I’ll be honest — when I first stumbled across a headline claiming that Rolls-Royce was making a luxury chess set, I figured it was either clickbait or an elaborate April Fools joke that had somehow resurfaced. I mean… Rolls-Royce, the maker of ultra-luxury automobiles, getting into the chess business? Surely not.
But after digging a little deeper, I realized it’s 100% real — and it’s every bit as extravagant as you might expect.
According to a Jalopnik article, Rolls-Royce unveiled this luxury chess set as part of their lifestyle accessories collection, aimed at those who want their leisure activities to match the opulence of their vehicles.
The set isn’t just a typical board and pieces either. It’s housed in a beautifully crafted, leather-lined case with the same attention to detail you’d find inside a Rolls-Royce car. The board itself folds out from the case, and each piece is made from polished, machine-milled aluminum. According to the Rolls-Royce website, "High-gloss finishes include Blackwood with Ceramic White, and Macassar Ebony with Royal Walnut; Open Pore veneer treatments in Smoked Eucalyptus with Paldao and Obsidian Ayous with Blackwood are also available. The exterior and piece holder can also be personalised using one of thirteen Rolls-Royce leather colours."
Basically, this whole set is designed to echo the luxury and precision engineering the brand is famous for. Given that other accessories like their $61,000 whisky chest are all in the five figure range, I suspect that some people's estimates of a potential $25,000 price tag are not only reasonable, but perhaps on the low end! If you want to check it out for yourself, you can visit the official product page on the Rolls-Royce website here.
I love seeing how far the world of chess is reaching as the sport continues to grow in popularity— from classic vinyl tournament sets to luxury statement pieces like this one. And while most of us might be perfectly content with a roll-up board and a good blitz game at the park, it’s fun to know that somewhere out there, someone’s playing chess with pieces that cost more than my car.
Image Source: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars – Chess Set
