Luxury Wooden Chess & Backgammon Set - Carved Braid 15.7" | 40 cm

Luxury Wooden Chess & Backgammon Set - Carved Braid, by Hrachya Ohanyan

A hand-carved wooden chess set with a frame that looks woven: a wide band of braid ornament cut deep into the beech around the whole board, strand over strand, with small cast-bronze studs marking the ranks and files along its inner edge. At 15.7″ / 40 cm it is a full board that still travels — the carving is as deep as on the large sets, the pieces are the same hand-carved figures, and the whole thing closes into a bag you can carry to a friend's house.

Open the bronze clasps and it becomes a handmade backgammon set: carved pointed-arch points, a carved wheel ornament in the centre of each half, checkers in two woods. A luxury chess set for the table at home and a chess and backgammon set for the weekend away — one carved piece, two games, and a frame people will want to run their fingers over.

Specifications

• Size: 40 × 40 cm / 15.7″ × 15.7″
• Material: beech wood, hand-carved and varnished
• Motif: braid ornament carved around the frame, wheel ornaments and pointed-arch points inside
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges, clasps and coordinate studs
• Handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Chess and backgammon board with bronze hinges and clasps
• 32 hand-carved chess pieces made from beech and walnut wood, with velvet bases
• 32 checkers made from beech and walnut wood
• Dice set
• Branded carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• A frame carved like a weave: the braid ornament runs border to border in deep relief, and it changes with every angle of light.
• Two games in one board: chess on the outside, backgammon inside — one carved piece on the shelf, two evenings of play.
• Full board, travel size: at 40 cm it plays like a real board and still fits a bag, a drawer or a suitcase.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How big is it? The chess board is 15.7″ / 40 cm square — comfortable for two players with the hand-carved pieces, and small enough to take along.

Is it a real chess and backgammon set? Yes. The chess board is on the outside; open it and the backgammon board with carved points is inside. Chess pieces, checkers and a dice set are all included.

What about shipping and returns? Shipping is free to the US, Canada and Europe, always tracked; other countries pay a flat $100 (Brazil, Chile and New Zealand $200). Every set is covered by our 30-day returns.

Can I add a name or a date? Yes — choose the engraving option on this page and tell us the text. A name, a date or a few words turns it into a personalized chess set, and it is the detail people remember years later.

How do I look after it? Keep it out of direct sun and away from radiators, wipe with a dry soft cloth and a soft brush for the braid, and store it closed in the bag.

The Braid Ornament

Braid and interlace are among the oldest ornaments in the carver's vocabulary — the same over-and-under rhythm you find on old stone crosses, on manuscript borders and on the edges of carpets. Here it is cut into beech in deep relief, strand crossing strand the whole way round the board, so the frame reads as woven from across the room. Ornament for its own sake: no scene, no emblem, only pattern, patience and a very sharp chisel.

About the Artist - Hrachya Ohanyan

In 1985, National Master Hrachya Ohanyan began his fine wood craft, introducing a new approach to the age-old traditions of woodworking. After many years of dedication, the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop was established in 2010. Every board passes through 14 stages of production, with 14 separate craftsmen leaving their mark before it reaches its finished form — a piece of wood artistry admired both in Armenia and around the world. Read the story of master Hrachya Ohanyan or explore the full Hrachya Ohanyan chess set collection.

A Gift for the Player Who Has Everything

A hand-carved chess and backgammon set is the chess gift set we send most at Christmas and on Father's Day — for the friend who plays both games, the parent who taught you, or the household that finally deserves a real board. It arrives ready to play, in its own bag, and is used for years after the wrapping is gone.