SKU 01-39-0004

Leather Travel Chess Set

6.00 lb

24.00

6.00

6.00

$299.00

Travel Chess Set for Father and Son somewhere in Gabon, Central Africa.

What People Think

5

Love this set, my love

Love this set, my love of the game and my enjoyment of being able to play on the go with a quality set is what drew me to this beautiful chess set. I am recently a new Dad and wanted a set that I will be able to play on and pass down to my son. With the warranty that this company offers, you won't be afraid of getting use out of this set and that is why you're buying it in the first place. Love mine!
22nd Apr 2021
Devin L.
5

Happy with the best travel chess set in the world !

I received the chess set from saddleback leather and it's really an amazing chess set, but with differents pieces and checkers !
I myself switched them out for a French Chavet chess pieces and wooden checkers from Chavet chess too !
4" Kings with much better knights and the wooden checkers goes better with leather!
They would be better fit to include in this set.
However, I'm verry happy with it !:grinning:
21st Apr 2021
BRUNO S.
5

Super nice and worth the wait

Excellent, everything fits together perfectly. The leather is top notch as I expected, the chess pieces were nicer than I expected. The checkers are a nice touch. All of it looks like it’ll weather many years of travel like everything else they make.
14th Apr 2021
Eric I.
5

Heirloom item

We really like the chess set. Overall, I think the price is a bit on the high side but not if the pieces were improved.
PROS: durable as hell, looks great, smells great, size is awesome in that it is large (but too large for airline use), very cool strapped carry system that could be used to carry other small items in the rolled up chess board.:face_with_monocle:
CONS: difficult to get the bags that hold the pieces into the tube so we stopped using the bags; pieces could be a higher quality for the price; difficult to use on uneven surfaces outdoors.

Oh yeah— it isn’t a lightweight item.
8th Apr 2021
Dirk W.
5

Full Size Leather Chess Perfect for Travel

I spent a while scouring the internet and even checking in with leather workers I know to see about creating or purchasing a good quality leather roll-up board and set. The quality and workmanship out there runs the gamut and honestly there aren't that many people out there making these size sets in leather that is also flexible to be rolled up. I received mine and absolutely love it. The immediate smell of the thick leather and you can see the craftsmanship all throughout it. This is made out of Old Mexico, by master craftsmen who have been working on Saddleback products since the beginning. The entire board is a massive 20x20 with reference marks making the playable area 18x18. The squares are 2.25 inches and the king sits at 3.50 inches tall and fits nicely in the squares. The leather bags for the Staunton style pieces are large and sturdy, they could easily hold heavier pieces if you wanted but these pieces have a good weight and fit the board well. They seem slightly weighted, but I'm not sure if this is just the wood or they have additional weighting and they have green felt pieces on the bottom to help travel on the board. The wood used is Hornbeam which is a strong and denser wood so that makes sense for the slight weight they have, they feel a little better then a set you'd pick up in a game store. The checker pieces are leather rounds and they can be a little rough around the edges so filing the edges a little to remove the roughness will ensure they don't scratch the board if you are concerned about that. The reference numbers and letters are laser etched and the dark squares appear to be lasered in as well or stained/etched over the leather. It all rolls up into the harness which has a little bit of a learning curve since it's not a fully enclosed case, I was annoyed at first but actually like that as it means it's a little less weight and you can actually see what it is, because this is meant for travel. The harness has one side that is more rigid to offer some stability when the board is rolled up and comes with an adjustable carrying strap attached. I recommend having the board facing out when you roll it as the pictures show so you get the right roll when you go to lay the board flat and the bags/pieces wrapped inside don't scratch the board. You will have a tough time finding something of similar quality and design for less money. The one or two I found were the same price range or higher even so this is a great set and worth the money in my book. It smells amazing, feels tough, and plays smoothly, I can't wait to take it on my next trip!
7th Apr 2021
Joshua C.
 

Design
This travel chess set has a 20" leather tournament sized chess board, which makes the bag when it rolls up. It rolls up and fits into the external frame that has a cap at both ends and a shoulder strap so it turns into a travel chess set. It comes with two leather pigskin bags. One bag full of dark chess pieces and one bag full of light chess pieces. It is a leather travel chess set like you've never seen. 

The heavy weighted wooden chess pieces of this travel chess set are made by craftsmen in Poland and have felt bottoms. Each piece has unique variances just as wood does. This chess set contains small pieces: please keep them away from small children, hungry dogs, and vacuums. 

