Checklist · 16 picks · 4 categories
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Chess players usually own a board already, so the best gifts fill a gap: a proper clock, a book to study, or a smart board that makes practice more fun.
I built this list from Chess.com's holiday gift guide and Dad Suggests, and I only included products those guides actually named. Where a guide gave a reason, I passed it along. Where it didn't, I left the pros and cons blank rather than make something up. A quick tip: ask what they play on. Online players may love a smart board, tournament players want a clock, and beginners often like an easier variant or a good story.
Who this is not for. Skip this list if the person plays board games in general, and try Gifts for Board Game Lovers instead.
| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DGT North American Digital Chess Clock | mid | $50-100 | players who want to play properly | 1 outlet |
| LEAP Digital Chess Clock | budget | $15-25 | anyone buying their first clock | 1 outlet |
| Chronos Digital Chess Clock | splurge | $100-150 | serious players wanting a fancier clock | 1 outlet |
| WOKEISE Wooden Analog Chess Clock | mid | $25-50 | gifts for nostalgic players | 1 outlet |
mid chess clock
Best for players who want to play properly
Chess.com's holiday gift guide calls a clock a must-have if you want to play chess properly, and names this one as the pick.
Picked by Chess.com holiday gift guide: clock pick.
$50-100
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budget chess clock
Best for anyone buying their first clock
Dad Suggests picks it as an affordable first clock with increment and delay controls.
Picked by Dad Suggests affordable first clock.
$15-25
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splurge chess clock
Best for serious players wanting a fancier clock
Dad Suggests picks the US Chess Federation's Chronos as a quality clock that handles complex time controls.
Picked by Dad Suggests quality clock for complex time controls.
$100-150
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mid chess clock
Best for gifts for nostalgic players
Dad Suggests picks this retro wooden clock as a decorative gift for old-fashioned play.
Picked by Dad Suggests retro decorative clock.
$25-50
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splurge smart chess board
Best for tech-interested players
Chess.com's holiday gift guide lists it as a smart chess set that connects to Chess.com, made with ChessUp.
Picked by Chess.com holiday gift guide: smart board pick.
$300-500
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splurge smart chess board
Best for tech-minded chess fans
Dad Suggests picks this motorized board whose pieces move themselves, and notes it plays against computers and real people through an app.
Picked by Dad Suggests tech pick for chess fans.
$300-500
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How to Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman | mid | $25-50 | intermediate players ready to improve | 1 outlet |
| My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer | budget | $15-25 | fans of classic games | 1 outlet |
| My Great Predecessors Part I by Garry Kasparov | mid | $25-50 | serious players | 1 outlet |
| The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal | mid | $25-50 | anyone curious about Tal | 1 outlet |
| The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis | budget | $15-25 | chess and book lovers | 1 outlet |
| The Thinkers by David Llada | mid | $25-50 | chess lovers who like art | 1 outlet |
mid chess strategy book
Best for intermediate players ready to improve
Chess.com's holiday gift guide calls it one of the best strategy books for intermediate players.
Picked by Chess.com holiday gift guide: strategy book pick.
$25-50
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budget chess classic
Best for fans of classic games
Chess.com's holiday gift guide picks it as a way to learn concepts through 60 of Fischer's games.
Picked by Chess.com holiday gift guide: book pick.
$15-25
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mid chess classic
Best for serious players
Chess.com's holiday gift guide lists it for serious players, with Kasparov analyzing games of past world champions.
Picked by Chess.com holiday gift guide: book pick.
$25-50
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mid chess classic
Best for anyone curious about Tal
Chess.com's holiday gift guide picks it as an entertaining autobiography with annotated games.
Picked by Chess.com holiday gift guide: book pick.
$25-50
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budget chess book
Best for chess and book lovers
Dad Suggests picks the novel behind the Netflix series for chess and book lovers.
Picked by Dad Suggests book for chess and book lovers.
$15-25
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mid chess photo book
Best for chess lovers who like art
Dad Suggests picks this photography book celebrating chess as inspiring and beautiful.
Picked by Dad Suggests photography book for chess lovers.
$25-50
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Chess Set | mid | $25-50 | kids and themed set fans | 1 outlet |
| No Stress Chess by Winning Moves | budget | $15-25 | beginners and young kids | 1 outlet |
| Solitaire Chess by ThinkFun (magnetic travel edition) | budget | $15-25 | puzzle fans and travelers | 1 outlet |
| 4-Player Chess by WE Games | mid | $25-50 | groups with several players | 1 outlet |
mid themed chess set
Best for kids and themed set fans
Dad Suggests picks it as a fun themed set that doubles as toys.
Picked by Dad Suggests fun themed set.
$25-50
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budget chess variant
Best for beginners and young kids
Dad Suggests picks it for beginners because it limits each turn's options to make chess easier to learn.
Picked by Dad Suggests beginner-friendly variant.
$15-25
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budget chess puzzle game
Best for puzzle fans and travelers
Dad Suggests picks this logic game for puzzle fans and travelers; it builds visualization and needs only the pieces and book.
Picked by Dad Suggests portable puzzle pick.
$15-25
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mid chess variant
Best for groups with several players
Dad Suggests picks this variant for adding challenge and board vision, playable free-for-all or two vs two.
Picked by Dad Suggests variant for groups.
$25-50
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means three independent outlets recommend a pick, means one, and limited evidence means none has yet. I research these picks. I have not tested them myself. How I pick · Spot a mistake? A broken link, a wrong price range or an outdated pick: tell me at hello@allsetlist.com and I'll fix it.
A smart board like the ChessUp 2 or Square Off is a good pick, since both were named in published guides for tech-minded players. A classic book is a lower-cost option.
Dad Suggests recommends No Stress Chess for beginners because it limits each turn's options. A first clock like the LEAP is another low-cost idea once they start playing real games.
Chess.com's guide calls a clock a must-have for playing chess properly. It is most useful for tournament and club play.
USPS's recommended last send dates for December 25 in the contiguous US are December 17 for Ground Advantage, December 18 for Priority Mail and December 19 for Priority Mail Express. Retailers set their own order-by dates, so check at checkout.
