Some friends and I enjoy playing board games on our breaks at work. Unfortunately if the game takes longer then 15 minutes we have to put it away and reset next time. To solve this I made a simple magnetic chess set so we can put it away with out having to start over.

Supplies

- several sheets of cardboard cut to the size you choose (my board ended up being an 18 inch square)
- 64 washers or 1 inch squares of sheet metal
- something to cover the board ( I used a thinner cardstock)
- black and white paint
- additional cardboard to form the pieces
- a printout of a simple chess set ( search the internet to find one you like)
- 32 magnets

Step 1: The Board

The first thing you need to do is decide how large you want your board to be and cut the cardboard to size. I used 3 layers glued together with the corrugations facing alternating directions for stability. Once the glue is dried you need to measure out and mark the spacing for the squares. This allows you to center and glue down the metal pieces for the magnets to hold.

Step 2: Covering the Board

Next lay your board out on your cover material and trace the outline. You want to make sure you have enough material on each side to wrap over the edges and glue to the bottom. Once the glue dries completely you can measure out your squares again and paint everything.

Step 3: The Pieces

The pieces for my board are pretty simple. Each one consists of 2 cardboard discs with a magnet sandwiched in the middle. This makes it possible to store the board on edge on a shelf without taking up to much space. You can also paint the opposite sides of the pieces and use them to play checkers. Because each piece is 2 discs you need to cut out 64 cardboard discs. Cut a small notch in the center of each one to allow for the magnet to rest neatly between the discs. Glue the discs together and then glue your printed chess pieces to the tops.

Step 4: Enjoy!

Once everything is dried it's time to play. Find yourself and opponent and enjoy a nice game of chess. And if you need to stop playing for awhile you can just put the board away without having to start the game over. The project is my entry in the 2020 magnets contest. If you liked it please vote for me! I apologize for any issues with the formatting, this was posted from my phone.