 

Product Details
100-Year Warranty

 

Dimensions (W x H)
Exterior: 20" x 20"
Weight: 4.90 lbs

 

38 Benefits of Chess

The Smartphone Anti-Venom

Why Play Chess?

 

My son and I take our leather travel chess set all over the world and when we play games, we write on the back where, when and who won. It will be my son’s prized possession when I am gone. I am giving him the gift of chess and here are the benefits of playing chess for you and your family too.

 

 

How to Successfully Outrun a Bear - You don’t have to be faster than the bear. You just have to be faster than most people around you. It’s the same with success in life. Our brains don’t need to be stronger than everybody else’s. We just need to be able to think stronger and faster and ahead of most of our peers and competitors. Does chess make you smarter? Yes, that’s the gift chess gives us. 

 

 

The Greeks Were Dominant in War because of their Olympic Games. Brilliant military strategists got their soldiers to train hard and prepare for war, with a smile. They competed with each other throwing javelins, shot putting big rocks, wrestling, shooting arrows, running fast and jumping far. The result was they were more fit, skillful and prepared in times of war than their enemies. The Spartans won more often than their enemies and you will win more than your opponents in life if you practice chess. 

 

 

Chess Gives Six Pack Abs

The reason 600 million people play chess and have been playing the “brain sport” since A.D. 600 is because it’s fun. And it just so happens to train and prepare the mind for our own battles and wars. Practicing and competing in physical sports is fun but usually only has temporary benefits. Training in chess is like giving your brain six pack abs and strong legs for life. It’s like Jiu-jitsu for the mind and is the most preparing game a person can play.

 

 

Elite Athletes Play Chess

As the famous baseball philosopher, Yogi Berra, once said, “Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical”. Is it just a coincidence that a lot of the elite athletes in the world play chess to train their minds to make good split second decisions? Do strong minds play chess or does chess make minds strong? Do elite athletes play chess or does chess make athletes elite? They all say it helps them a lot. If college football players don’t do well in the Wonderlic Test (tests reasoning and decision making), they rarely get drafted. Here are a few of the elite athletes who play chess, and while traveling.  

 

- Kareem Abdul Jabbar
- Larry Bird
- Barry Bonds
- Don Drysdale
- Ron Guidry
- David Robinson
- Lennox Lewis
- Jim Brown
- Kobe Bryant
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Roger Federer

 

And here is a list of the benefits of chess and below it are the explanations and scientific studies to help you understand how chess develops us Intellectually, Emotionally, Physically, and Relationally. Each of these bullet points is expanded further in our blog here.

 

Intellectually

1. Chess exercises both sides of the brain.
2. Playing chess increases IQ significantly.
3. It develops logical and critical thinking.
4. Chess naturally increases our capacity for memory.
5. Our attention, focus and concentration are strengthened when we play chess - a.k.a. the Smartphone Anti-venom.
6. Playing chess strengthens one’s imagination
7. It develops strategic thinking and tactical planning.
8. Chess grows our decision making ability - Weigh options and realizing consequences for actions
9. Chess players visualize in advance - For creating vision, strategy and plans
10. It fosters our fluid intelligence - Chess requires us to analyze problems and use reasoning to think through them.
11. Playing chess increases our processing speed - To evaluate a situation and act efficiently. 
12. Chess improves reading comprehension and skills - To analyze a piece of text better and faster.
13. Playing chess improves math skills
14. Chess helps us see problem solve creative alternatives and unique solutions quickly.
15. It nurtures spacial skills and seeing patterns

Emotionally

16. Chess increases self awareness.
17. Learning chess grows our patience.
18. Playing chess develops creativity.
19. It strengthens our self control - Chess skyrockets rational thinking and stunts impulsive and emotional behavior.
20. Getting better at chess builds confidence and therefore self reliance. 
21. Chess teaches us to be more flexible.
22. Brain games enhance common sense.
23. Chess relaxes us from the stresses of the day.
24. Valuing delayed gratification happens when playing chess.
25. It trains us to anticipate others’ moves.
26. Chess teaches us the end game and how to close deals.

Relationally

27. Chess makes it easier for us to make friends and socialize better. 
28. We learn how to win and lose gracefully by playing chess.
29. Chess grows our empathy because we know how it feels.
30. Playing chess expands our perspective - “Theory of Mind” is seeing life (or the chess board) from other people’s perspectives.

