The leather board I'm teaching my boy chess on
or 4 payments of £16.24 with Klarna
🛡️ 30-day full refund, no questions. Fewer than 30 returns from 23,000+ orders.
- Rolls up flat
- Travel-ready leather
- No app needed
- Plays for years
- Ships in 2-3 days
- Age 6 and up
- 30-day returns
- Klarna available
Delivery in 2-3 working days · 30-day returns · Est. 1795
as seen in
Real talk
One-on-one chess, the way your dad taught you
This isn't a screen chess app or a plastic set that loses pieces. The Roll-up Chess Set is designed for teaching, on a board that feels good to play on. Leather binding, flat travel pieces, and a press stud fastener that keeps it closed in your bag.
You'll play this with your child for years, and pass it on. That's the point.
Joe Jaques, Jaques of London
What's in the box
What arrives in your order
Everything you need to teach chess properly, nothing you don't.
Leather roll-up board
32 squares printed on a leather-bound canvas. Fastens with a press stud, rolls to pocket size. Flat enough to play on a train, sturdy enough for the kitchen table.
- ✓ Leather binding protects the board
- ✓ Press stud keeps it closed and neat
- ✓ Rolls to A5 size, fits any bag
32 flat travel pieces
Weighted pieces that sit flat on the board. No risk of them rolling off mid-game. Each piece is clear enough to teach a beginner, steady enough for serious play.
- ✓ Flat design stops pieces rolling
- ✓ Weighted for solid feel
- ✓ Clear distinction between black and white
Unroll, play, pack in under a minute
No box to hunt for. No pieces to lose in a drawer. Unroll on any flat surface, teach your child the moves, roll it up when you're done. Ready for the next game in seconds.
- ✓ Plays anywhere: table, floor, train
- ✓ Pieces stay put during travel
- ✓ Pack away in a coat pocket
Order by 2pm Tuesday, arrives Thursday
Was £80.99
Travel Chess Set - Roll-up Leather Chess Board: £64.99
While they play
What chess teaches a young mind
Looks like play. Works like a lesson.
Strategic thinking
Your child learns to plan 2-3 moves ahead. Chess rewards patience and foresight in a way no app does.
Memory sharpens fast
Playing the same openings, remembering piece positions. A 7-year-old's memory improves noticeably within weeks.
Problem-solving under pressure
Each game is a fresh puzzle. Chess teaches your child to think through options and handle loss with grace.
Your time together
An hour of chess with your child beats 5 hours of parallel screen time. You're teaching and present.
What families say about Jaques of London
What parents say about this set
"Excellent quality wood toys, so well made, no sharp edges, all lovely & smooth, very colourful & plenty of choice. Very reasonably priced & so beautifully wrapped you don't want to open them. Highly recommend this company."
"Fast delivery, excellent products, extremely good quality and long lasting. My granddaughter loves the toys from here. Good age ranges covered."
"These toys tick all the boxes, educational, colourful, fun, well made and great service. I just keep buying more and more."
"We love our toys from Jaques of London. The quality is excellent and they're the perfect size for little hands to hold and play with easily. Beautifully made, sturdy wooden toys that will last for years. Highly recommend!"
"Harrods grade gifting for a very reasonable price. Not the usual tat from China. Had several hand picked orders fron Jaques, nice to know its a UK business with old school quality."
"I am a real fan of this company. If only I had come across them years ago when my boys were little. It's my go to for beautiful, good quality toys for my granddaughter now and any gift I need to buy. They arrived quickly, prices are reasonable and the special touch is they are beautifully packaged too. I love the heritage of this business!"
Get ready for life
Why real play matters
Real brain growth comes from real play.
Ships fast, rolls flat
Order Tuesday, your child plays chess Thursday. Leather board packs smaller than a paperback. Takes up no shelf space.
The right set for first teaching
Flat pieces mean your 6-year-old sees the board clearly. No fiddly pegs. Roll-up design keeps young children from losing pieces.
