There’s nothing like sitting down to play a game with your kids, and chess is a classic. It’s fun for all ages, and it can help both children and adults to improve their problem-solving and logical thinking skills.
Chess sets can be expensive, though – so before investing in a costly chessboard, save some money with our free printable chess board template!
Our Printable Chess Board Templates
Printable games are a great way to try out a range of different games with your family without committing to the cost of buying them or having to find somewhere to store them all! Just Family Fun offers a selection of printable games – why not try Battleships, Bingo, Draughts or Pairs?
Our printable chess set is available in colour or in black and white and can be personalised by printing the black and white template on coloured paper or card to match your child’s favourite colour. Our downloadable chess sets are A4 in size, but if you have a printer with extra features, you could print it in A3 size and decorate it with your children – they’ll be excited to play a game they made with you!
If you or your children don’t know how to play just yet, we’ve found a short, simple guide to help you get started:
How to Play Chess: 7 Steps to Get You Started via chess.com.
You can print this chess set on paper and use it as-is at the kitchen table or on any flat surface you can get comfortable around at home – but you can also use a little crafting magic to make this chess set template travel-approved.
Download Colour Printble Chess Board Template
Download Black & White Printable Chess Board Template
Step One
Choose your preferred chess template from the options above.
Step Two
Print your set onto paper or card – card is a little more durable and will last a bit longer.
Step Three
If you want to, you can laminate your printed chess set to make it spill-proof. If you don’t have a laminating machine, you can use sticky plastic book covering sheets – available on Amazon for about £1 for a small roll.
Step Four
Cut out your chess pieces (parents’ supervision needed for little hands!).
Step Five
Attach the rougher side of a small Velcro dot (you can get them for around £2 on Amazon or pick them up at your favourite stationery shop) to each square on the chess template. Attach the softer side to the back of your chess pieces.
You’re all done! You now have a cheap, homemade chess set, made just the way you like it, that can come with you on long car journeys or be stored in a small box or bag and packed for trips. The Velcro dots will mean your pieces won’t slide around or fall off your board, even if you need to pass it between the front and back seats of the car. If your kids love crafting projects, they could decorate a special box or bag to keep their chess set in – or they could have fun with a bigger box that fits lots of games inside.
Happy playing!