The Most Elegant Marble Chess Sets You Can Buy

The first move of any chess game takes place long before you pick up a knight or a pawn. It all begins with choosing the right board! After all, winning a chess game against a well-matched opponent can be challenging enough without having to struggle over discerning which piece is which or missing key moves due to an unfortunate colourway choice or piece style. A great chess set not only looks great but plays well too, and there are plenty that fit both categories.

Marble makes for a particularly sumptuous choice of material for a luxury chess set, and it’s also a great playing surface thanks to its naturally high-contrast colour profile and high-sheen surface. We’ve gathered some of the most elegant marble chess sets available for your perusal, so whether you’re a serious strategist or a casual conqueror, you’re sure to find something that suits your playstyle and tastes. And for those who like the look of these marble chess sets but require something a little lighter, you can always check out our guide to the top wooden chess sets too.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

BEST MARBLE CHESS SET FOR PLAYING

For those seeking a simple set that allows players of any skill level to determine which piece is which, the Cosycorner Marble Chess Set is a lovely choice. This set is both beginner-friendly and perfect for fast-paced experts, with Staunton-style pieces that are both legible and tournament-legal. The angular knight design adds a bit of signature style, and the gorgeous marble used across the board is a treat for the eye – especially the finely cut white marble border.

BEST MARBLE CHESS SET FOR DISPLAY

The Euro Marble Set from Chess House is a wonderful display piece for setting out in the lounge or on a table by the fireside. With a 16” x 16” board, it’s a large set that’s easy on the eye, and the marina border really pops against the high-sheen black pieces. The veining in the marina marble is absolutely gorgeous, and the elegantly carved pieces are stylized without becoming unreadable.

BEST MARBLE CHESS SET FOR TOURNAMENT PLAY

For those settling down to timed tournament matches who need to know which piece is where at a moment’s notice, Radicaln’s Weighted Black & White set is a must-have. This portable 15” x 15” marble set comes with a sumptuous velveted travel box to allow you to transport your pieces and board safely to any venue for play. The hand-polished pieces have been carved in a classic Staunton style, making them perfect for high-level games and tournament play, and the fine detailing on the knight’s mane and the king’s cross makes the set a joy to behold even during casual usage.

THE LUXURY CHOICE

If you’ve decided to go all out on a luxurious pick that’s both beautiful to look at and practical to play with, then you won’t do much better than this Marble Chess Set from TheWolfard’s shop on Etsy. Carved from fossil-imbued beige marble and strikingly veined red calcite, this is a wonderful set in terms of its aesthetics. You can see real fossils of calcified sea creatures inside the marble, while the red calcite is veined with streaks and flecks of amber, sunset, and honeyed calcifications. The cross-head kings and elegant knights make this a great set to play with as well as to look at, and the large 16” x 16” board makes a striking impression as a display piece all on its own.

HOW TO PICK A MARBLE CHESS SET

When picking your first marble chess set, it can be hard to figure out what’s best between the barrage of options you’ll find online. But by answering a few easy questions, you’ll soon find things aren’t so very complicated. First things first, you’re going to want to decide why you’re actually buying a chess set. Ask yourself what you’ll be doing with it – is it for home use, or will you be playing on the go? Do you want to play in tournaments or with friends? And if you’re seeking a chess set purely for display, whereabouts are you going to set it up in your home?

Once you know the answer to these questions, it becomes easy to pick a set. If you’re after something for fast-paced high-level play or tournament usage, the key thing is to buy a set with Staunton or Staunton-style pieces. The Staunton style, named after chess master Howard Staunton, is a tournament staple and recommended for use by the International Chess Federation. Many of the sets on this list match up to the Staunton tournament style, and it’s also a good pick for amateurs who are just learning to discern between different pieces.