 

Physically

31. Chess prevents, reverses or stops Alzheimers and Dementia symptoms
32. Chess aids in treating Schizophrenia
33. Playing chess magnifies therapy or rehabilitation exercises. Chess helps stroke victims recover faster.
34. Chess players control irritating ADD or ADHD symptoms better. I strongly believe these are not “disorders”, but rather, manifestations of creative gifting.
35. Chess experts are calm under pressure. It becomes second nature. 
36. Chess is great occupational therapy - It occupies our minds from thinking about life’s difficulties.
37. Reduces stress, anxiety and panic attacks
38. Builds self esteem

Our job as parents is to raise up and train our kids to leave home successfully. To be solid, helpful, actively contributing and functioning members of society. The better we train them for that, the more success they will have. And learning chess can help them help us launch them well. Would you want to hire someone trained in these skills?

 

You can read more about the benefits of playing chess HERE.

Write a Review
  • Posted by Devin L. on 22nd Apr 2021
    5
    Love this set, my love
    Love this set, my love of the game and my enjoyment of being able to play on the go with a quality set is what drew me to this beautiful chess set. I am recently a new Dad and wanted a set that I will be able to play on and pass down to my son. With the warranty that this company offers, you won't be afraid of getting use out of this set and that is why you're buying it in the first place. Love mine!
  • Posted by BRUNO S. on 21st Apr 2021
    5
    Happy with the best travel chess set in the world !
    I received the chess set from saddleback leather and it's really an amazing chess set, but with differents pieces and checkers !
    I myself switched them out for a French Chavet chess pieces and wooden checkers from Chavet chess too !
    4" Kings with much better knights and the wooden checkers goes better with leather!
    They would be better fit to include in this set.
    However, I'm verry happy with it !:grinning:
  • Posted by Eric I. on 14th Apr 2021
    5
    Super nice and worth the wait
    Excellent, everything fits together perfectly. The leather is top notch as I expected, the chess pieces were nicer than I expected. The checkers are a nice touch. All of it looks like it’ll weather many years of travel like everything else they make.
  • Posted by Dirk W. on 8th Apr 2021
    5
    Heirloom item
    We really like the chess set. Overall, I think the price is a bit on the high side but not if the pieces were improved.
    PROS: durable as hell, looks great, smells great, size is awesome in that it is large (but too large for airline use), very cool strapped carry system that could be used to carry other small items in the rolled up chess board.:face_with_monocle:
    CONS: difficult to get the bags that hold the pieces into the tube so we stopped using the bags; pieces could be a higher quality for the price; difficult to use on uneven surfaces outdoors.

    Oh yeah— it isn’t a lightweight item.
  • Posted by Joshua C. on 7th Apr 2021
    5
    Full Size Leather Chess Perfect for Travel
    I spent a while scouring the internet and even checking in with leather workers I know to see about creating or purchasing a good quality leather roll-up board and set. The quality and workmanship out there runs the gamut and honestly there aren't that many people out there making these size sets in leather that is also flexible to be rolled up. I received mine and absolutely love it. The immediate smell of the thick leather and you can see the craftsmanship all throughout it. This is made out of Old Mexico, by master craftsmen who have been working on Saddleback products since the beginning. The entire board is a massive 20x20 with reference marks making the playable area 18x18. The squares are 2.25 inches and the king sits at 3.50 inches tall and fits nicely in the squares. The leather bags for the Staunton style pieces are large and sturdy, they could easily hold heavier pieces if you wanted but these pieces have a good weight and fit the board well. They seem slightly weighted, but I'm not sure if this is just the wood or they have additional weighting and they have green felt pieces on the bottom to help travel on the board. The wood used is Hornbeam which is a strong and denser wood so that makes sense for the slight weight they have, they feel a little better then a set you'd pick up in a game store. The checker pieces are leather rounds and they can be a little rough around the edges so filing the edges a little to remove the roughness will ensure they don't scratch the board if you are concerned about that. The reference numbers and letters are laser etched and the dark squares appear to be lasered in as well or stained/etched over the leather. It all rolls up into the harness which has a little bit of a learning curve since it's not a fully enclosed case, I was annoyed at first but actually like that as it means it's a little less weight and you can actually see what it is, because this is meant for travel. The harness has one side that is more rigid to offer some stability when the board is rolled up and comes with an adjustable carrying strap attached. I recommend having the board facing out when you roll it as the pictures show so you get the right roll when you go to lay the board flat and the bags/pieces wrapped inside don't scratch the board. You will have a tough time finding something of similar quality and design for less money. The one or two I found were the same price range or higher even so this is a great set and worth the money in my book. It smells amazing, feels tough, and plays smoothly, I can't wait to take it on my next trip!