Chess has held attention for centuries without needing a screen, which is what makes this luxury wooden set a lasting desk or shelf object rather than a novelty. The board is pine wood, folds shut in book style and holds all 32 pieces inside, so the game packs itself away in one movement.

Folded to 29.5 by 29.3 centimetres and under three centimetres thick, it slides onto a bookshelf, into a suitcase or under a coffee table. The wood and MDF construction gives the pieces weight in the hand, and the set is made with FSC certified wood and delivered in FSC certified kraft gift packaging, so the sustainability claim covers the box as well as the product itself.

Practical settings for this gift are easy to name: executive and board-level gifting where a strategy game reads as an appropriate metaphor, long service awards, consulting and finance client presents, hotel and lounge amenities, and end-of-year gifts for teams who share an office. Schools, chess clubs and youth programmes are a natural audience for sponsors. It also does well as a family gift handed to employees before a holiday break.

A logo laser engraved into the lid of the folded board is visible whenever the set is stored and disappears from view during play, which is usually the right balance for a premium gift. MerchRepublic arranges the engraving, quotes bulk quantities and ships across the EU.