The House of Staunton Slide-top Chess Box

Nice box!! It looks great!! I got the red mahogany!! The sliding lid does not stay shut but there is a lot of ways to fix that-small magnets or some kind of button and an elastic loop, or a small brass latch. If it is going to stay in one place, like near the chess board under or on a table you probably do not need to worry about the lid sliding off on its own-

I wasn't sure how this chess box would work out until it arrived and I finally had a chance to play around with it. My chess pieces, with 4" kings and 2 extra queens, fit very nicely. The kings have to lay down. I first remove the two pads/cushions from the box and then place 8 or 9 pieces laying down on the bottom in each compartment. I put the pads on top of the first layer of pieces and then add the second layer of pieces on top of the pads. All 34 of my pieces fit in the box in this manner, and by placing the pads between the layers, none of the pieces are lying on top of other pieces and are not tightly jammed together. Works great and reduces the risk of damage. The Brazilian Rosewood exterior looks really elegant, too. I'm super delighted with this chess box.

Spacious enough to fit all pieces with the extra queen per color as described. There’s extra room for the 3.9” king if pieces are laid on the side. Good quality box with felt lining. It will be better with an extra pull string felt bag that would add extra protection to the box and keep the lid in place. Otherwise, great value and elegant design.

I have the House of Staunton Fischer-Spassky 1972 series commemorative chess pieces (3.75” King, extra queen), and decided to try The House of Staunton Macassar Ebony box to put them in. It was very annoying to discover that the King does not fit in the box upright, nor can you fit all the pieces in this way. I had no intention of laying pieces on top of each other. I didn’t expect the box to be made from solid wood (not at this price), but I'm not even sure the veneer is made from wood either! It is actually super smooth, like plastic. I see none of the grain that you might expect to see in wood. Still, it is beautiful looking, and the box is solidly made; not flimsy in any way. I don’t see how this is worth $55, but at least that is $20 cheaper than buying it directly from The House of Staunton. It is lined with felt on the bottom and on the inside. I would not call it the best felt around, but adequate. At the bottom of each section is a piece of fitted removable felt-coated foam (about 1/4”), presumably for different sized sets. The slide fits perfectly, but slides too easily, so it can just drop to the floor if tilted without holding it in place. Also, even when closed, there is a large gap (about 1/4”) between the lid and the side of the box. I am not sure why this is there. Perhaps to ventilate the chess pieces? The lid isn’t snug so I am not sure why such a large opening is needed, but I decided to make use of the opening to solve the sliding lid issue. I took two neodymium disc magnets (8mm x 3mm/.315” x .118”) that I had, which happened to fit near perfectly in that gap, and I glued them (Zap-A-Gap, Medium CA+) to the top edge of the side and the bottom end of the lid. Now the lid snaps closed and holds tight very nicely! I also made use of the two pieces of foam by placing all the pawns upright to one side together in two rows, and stood up all the rest (except the two knights and the king) next to them. Then I slid the foam between the pawns and other pieces, and folded it over on top of the pawns. This creates a little inclined bed to lay the two knights on their side, with the king in the middle. They seem to hold well and safely. Not to the point where you can flip the box around or toss it about, mind you, but securely enough for household use. So, while the description is not accurate (i.e. misleading) in my opinion, all in all, it is a decent box after some modifications/adaptations.

I recently received my Brazilian Rosewood slide top chess box. The box is just beautiful. I think you could proudly display this box anywhere. The construction is perfect: no nicks, no rough corners, nothing off center or out of line. No flaws whatsoever. The interior is covered with soft green baize lining. There are two baize covered removable sponge pads in each compartment for additional use. I'm extremely pleased with my purchase. The box shipped faster than I thought and delivered with no damage right on time. The actual box is extremely attractive and very well made. The box is much nicer than I was expecting. What a pleasant surprise! For the price, I think this sliding lid chess box is a steal, one I can highly recommend.

This is a very attractive and well crafted storage box for Chess Pieces. It easily holds 34 pieces (set plus two extra Queens) and is divided for White and Dark pieces. Be aware there is a cushion or pad in the bottom of the box. The King in my set is 3.5 inches and will not stand with the cushion in place and allow the lid to close. You must either remove the pad (which simply lifts out), lay the King on it's side or cut out a section in the pd for the King allowing the other pieces to continue to sit on the pad for extra cushion. Would recommend without reservation.

Beautiful & quality finishes, a great gift!

It ought to be a 4, as there is no baize headlining, but otherwise well made. The Lid however is the flaw. The primary function of a box is to house the contents. The lid is not secured and falls out. I caught mine with a reflex action before it hit the floor. The lid is very badly fitted. A catch or peg or tighter fit would ensure pieces staying in the box.