Material

When it comes to marble chess sets, another key consideration is the material itself. Marble is a heavy stone material, usually composed of calcite or dolomite, and as such bigger boards can get very weighty. To this end, if you’re looking for a portable board, you’ll want something small that comes with a carry case, whereas a larger board is a good choice for display pieces or home usage. Marble is, on the whole, rather durable, but it’s also prone to cracks and chips, so always ensure you use a padded carry-case when transporting a marble board or pieces.

You’ll also see onyx and the term ‘onyx marble’ crop up regularly when shopping for a marble set, and this is because onyx is closely related to marble. True onyx is made mostly from calcite and is softer than marble, with a semi-translucent composition, whereas ‘onyx marble’ hybrids are often just examples of marble stone with interesting or darker patterns and veins. Red calcite, meanwhile, is another kind of calcium-based mineral stone from the same family as marble, but with a red sheen due to exposure to iron oxide. Both red calcite and onyx look beautiful when cast with light, thanks to their semi-translucency, whereas marble is a little sturdier but more opaque.

Colour

That brings us to colour. If you’re picking a set for frequent or high-level play, then it’s wise to opt for a simple black and white or otherwise high-contrast colorway. This makes it easy to tell whose pieces are whose, and thus keep a strong sense of the game and positioning without having to re-examine the board throughout play constantly. For those shopping for display sets, however, anything goes. Red calcite and beige onyx look especially lovely alongside dark wooden furniture and, as noted when set alongside or underneath lights. 

Size

Finally, you’re going to want to think about what style and size of board you require. As previously noted, large marble boards are very heavy due to the material’s natural weight, so smaller boards are better for travel. You want to match your board to your pieces too, so if you’re buying pieces separately, try to ensure that the king’s base is roughly 78% of the size of a square on your board. 

Larger boards, of course, are more expensive than smaller boards, owing to the mass of materials used in their production, and as such, you should factor this into your overall budget. Small boards made purely from marble will run the gamut of prices from $100 to around $250, whereas larger boards that use pure calcite and onyx stone can hit prices of anywhere from $250 to $600. Still, the more expensive boards often come with finely detailed pieces with intricately carved details, so it’s usually worth spending a little extra for a truly sophisticated marble set.

1. Chess House American Marble Set

Chess House is a great outlet to head to if you’re looking for a beautiful marble chess set, and this American-style marble set in coral & black is one of their nicest mid-budget picks. This set is rather large, with the board clocking in at 16” x 16”, with a relatively thin ½” base, and so it’s a nice display piece that can also be used for play. The Staunton-style pieces are easy to discern, while the mixed colorway board is easy on the eye.

2. Radicaln Coral & Brown Marble Set

While the ‘marble onyx’ used in most marble chess sets is technically a kind of marble rather than actual onyx, it still looks just as good as the real thing, and it’s a little more durable than pure onyx too. This handmade set from Radicaln has been richly brought to life in fossil coral and dark brown colorways, with lovely dark brown veining in the coral-coloured marble. The board has a felted base to prevent scratches on glass or stone tabletops too.

3. WowBrandCanada Vintage Marble Set

If you’re after something a little more portable, then this vintage marble chess set from WowBrandCanada on Etsy is a lovely set to have a look at. Handmade in Canada, this 12” x 12” set comes in beige marble and black onyx, with finely carved pieces in a curved Staunton-like style. An elegant velveted box case is also included for when you’re moving your board from place to place, making it an ideal travel set.

4. Chess House Euro Marble Set 

Here’s another large set from Chess House, this time in Marina brown and Black marble. This set is a nice display size, at 16” x 16” x ½” in-depth, and this time around, the pieces have been carved in a ribbed style, with elegant, upright knights. They are distinct without being overwrought, meaning you can still easily identify them for use in regular play.

5. Radicaln Weighted Marble Set 

This weighted onyx marble chess set from Radicaln is a nice mid-size pick with a 15” x 15” felt-bottom board. This time around, both the board and the pieces come in Grey Oceanic and White colours of stone. The pieces are all hand-polished, with a simplistic Staunton-like style that makes them easy to distinguish between. Felt-bottom pieces are also available separately.

