocket sets a few inches across to boards around 25 to 30 cm. Below about 20 cm the pieces become fiddly for adult hands; above 30 cm it stops fitting in a bag. Around 24 cm is a sensible middle.
Felt underneath. A felted base means the board can sit on a good table without scratching it.
Magnetic vs roll-up vs pocket sets
- Magnetic folding sets are the best all-rounders: stable, self-contained and quick to set up.
- Roll-up sets — a vinyl or cloth board with loose weighted pieces — play like a club set but do nothing to stop pieces sliding.
- Pocket and wallet sets use flat pieces and slot boards. Very small, but not much fun to actually play on.
One board, three games
A three-in-one set puts chess on one side of the folding board and backgammon on the other, with checkers pieces as well. For a family holiday or a cabin weekend, one box covers three games and suits everyone.
Take a clock too
If two serious players are travelling, a small digital chess clock turns a long journey into a tournament. A short time control — ten minutes each — fits neatly between stations.
Where a travel set earns its place
Trains and planes, obviously. But also hospital waiting rooms, cafés, campsites, a grandparent's kitchen table — anywhere a game might happen and a full set will not come along.
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