Search for an Armenian chess set and you'll find everything from mass-produced boards with an Armenian flag sticker to genuine hand-carved work from Yerevan workshops. The difference is enormous — in weight, in carving, in how the board feels after ten years. This guide covers what makes a real Armenian chess set different, where to find one in Armenia and online, and the pieces we'd point you to first.
Why Armenia is a chess country
Few nations take the game this seriously. Chess has been a required subject in Armenian primary schools since 2011. Tigran Petrosian — "Iron Tigran" — held the world championship from 1963 to 1969, and Armenia's national team won Chess Olympiad gold three times between 2006 and 2012. In Yerevan, boards come out in parks and courtyards the way footballs do elsewhere. That culture shows up in the craft: chess and backgammon boards are among the finest things Armenian woodworkers make.
What makes an Armenian chess set distinctive
Carved, not printed. The hallmark of Armenian boards is deep relief carving — ornamental braid and basket-weave borders, engraved playing fields, patterns worked into the wood rather than stamped onto it.
National motifs. Look for the Mount Ararat outline, the Armenian eternity symbol, pomegranates, church silhouettes, and sometimes the Armenian alphabet worked into the design.
Solid hardwood. Serious workshops carve from solid beech and walnut — woods dense enough for detailed carving that lasts. If a listing can't tell you the wood species, that's a warning sign.
Often two games in one. Backgammon (nardi) is as beloved in Armenia as chess, so many boards fold open to a backgammon field or hide one beneath the chess surface.
Where to find one
In Yerevan: Vernissage. If you're visiting Armenia, the weekend open-air market in central Yerevan is the classic hunting ground — rows of stalls with chess and backgammon boards at every price point. Quality ranges from souvenir-grade to genuine artisan work, so check the weight, the depth of the carving, and the underside of the board before you buy.
Direct from a workshop. The best pieces come from named master craftsmen, but buying from a workshop usually means being in Armenia — or knowing someone who is.
Online. The practical route for most people. Verify three things before ordering: solid wood rather than veneer over MDF, real photos of the actual carving (not renders), and clear worldwide shipping terms — these boards are heavy.
Our recommendations
LionLaurel exists to make the workshop route possible from anywhere: our Armenian collections are sourced from workshops in Armenia, including the signature line of master craftsman Hrachya Ohanyan, and every board ships free worldwide.
- Armenian Chess Set with Mount Ararat outline (40 cm): the classic starting point — the national symbol carved into a full-size wooden board. More designs in the Ararat outlined collection.
- Armenian Chess & Backgammon Set (50 cm): two games in one board, with a modern epoxy resin playing field.
- Hrachya Ohanyan chess sets and chess tables: full furniture pieces carved from single blocks of beech, like this hand-carved chess table, with drawers for the pieces and engraving worked into the legs and sides.
Browse everything in the chess sets collection, or go straight to the carved or epoxy lines if you already know your style.
One more thing
If backgammon is your game — or you want a board that plays both — read our walnut backgammon buying guide next. Every order comes with free worldwide shipping and 30-day returns, so an Armenian board is a much smaller leap than a flight to Yerevan.