How to Choose Your Backgammon Board: Buying Guide

A good backgammon board comes down to four criteria: the wood (solid, inlaid or leather-covered), the size suited to how you’ll use it, the quality of the checkers and dice, and your budget. For regular use at home, a solid wood board measuring 45 to 55 cm offers the best balance between playing comfort and aesthetic pleasure. This guide covers each criterion in detail, wood by wood and size by size, so your next backgammon purchase is the right one.

Updated on 11 November 2026 · By Delphine D., Le Palais des Échecs editorial team

Updated on 11 November 2026: complete overhaul: turning this skeleton guide (583 words) into a genuine reference buying guide for wooden backgammon boards, structured by….

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What criteria matter when choosing a backgammon board?

Backgammon is among the oldest known board games. Despite this long history, the criteria for choosing a good board remain simple and practical.

• The material: solid wood, inlaid veneer, or leather and faux leather, for look, feel and durability.
• The size: from folding travel formats to large tournament boards, depending on intended use.
• The checkers and dice: their weight, diameter and balance genuinely change the playing experience.
• Included accessories: doubling cube, dice cups, built-in storage.
• The budget: from entry-level to collector’s pieces, with very different value for money depending on the range.

Which wood to choose: solid wood, marquetry, leather or faux leather?

A solid wood backgammon board, with inlaid points and heavy checkers, offers a warm feel and a visual appeal that a plastic travel set simply cannot match. Walnut, mahogany, olive wood and rosewood are the most commonly used woods for quality boards; our guide to fine woods details their characteristics. Alongside solid wood, leather and faux leather offer lighter, more flexible boards that are easy to store: discover our collection of leather and faux leather backgammon boards.

This mahogany wood backgammon board with side supports is available in three sizes (30 x 17 cm, 38 x 23 cm and 48 x 30 cm): a versatile model to start out with in solid wood.

View the mahogany wood backgammon with side supports

For a more affordable first purchase, this walnut-effect laminated wood backgammon board, handmade in Europe, also comes in three sizes (30 x 20 cm, 38 x 23 cm, 48 x 30 cm).

View the walnut-effect laminated wood backgammon

Find all of these models in our collection of wooden backgammon boards.

What size board should you choose depending on use?

The size of a backgammon board ranges from 25 cm (travel) to 60 cm (tournament) when open. It directly affects playing comfort: the larger the board, the wider the points and the easier the checkers are to handle.

• Travel: 25 to 35 cm closed, lightweight and foldable, to take away for a weekend or holiday. See our travel, folding and roll-up backgammon boards.
• Regular use at home: 45 to 50 cm closed, 50 to 55 cm open, the most common format for a table or living room.
• Tournament and large format: 55 to 60 cm, for maximum playing comfort and a strong visual presence.

This olive wood backgammon board, with a playing surface in mahogany and wenge, comes in three sizes (30 x 17 cm, 38 x 20 cm and 48 x 26 cm): on its own, it covers travel, living room and large format needs. A variant with olive wood side supports is also available.

View the olive wood backgammon

The essential accessories: dice, checkers, doubling cube, dice cups

A board is also judged by what comes with it. The dice, ideally around 16 mm, need to be well-balanced for a consistent roll. The checkers usually measure 3.5 to 4 cm in diameter: the heavier they are, the more stable and pleasant they are to move. The doubling cube, marked from 2 to 64, is used to multiply the stakes of the game; dice cups, often in leather, protect the felt and make rolling more elegant.

These olive wood backgammon checkers, sold as a set of 30 pieces in brown and dark brown, come in three sizes (20 mm, 26 mm and 36 mm) to replace or complete an existing set.

View the olive wood backgammon checkers

This folding wooden backgammon set, in rosewood, maple, mahogany and walnut veneer, is supplied complete: 30 wooden checkers, 4 dice, 1 doubling cube and 2 dice cups, all in a board measuring 38 x 24 x 5 cm when closed.

View the folding wooden backgammon set

For checkers alone, also see our backgammon checkers section.

What budget should you plan for a quality board?

The price of a backgammon board depends mainly on the material and finish, far more than on the brand. Here are the benchmarks we observe in our catalogue.

At the entry level, the walnut laminated wood backgammon or the mahogany wood backgammon with black points are good starting points. In the mid-range, the walnut wood backgammon with side supports and the green oak and walnut backgammon combine sturdiness and elegance.

For a high-end board, this rosewood backgammon board, handmade in Europe, illustrates well what a fine wood can offer in a large format (48 x 30 cm).

View the rosewood backgammon board

Beyond this, collector’s models can be found in our luxury backgammon boards section, for enthusiasts seeking an exceptional piece.

How to care for a wooden backgammon board?

A well cared-for wooden board can be played with and admired for decades.

• Dust the board and checkers with a soft, dry cloth, without water or household cleaning products.
• Avoid direct sunlight and heat sources, which dull or crack the wood.
• Keep room humidity stable: it’s sudden changes that cause the wood to warp, not humidity itself.
• Feed the wood once or twice a year with a thin layer of colourless wax.
• Store the set closed, with checkers and dice inside, to avoid knocks and dust between games.

Our selection of backgammon boards at Le Palais des Échecs

Backgammon belongs to the great family of traditional wooden games that have stood the test of time; several of our models are crafted using traditional woodworking techniques. If you’re looking for other classics, explore our other games section: draughts, dominoes and more. It’s also a good time to compare offers, just 16 days before Black Friday: see our page on Black Friday deals on chess sets, chess boards and wooden backgammon boards.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play backgammon?

Each player moves their fifteen checkers across twenty-four points according to the values rolled on two dice, aiming to bring them into their home board and then bear them off before their opponent. Our complete guide to backgammon rules details the starting setup and the course of a game.

How many checkers can be on one point?

A point can hold several checkers of the same colour, with no strict limit during play. In the starting position, a point holds a maximum of five checkers.

What size backgammon board should you choose?

Allow 25 to 35 cm for a travel board, 45 to 55 cm for regular use at home, and 55 to 60 cm for a large, tournament-style format. For a given budget, always favour the most comfortable size.

Which wood should you choose for a quality backgammon set?

Walnut, mahogany and olive wood offer an excellent balance of sturdiness, grain beauty and price. Rosewood and rare fine woods are reserved for high-end models.

Where can you buy a quality backgammon set?

Le Palais des Échecs has offered wooden backgammon boards since 2008, with over 5,000 customers to date, free delivery within mainland France, same-day dispatch for any order placed before midday on a working day, and a 14-day satisfaction-guaranteed right of return.