20" Vinyl Roll-up Chess Board

My 7 year old granddaughter became interested in chess this year. She and I are working on the basic moves of the game and keeping it fun. With her birthday coming up soon, the first thing she asked for was a chess set in her favorite color, purple. The chess house had just what I was looking for and at a good price. It was delivered in a timely manner, though using the USPS left the soft wrapped package jammed into mailbox. The boards flexibility prevented any lasting damage and the pieces wrapped inside the board appear to be ok. The size and quality of the pieces are perfect for this gift. My only suggestion would be a better packing and or carrier.

It’s a standard vinyl board with an interesting color for the dark squares, it distinguishes the Black pieces very nicely. It also arrived without permanent creases or scratches which is a big plus, because that can happen very easily…I wish all companies which ship vinyl (or mousepad or paper) boards would do so in a rolled shape, with the playing surface OUTSIDE ! , preferably protected of course by a tube or tube shaped cover.

I ordered two boards, which were shipped tightly rolled up together, in the shape of a tube. One of the boards arrived damaged with creases that do not go away. (See the attached picture.) I cannot say this happened in transit, because the other board was undamaged. The marks are not disappearing after two weeks of keeping the board flat. Not happy about that.
There is also a problem with both boards. They are advertised as having a square size of 2 1/4 inches. That is incorrect. The square size is 2 3/16 inches. The squares are smaller than advertised. This is noticeable in the relation to the size of the pieces, and also in a smaller playing area: the difference is multiplied by 8 in each dimension, amounting to about 1/2 inch. The total size of the board is 20 inches as advertised, but the margin around the playing area is thicker than it should be due to the shrunk playing area.
If you have never purchased vinyl boards, be advised that they emit a strong and unhealthy chemical odor. You should let the boards degass for a few weeks before allowing them into your living spaces.
Once the boards have released their noxious gases, they make good playing surfaces. I bought from Chess House because it is the only place I know that sells them with the dark squares in a light grey color. This color makes an excellent contrast with both black and white pieces, and is pleasing and relaxing to look at while playing.

The color of these boards are not as bright as other vinyl boards. I prefer this as it is easier on my eyes. The colors below are Grey, Mauve, Green, Black and Brown. As far as the smell, I leave the boards on a flat surface in the garage with the garage door slightly opened. Within a few days the smell is gone.

This is the second time commenting on www.chesshouse.live. I really love my new vinyl roll-up chessboard with the gray and buff squares. The gray color is a medium shade and not too light or dark. I wish Chess House have Flex Pad chessboards of this same color gray(not the dark slate gray). The gray and buff squared board fits perfectly well with my royal blue and white chess pieces.

Because the board is made of vinyl, it is very sensitive to warping in permanent change or band. It was rolled in the correct direction but held and its role using only two small pieces of tape. This means that the rest of the board not held down by tape band away and begin to warp while the package is being delivered. If the whole length of the board was secured to itself in the role with one long strip, this would not happen.

Over all great board and very well priced.

Large enough board to easily accommodate the 3 1/2" size silicone chess pieces also purchased and provides good "grip" so the pieces stay put quite well.

Not sure why these mats look so different compared to the one I bought from wholesalechess but the one I bought from chess house has considerably less glare (huge unexpected plus). Great product. Great service. The grey mat looks really good with my ultimate pieces.

great quality, got my money's worth

The work great for teaching on the go

I didn’t think the squares would be so large. Our chess piece's look ridiculous on this board. Probably won’t be using it.

This product exceeded my expectations.

My vinyl chess board arrived damaged because you shipped a fragile item in a piece of plastic instead of a cardboard tube.

These boards are perfect for teaching kids of all ages to play chess. Easy to explain the basics. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a starter board. Easy to store too!

….still a nice product

Quality roll-up board that is durable and lays flat. Reduced glare when playing long games or analyzing games at home. Good selection of colors.

The roll-up chess mats are perfect! We purchased two, along with pieces and bags.

I wish hat I hadn't ordered them, instead I should have ordered the "flex" ones. They just don't lie flat, a little thinner than I thought

The vinyl surface is high quality.
The roll-up chess board emits a strong vinyl smell. It off-gasses. I washed it i. Soap and water to no avail.

This was the only board I could find at a great price in any color. It got to me a week early. It is a very good quality board. I will buy only from Chess House from now on.

In good order.

Excellent size and easy to store

We bought this specifically to travel with knowing we were in for a 10 day quarantine hotel at the destination. Lightweight, didn’t take up suitcase space, and yet perfect for playing at the other end.

The plastic smell emanating from this board was so strong I had to take it outside. I got the orange one. I also have the flex pad which has no smell. Disappointed with this board.

The packaging was the best I’ve see in a while.