Luxury Wooden Chess & Backgammon Set - Contour Outline 19.6" | 50 cm

Luxury Wooden Chess & Backgammon Set - Contour Outline, by Hrachya Ohanyan

This is the board that is not square. The Hrachya Ohanyan signature contour outline curves the frame inward on every side, so the whole hand-carved wooden chess set sits on the table like a shield — wider at the corners, waisted in the middle, a shape you recognise from across the room. The frame is worked in a deep dotted carved texture, small cast-bronze studs mark the ranks and files, and the checkered field of light and dark wood floats in the centre.

Open the bronze clasps and it becomes a handmade backgammon set: carved points, a carved wheel ornament in the centre of each half, checkers in two woods. A luxury chess set that looks like sculpture when it is closed, a chess and backgammon set that plays like a workhorse when it is open — and a shape nobody else at the table has seen before.

Specifications

• Size: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Material: beech wood, hand-carved and varnished
• Style: signature contour outline, hand-carved textured frame, wheel ornaments and carved 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 with wooden handle

Why You'll Love It

• A shape of its own: the curved contour outline is the workshop's signature — a board that reads as a designed object, not a box.
• Two games in one board: chess on the outside, backgammon inside — one carved piece on the shelf, two evenings of play.
• Carved by hand, not stamped: the textured frame, the points and the wheel ornaments are all cut into the wood in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How big is it? The chess board is 19.6″ / 50 cm across — a full-size board with room for the hand-carved pieces; the curved outline adds to the presence without adding to the footprint.

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 store it closed in its case.

The Contour Outline

Most boards are squares because squares are easy. The contour outline is the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop's answer to that: the same single block of beech, cut to a curved silhouette that follows the sweep of the carving rather than the edge of the plank. It takes longer, wastes more wood and cannot be made on a production line — which is exactly why it looks the way it does.

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 in the contour outline 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.