Other

Traditional Chess Set

The most grown-up chess set LEGO has ever made, right down to the tiny minifigure statues on the kings.

Brick Rated Score

4.0/5

Set 40719 · 2024

Pieces743

Minifigsn/a

Year2024

Set number40719

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The verdict

This is LEGO finally taking a chess set seriously, and the classic wooden look really lands.

The pieces are recognisable at a glance, the board splits in two and tucks back into its own box, and it doubles as checkers so you get two games for one price. My one honest reservation is that the pieces are a touch top heavy and easy to tip if you knock the table, so it plays best as a slow, careful game rather than a rowdy one. If you want a handsome chess set you also got to build, this is an easy yes.

Best for: chess lovers who want a good-looking board they built themselves

The full review

What it is

The thing that got me about this set is how little it looks like LEGO once it is finished. The pieces are designed with almost no exposed studs (just the tops of the rooks and the little eyes of the knights), so from across the room it reads as a proper wooden chess set rather than a brick model. LEGO has done chess before, but every earlier attempt looked like a toy. This one, designed by Leonard Bahro and released in June 2024, is the first that I would happily leave out on a side table. The kings even carry tiny minifigure statues, and there are shiny gold accents that lift the whole thing above novelty.

The catch

I do want to be straight with you about a couple of things. The board splits into two halves for storage, which is lovely in theory, but in play the pieces are a bit top heavy and there is not much weight in the bases, so an accidental bump sends them toppling. Reviewers who actually sat down and played a full game all mention this. The other honest caveat is value: at $74.99 for 743 pieces you are paying roughly ten cents a part, which is fine for a licensed novelty but not the bargain you would expect from a straight brick count. And building eight identical pawns for each side, sixteen little towers in total, is not the most thrilling stretch of any build.

Who it's for

So who is this for? If you love chess and want a board with a real story behind it, one you assembled yourself and can pack away neatly, this is a delight. It is rated 9 and up and makes a lovely shared build for a parent and kid who both play. Who should skip it? If you live for clever engineering and surprising techniques across a long build, the repetition and the simple board will leave you a little cold. And if you just want a chess set to play hard and fast with, a cheap weighted wooden set will serve you better. Buy this for the charm and the display value, not for tournament durability.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

The build is split into two identical halves, each one making one color of pieces and one half of the board, so you essentially build the same thing twice. Across eleven numbered bags and two instruction booklets, it is a calm, low-stress build with a few genuinely clever moments. Every piece is built around a bar for stability, which is why they hold together even when they hit the floor. The knight is the standout, the horse head taking the most fiddly and satisfying work, while the king and queen are the tallest and most rewarding to finish. The pawns, bless them, are quick and repetitive.

For parts hunters the highlight is the recolored 4x4 tiles that form the checkerboard, held together underneath by clips gripping bars, which is a tidy bit of engineering. There are no headline new molds here, but the gold-colored accents and those minifigure statues perched on the kings are charming touches you will not find elsewhere. With 743 parts, 26 spares, and 92 unique part and color combinations, it is a decent little parts haul, though nothing in it is rare enough to justify buying the box just to break it down.

Fun facts

01The set is a 2-in-1: the same board and round tiles double as a full game of checkers.
02The kings are topped with tiny minifigure statues, a detail LEGO used to make this the most decorative of its chess sets.
03Every playing piece is built around an internal bar, which is why they survive being knocked to the floor without falling apart.
04It was designed by Leonard Bahro and released on June 1, 2024, at $74.99 / £64.99 / €74.99.