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The presentation box which holds the chess pieces and the chess board, is based on the ammunition boxes that the British Army carried into Zululand at the time of the Anglo Zulu Wars. They were stoutly made from teak or mahogany. Access to the box was through a sliding wedge shaped panel in the center of the lid, which was held in place by a single screw. The screw was to be removed with a screw driver which was issued to the Quartermaster. In times of an emergency a hard blow to the edge of the panel would break the screw housing and free the panel. The boxes were lined with tin to protect the contents on overseas service. A wire handle, fixed to the top of the tin lining, enabled it to be torn back when the box was opened. The boxes were held secure by a copper band around each end. Each box carried 600 cartridges, which were packed in brown paper packages of ten rounds each.

The boxes were 61 cm (24 inches) long 17.8 cm (7 inches) wide and 22.9 cm (9 inches) deep, they weighed eighty pounds when full and had rope handles at either end