ASNEY 15" Magnetic Wooden Chess Set

Was looking for a decent chess set and decided to try this one. Let’s talk about the folding board first. The edges don’t line up between the two halves when folded, as in it just isn’t squared up. I believe this is because the hinges are installed improperly. The hinge prevents the board from sitting completely flat on a perfectly flat surface. The two halves of the folding board aren’t exactly the same thickness either. Yes the board works, but transitioning a piece from one side to the other is a bit jarring. The edges of the board are not finished very well either and some of the sides are far from smooth. I waxed the living hell out this board to smooth the surface out as much as possible and bring a bit of shine to it. That was worth it and helped the appearance somewhat. Yes the board works, but it immediately leaves me wanting something better. Next, the storage compartment. It works, nothing special. The pieces fit into a very firm foam substance. They are seated in there really well. The cutouts are only on one site of the board making that firm fit a necessity for this design. The pieces are kind of tedious to take out, but eh, whatever. Lastly, the pieces. These are alright. For a magnetic set, some of the pieces I received have weak magnets. I personally don’t care about the magnetic aspect much as I intend to have the board planted while playing, but it is worth pointing out. The pieces themselves are serviceable, and I do understand at this price point, for wood pieces, there are going to be some compromises. The pads on the bottom of the pieces are pretty much non existent, likely a requirement for the magnetics. Again, they are alright. I am going to give a positive to this set for the bag. Few chess sets include a bag so I have to give ANSEY props for that inclusion. It is comforting to have that extra layer to protect your board from damage if taking it on the go. Ultimately, yeah this set is a functioning chess set. It isn’t as nice as I imagined. I should have set my expectations lower at this price. If the board was finished better I would have been more positive, but when I think about it, it is hard to get past the quality issues. I already have another chess set on order because this didn’t meet my expectations. I will probably take this one and leave it at work to play some casual games with coworkers.