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A tactile chess or checkers set is a regular game rebuilt so a blind or low vision player can play it by touch: raised and recessed squares you can feel, pegs that hold pieces in place, and pieces marked or shaped so each side can be told apart. Because the rules and moves stay the same, a blind player can sit down against a sighted friend or family member on equal terms.
I went through listings from the main sellers of adapted games and picked five sets that cover different budgets and situations, from an inexpensive plastic chess set to a handcrafted walnut one. Prices are what I saw when I checked, and a few items were out of stock or on pre-order, so check availability first.
The 5 Best Chess and Checkers Sets for Blind and Low Vision Players
1. MaxiAids Tactile Checkers Set (Wood): Best Overall Checkers Set
- Price: About $33.92 (listed down from $39)
- Board: A 13-inch wood-framed 8×8 board with peg holes, raised black squares and recessed white squares
- Pieces: 24 wooden discs about an inch across, 12 flat-topped and 12 with a raised circle on top, plus 6 kings roughly double the height, and a plastic storage case
- Best for: Blind and sighted players sharing a game
The pegs stop pieces from sliding when a hand brushes the board, which is the main frustration with an ordinary checkerboard. The kings are noticeably taller, so they can be picked out by touch.
Where it falls short: The listing doesn’t say how the two sides are told apart beyond the flat and raised-circle tops, and it has no customer reviews yet.
2. MaxiAids Tactile Checkers Board Game (Red and Black): Best Compact Checkers
- Price: About $34.95 (listed down from $49.95)
- Board: An 8 by 8 inch 3D-printed plastic board with raised black squares, recessed red squares and white tactile lines between them; holes on the black squares show where pieces can go
- Pieces: 24 discs about an inch across, 12 with a tactile top and 12 flat; pieces can be stacked to mark kings
- Best for: Travel, small tables and anyone who finds a big board awkward
Red and black squares give strong visual contrast for players with some vision, and the raised lines make the grid easy to follow by touch. It’s smaller than the wooden set, so it fits on a lap tray.
Where it falls short: It carries a small-parts choking hazard warning, so keep it away from young children and pets, and the listing has no reviews yet.
3. Independent Living Aids Tactile Chess Set: Best Budget Chess
- Price: About $25.76 (listed down from $30.95)
- Board: A 14 by 9 inch plastic board with raised white squares to help track diagonals and braille grid coordinates along the bottom and left edges
- Pieces: Plastic pieces with pegs on the base, shaped differently from one another, with a tactile dot on top of each white piece
- Best for: Someone trying tactile chess for the first time without spending much
The raised squares and pegs mean pieces stay put, and the braille coordinates help players who read braille track positions.
Where it falls short: The listing doesn’t give piece size or piece count, and it doesn’t say how the black pieces are marked beyond their shape.
4. ChessHouse Wooden Chess Set for the Blind (3.75-Inch King): Best Premium Set
- Price: About $139.95
- Board: A 15-inch square walnut and maple board with 1.75-inch squares, raised black squares and 5/16-inch peg holes
- Pieces: Pegged pieces with a 3.75-inch white king and a 4.1-inch black king, with black pieces marked by a peg on top
- Best for: A player who wants a durable, handcrafted set to keep for years
The squares are large and the pieces substantial, which suits anyone who has trouble feeling small details. At about 70 ounces, it stays put on the table.
Where it falls short: It was on pre-order with restocking listed for January 29, 2027. Reviewers mentioned two pieces arriving damaged and a few rough spots on the finish, though they said the set was still playable.
5. MaxiAids Chinese Checkers With Board for Blind: Best for a Group
- Price: About $59.95 (listed down from $69.96)
- Board: A 9.4-inch circular board with braille markings showing each color’s starting position
- Pieces: For 2 to 6 players, with 10 pieces each; every color has its own shape (heart, star, square, plus, triangle and a circle with a tactile dot)
- Best for: Family game nights with several players of mixed vision
Because every color has its own shape, players can tell their pieces from everyone else’s by touch, and the game involves no capturing, which keeps it relaxed.
Where it falls short: The listing doesn’t say what material the pieces are made of, it carries a small-parts choking hazard warning, and it showed as temporarily out of stock but available to order.
How to Choose a Tactile Game Set
Check how the pieces stay put. Pegs and holes are the feature that matters most. Without them, a hand resting on the board can knock the whole game off.
Look at how each side is told apart. Tops that differ by touch, such as flat versus raised, or shapes that differ by color, are what let a blind player identify their own pieces. Perkins School for the Blind describes an adapted checkers game with indented squares, round pieces for one player and square ones for the other, and kings made twice as thick so they can be found by touch, which is the same logic these sets use.
Match the board size to the table. Larger boards are easier to feel but need more room, while a compact one fits a lap tray.
Check stock before you fall for a set. Several of these were out of stock, on pre-order, or listed without reviews when I looked.
If your household plays other games too, our guides to large print and low vision board games and large print playing cards and games have more options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a chess set for blind players?
Yes. Tactile chess sets use a board with raised and recessed squares and pegs that hold the pieces in place, and each white piece has a marking, such as a raised dot, so players can tell the sides apart by touch. Players use standard chess rules.
Can blind and sighted people play checkers together?
Yes. Tactile checkers sets have raised and recessed squares, peg holes, and pieces that differ by touch, so blind and sighted players can use the same board and the same rules.
How do you tell the pieces apart in tactile checkers?
Usually by the top of each piece. One side has flat tops and the other a raised circle or a different shape, and kings are often made taller or thicker so they can be found by touch.
Is there a Chinese checkers game for the blind?
Yes. One version gives each of the six colors a different piece shape and marks each starting position on the board in braille, so up to six players can tell their pieces apart by touch.
Final Thoughts
For checkers, the wooden tactile set is the all-round choice and the red and black set is the compact one. For chess, the plastic set is a low-cost way to start, and the walnut set is the heirloom option if you’re willing to wait for stock. If you have a bigger group, the Chinese checkers set with distinct shapes is the one built for it.
Prices and specifications can change, so check the current listing before you order.