Passes down through your family
Built to last. Leather binding doesn't split. Pieces don't crack. Teaching your son? Later, teach your grandchild on the same board.
Why this matters right now
We really are different
Why this board, not a plastic set
| Jaques Travel Chess Set - Roll-up Leather Chess Board | Cheap Alternatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Pieces stay put during play | ✅ | ❌ Roll off the board |
| Feels good to play on | ✅ | ⚠️ Thin, flimsy plastic |
| Lasts more than one season | ✅ | ❌ Cracks or loses pieces |
| Small enough to travel | ✅ | ⚠️ Heavy, box falls apart |
| No batteries or app required | ✅ | ❌ Needs screen or charging |
| Teaches real chess strategy | ✅ | ⚠️ Simplified, gamified rules |
| Worth passing to your child's child | ✅ | ❌ Landfill in 2 years |
- ✅ Pieces stay put
- ✅ Good to touch
- ✅ Built to last years
- ✅ Fits a coat pocket
- ✅ No app or battery
- ✅ Teaches real chess
- ✅ Hand-down worthy
- ❌ Plastic rolls off
- ❌ Feels cheap
- ❌ Breaks first season
- ❌ Heavy box
- ❌ Needs screen
- ❌ Simplified rules
- ❌ Throwaway quality
Order by 2pm Tuesday, arrives Thursday
Was £80.99
Travel Chess Set - Roll-up Leather Chess Board: £64.99
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Not right? Return it within 30 days. Full refund, no questions.
Questions & answers
Questions before you order
I want to buy this for my niece's 7th birthday. Will it be here in time?
Order by 2pm on a weekday, it arrives within 2-3 business days. If her birthday is this week, we can confirm shipping by 3pm today. If you're cutting it close, message us and we'll find a way. Gift wrapping is available at checkout and parents always praise how it arrives.
Is this really worth the price vs a plastic chess set?
Yes. Played regularly, this pays for itself in one year (pennies per game). Plastic sets lose pieces, pieces crack, the board warps. This one you'll play on for 10 years, then pass it to your grandchild. John A said it perfectly: 'Not the usual tat from China.' Worth every penny full price.
My child is 6. Is she too young?
6 is the sweet spot. The flat pieces mean she sees each square clearly, no small pegs to lose. The roll-up design is actually safer for younger children because the pieces can't roll off mid-game. Start with the basic rules (how pieces move) and the rest clicks fast.
Will the leather binding last if we travel with it?
The binding is stitched, not glued. Leather takes a beating better than canvas alone. After a year of weekly play and monthly travel, it still looks and works like new. If anything does split, we have a 60-day returns window and a guarantee on your order. Karen Pepper told us: 'Toys that don't break after five minutes of play.' This is that toy.
How much does it cost?
The Travel Chess Set - Roll-up Leather Chess Board is £64.99 today (down from £80.99). Klarna is available at checkout if you prefer to spread the cost.
What's your returns policy?
30 days, full refund, no conditions. Return it for any reason and we refund in full. We've been standing behind what we make since 1795.
Order by 2pm Tuesday, arrives Thursday
Was £80.99
Travel Chess Set - Roll-up Leather Chess Board: £64.99
Our story
Making toys worth keeping since 1795.
Jaques of London was founded in 1795. We invented croquet, table tennis, and the Staunton chess set. For 230 years, we've been making things that pull children away from passive entertainment and into active, curious, hands-on play.
In 1795, Jaques made games for families who valued lasting things. Two centuries on, we still do. The Roll-up Chess Set isn't designed for a single birthday. It's designed for teaching, for travel, for the table you return to week after week. A leather board that withstands a child's first 100 games, and then gets passed on. That's the Jaques idea: toys and games you don't replace, you keep.
Toys and games that leave something behind: a skill, a memory, a piece of play that gets passed on.
Joe, Jaques of London
Ready when you are
Teach your child chess
on a board worth learning on
Was £80.99
£64.99 Save 19%
🛡️ 30-day money-back guarantee · 🚚 Delivery in 2-3 working days · 🏛️ Est. 1795
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