Printable chess board

A printable chess board can sort you out in minutes: a grid with 4, 5 or 6 cm squares, printed on thick paper (160 to 200 g/m²), in A4 (around 20 cm across) or A3 (around 29 cm, closer to playing standards), is all you need to set out the pieces straight from the printer. Handy for a quick fix, learning the game, or a craft project, paper has its limits over time: here’s how to print it, assemble it, and when to move on to a folding or solid wood chess board.

Updated on 5 November 2026 · By Delphine D., Le Palais des Échecs editorial team

Updated 5 November 2026: complete overhaul: aiming to be the best free resource (several square sizes as print-ready PDFs, assembly and gluing tips) and more….

Why print a chess board? The most common uses

A printable chess board answers four very practical needs that come up again and again among players: a quick fix in an emergency, introducing a child to the game, a craft activity, or noting down a position on paper.

• Quick fix: pieces with no board, a board forgotten or damaged before a game. A printed file is ready in 2 minutes and lets you play straight away, whether on holiday or at a friend’s house.
• Learning: a teacher or parent introducing a child to the rules can benefit from a board that can be annotated, coloured in or multiplied for a whole class, at no cost. Once the basic moves are mastered, our guide to the Elo rating in chess helps track progress.
• Craft activity: cutting, gluing and laminating a chess board makes for a good indoor activity, especially during the winter months when board games make a comeback. It’s also a simple idea before considering a proper chess gift for the festive season.
• Game analysis: several blank printed boards make it easy to note a critical position, prepare an opening or study a combination on paper, away from the screen.

This board is also found under the name printable draughts board, sometimes specified as a black and white draughts board to print in A4: the term refers to the same 8-by-8 grid as a chess board, not to be confused with the 10-by-10 board used for French draughts.

What format for a PDF chess board: 4, 5 or 6 cm squares?

The most commonly used grids have squares of 4, 5 or 6 cm: 4 cm for a pocket-sized format, 5 to 6 cm to get closer to playing standards with classic-sized pieces. The right choice mainly depends on the base diameter of the pieces you have: it should fit the square with a little room to spare.

A4 or A3: what size of blank chess board will you get?

The A4 format gives a board of around 20 cm across, handy as a quick fix or for travel. The A3 format allows for a board of around 29 cm, with more generous squares, closer to playing standards: this is the format to choose for a printable chess board meant for real games.

To get a PDF chess board file that’s accurately to scale, print from your computer by choosing the Print to PDF option (or your system’s virtual PDF printer), then check that the scale is set to 100%, with no automatic scaling: this setting is what guarantees squares of exactly the size you want. For true competition dimensions, our guide to chess board sizes details the official recommendations.

How to print and assemble your printable chess board properly

To get a playable board, the method comes down to five simple steps.

1. Set the print scale to 100% to get squares of the right dimensions.
2. Print on card stock of 160 to 200 g/m², in colour or black and white (light grey and white are enough to tell the squares apart).
3. Trim the margins for a neat board with clean edges.
4. Laminate the sheet if possible, to make it resistant to water and repeated handling.
5. Glue the paper onto a rigid support, thick card or an offcut of thin plywood, so the board doesn’t warp.

And what about the pieces? Four solutions without buying a set

A printed chess board is no use without pieces. Four solutions let you sort yourself out without waiting for an order to arrive:

1. Use the pieces from an old set whose board has gone missing.
2. Cut discs from bottle corks and mark them with a felt-tip pen to tell the two sides apart.
3. Use coins of two colours or two different sizes.
4. Print paper chess pieces: flat silhouettes (pawn, knight, bishop, rook, queen, king) to cut out, then fold at the base so they stand up.

The limits of paper: sturdiness and lifespan of the set

Paper creases, stains and slides about on the table; it gives the pieces no grip, so they topple at the slightest touch. After a few games, the squares start to peel and the board loses its flatness. For a one-off game, this isn’t a problem; for regular use or a handsome object you want to keep, the limits soon become apparent.

The lasting alternative: folding chess boards and solid wood sets

A folding wooden chess board keeps the practical spirit of paper, compact and easy to carry, while offering the stability and feel of solid wood. Across more than 3,600 orders analysed at Le Palais des Échecs since 2008, the most requested woods are, in order, boxwood, maple, walnut, rosewood, then mahogany.

To make the leap without breaking the bank, the Folding Wooden Chess Set closes like a book (30 x 15 x 5 cm folded) and opens into a 30 x 30 cm board, made of beech and birch, with beech wood pieces and a 6.5 cm king.

View the folding wooden chess set

A step up, the Chess Pieces and Folding Wooden Chess Board pairs a sycamore and mahogany board (34.5 x 34.5 cm open) with hornbeam pieces, for a 6.5 cm king.

View this folding wooden chess board

If you’d prefer a fixed chess board rather than a folding one, head over to our starter sets, designed as a first proper solid wood chess set at an affordable price, such as the Grand Championship Set, with a maple and mahogany board and rosewood pieces. To compare all our folding models, browse the travel and folding chess sets category. For a fixed board in fine wood, our chess boards and wooden chess sets cover every size and every budget. Many of these models also accept an engraved plate: a way to turn this move from paper to wood into a true gift, to be found over in our personalised engraving range. To understand how these pieces are carved, our article on the craft techniques behind carved wooden chess sets details each step.

Setting up your chess board properly, paper or wood

The setup rules don’t change depending on the material: a white square at each player’s bottom-right corner, the queen on her own colour, the king beside her. Our guide details each step to avoid the most common mistake.

See our guide on how to set up a chess board correctly to check the board’s orientation and each piece’s starting position, whether the board is printed or made of solid wood.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make chess pieces out of paper or card?

Cut flat silhouettes of each piece (pawn, knight, bishop, rook, queen, king) out of thick paper or thin card, then fold a tab at the base so they stand up. Two colours of paper or two shades of felt-tip are enough to tell the two sides apart.

What is the official size of a chess board?

Competition chess boards follow FIDE recommendations: squares of 5 to 6 cm with a king of around 9.5 cm. Our guide to official dimensions details all the correspondences between square size and piece size.

Should you print your chess board in A4 or A3?

The A4 format gives a board of around 20 cm, handy as a quick fix or for travel, with squares of around 4 cm. The A3 format allows for a board of around 29 cm, with squares of 5 to 6 cm, closer to playing standards.

How do you get a chess board in PDF format from your computer?

From the print window, choose the Print to PDF option (or your system’s virtual PDF printer), then check that the scale is set to 100%, with no automatic scaling: this setting guarantees squares of exactly the right dimensions.

Where can you find chess pieces to print and cut out?

Printable chess pieces come as flat silhouettes to cut out and fold. Failing that, pieces from an old set, cork discs marked with a felt-tip pen, or coins of two colours will do the job perfectly well.

Is a paper chess board suitable for regular games?

No: a paper board is fine for a quick fix, learning or practising, but it slides about, gets stained and wears out quickly. For regular play, a folding chess board or a solid wood set offers the stability and comfort you need.