6. LeatherOCityUSA Queen’s Gambit Set 

With a wide range of colour combinations available, ranging from traditional black and white to easy-on-the-eyes green and white, LeatherOCityUSA’s sets on Etsy are some of the best marble chess sets available for those with a particular aesthetic in mind. Board sizes range from 12” x 12” to 16” x 16”, so you can pick one that suits your needs depending on whether you want to travel with your set or keep it on display in your home.

7. Chess House Red & Coral Marble Set 

With a coral border and a coral & red grid, this 16” x 16” board from Chess House is a lovely low-contrast pick that would look great on display on a wooden table or desk. The blocky Staunton-like pieces provided are simplistic and easily legible, and the unfelted base gives the board a chic, smooth finish.

8. WowBrandCanada Alternate Marble Set 

Here’s another set from WowBrandCanada’s Etsy collection, this time at a reduced price in brown & coral. For sub $200, this is a really nice vintage marble chess set, with a mottled brown onyx border and contrasting white marble elements. At 12” x 12”, it’s a convenient pick for travel use, and the elegant case that comes included makes it easy to carry the set from place to place.

9. SeattleStyleDesigns Handmade Marble Set 

Here’s another lovely handmade black and white marble chess set, this time from SeattleStyleDesigns on Etsy. The pieces here are simple yet elegant, with sharply carved edges on the knights and lovely round bodies on the bishops and the pawns. This set has a white marble border with black & white squares, and black & white pieces, making it an excellent pick for tournament use or travel use.

10. Radicaln Black & White Weighted Set 

Here’s a set for those who like the look of Radicaln’s sets so far but fancy a black and white marble chess set rather than a low-contrast edition. This hand-polished set is carved entirely from marble and comes with hand-polished pieces that have a high-sheen finish and nice detailing, like scores across the knight’s mane and a double-cross pattern on the king’s head. Once again, the board has a felt base, so you don’t have to fret about scratching your stone or wood-top table.

11. TheWolfard Marble Chess Set 

From TheWolfard on Etsy comes this luxury marble chess set in marble and red calcite. Red calcite, like marble, is a calcium-based mineral, and it takes its red colour from iron oxide found inside its composition. It has been used to great effect here, producing a lovely two-tone set with elegantly carved pieces, all of which are beautifully veined by natural imperfections in the semi-translucent stone.

12. Radicaln Handmade Marble Set

This variant of Radicaln’s lovely black and white chess set is being sold at a reduced price for those who are seeking a display set. This is because this variant doesn’t come with the velvet carry-case box, and as such, it’s more suited to keeping in one place than moving around – especially considering how easy it is to chip marble when dropped or struck. Still, it’s a great pick for those who just want a static set for displaying or playing with in their home.

13. TheWolfard White & Red Set

This is another lovely set from TheWolfard on Etsy, this time in an inverted white marble and red calcite colorway. This time, the red calcite has been used for the dark squares and dark pieces, while the board has a white border in a lovely veined marble stone. The pieces are carved in a slim, elegant style, with bold cross-head kings that tower over their loyal subjects.

14. Cosycorner Marble Chess Set  

This 12” x 12” board and set from CosyCorner on Etsy is a nice travel-sized pick that would also make a great Christmas or birthday present for the chess-lover in your life. CosyCorner has given the board a lovely visual finish by adding contrasting long-cut marble slabs along the borders with various veined pieces used for the squares, making everything nice and distinct and giving the border a defined edge. The pieces themselves are lovely, too, with an angular, Staunton-like design that makes them easy to tell apart.

15. Radicaln Alternate Grey & White Set

If you’re after something with a bit of extra flair, then this inverted colorway version of Radicaln’s grey & white set fits the bill. The curved 12” x 12” board looks great in and of itself, but it’s the pieces that are really cool, with a chunky carving style that sets them apart from most other sets. The grey oceanic marble onyx shines here, too, with a glossy, gold-flecked look.

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