Luxury Wooden Chess & Backgammon Set - Carved Braid 19.6" | 50 cm

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

The first thing you notice is the frame. A wide band of braid ornament is carved deep into the wood around the whole chess board — strand over strand, like a basket woven from a single piece of beech — with scrollwork cut into each corner and small cast-bronze studs marking the ranks and files. It is a hand-carved wooden chess set that people cross the room to touch, and under your fingers the weave is as real as it looks.

Open the bronze clasps and the same board becomes a handmade backgammon set: carved pointed-arch points, a carved wheel ornament in the centre of each half, and checkers in light and dark wood. A luxury chess set and a backgammon board in one carved piece — for the table where the serious games are played, and for the wall where it will hang the rest of the week.

Specifications

• Size: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Material: beech wood, hand-carved and varnished
• Motif: braid ornament carved around the frame, scrollwork corners, 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 case

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 heirloom on the shelf, two evenings of play.
• Built to be used: cast-bronze hinges and clasps, velvet-based pieces and a branded case, so it goes from cupboard to table for decades.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How big is it? The chess board is 19.6″ / 50 cm square — a full-size board with room for the hand-carved pieces.

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 its case.

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. It is 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 case, and is used for years after the wrapping is gone.