Chess Boards

Choose a chess board by material

Every board in this range is sold separately from the pieces. Material is usually the first decision, because it sets both the price and how the board lives in the room.

• Wood chess boards: the largest part of the range. Walnut, maple, sheesham, rosewood and ebony, from everyday club boards to inlaid cabinet work.
• Luxury chess boards: the heavier, display led end. Deeper timbers, wider borders and finishes made to sit out permanently.
• Tournament chess boards: regulation proportions and clear contrast, built for club and school play.
• Folding chess boards: boards that fold flat for storage or travel.
• Electronic chess boards: DGT sensor boards that record and transmit your moves to a computer or phone.
• Chess tables: where the board is built into the furniture and the game can stay set up between sessions.
• Sterling Chess: our own label, with timber boards from 37cm to 60cm and the pieces and tables to match them.

What size chess board do you need?

This is the question that catches most buyers out, and it is worth answering before you buy anything. The square size on the board has to suit the base diameter of your pieces. Choose a square a little wider than the king's base, so the piece sits inside the square with a visible margin on every side. FIDE sets the base of each piece at 40 to 50 percent of its own height and competition squares at 5cm to 6cm.

If you already own pieces, measure the king's base and work from there. If you are buying both, a complete set from our chess sets range removes the problem entirely, because the board and pieces are matched before they reach you. Buying pieces separately instead? The chess pieces range lists king height and base diameter so you can pair them to a board with confidence.

Boards for play, and boards for display

A chessboard that gets played on every week wants a hard wearing finish, clear light and dark contrast and squares sized to your pieces. Satin and matt finishes hide handling far better than high gloss, and timber tolerates being knocked about in a way stone does not.

A board bought as a centrepiece can afford to be heavier and more decorative. Wide inlaid borders and gloss finishes both photograph and display beautifully, and they are less forgiving in daily use. Neither choice is wrong, but knowing which one you are making saves disappointment.

Chess boards by square size

Square size is the figure that decides whether a board and a set of pieces work together, and it is stated in the title of every board in this range. These are the sizes stocked:

• 38mm and 40mm. Compact and travel boards, on outer sizes of 37cm to 40cm. Below competition scale, and the right choice for a small table or a set with a short king.
• 45mm. The step up from compact, on 43cm to 46cm boards. Suits a mid size army without taking over the table.
• 50mm. The bottom of the competition window, on 48cm boards. A 95mm king sits on this comfortably.
• 55mm and 56mm. The most common size here, on 53cm boards. This is where most full size Staunton sets belong.
• 57mm and 60mm. The largest, on 54cm to 60cm boards. Built for tall pieces and for reading a position from across a room.

The current FIDE equipment standard, effective 1 March 2026, puts competition squares between 5cm and 6cm, so the 50mm, 55mm, 56mm, 57mm and 60mm boards here are all inside it and the 38mm to 45mm boards sit below it. That does not make the smaller boards lesser, it makes them a different job. If you want only the boards built to competition proportions, the tournament chess boards range is the narrower cut.

Frequently asked questions

Do these chess boards come with pieces?

No. Everything in this collection is a board on its own, which is what you want if you are replacing a board or pairing one to pieces you already own. For a board and pieces together, see chess sets.

How do I match a chess board to my chess pieces?

Measure the base diameter of your king and choose a square comfortably wider than it, so two pieces can stand on adjacent squares without touching. FIDE puts competition squares between 5cm and 6cm. If you are unsure, send us the measurements and we will check it for you.

What size chess board is used in tournaments?

The FIDE standard puts competition squares between 5cm and 6cm, paired with a 95mm king and up to 10 percent variance, so roughly 85.5mm to 104.5mm. The tournament chess boards range is sized to those proportions.

Which timber is best for a chess board?

For regular play, walnut, maple and sheesham are hard wearing and hold their finish. Rosewood and ebony sit at the premium end and give deeper contrast. All are covered in the wood chess boards range.

What square size should I choose?

Work from the pieces, not the room. Measure the base diameter of your king and choose a square comfortably wider than it, leaving a visible margin on every side. FIDE puts competition squares between 5cm and 6cm. Every board here states its square size in the title, so you can check before you buy.

Do you ship chess boards Australia wide?

Yes. Orders ship from Australian stock with local support behind them, and everything is covered by 100 day free returns.

Backed by Sterling Chess

Every chessboard we stock is handled and set up before it goes into the catalogue, and we source directly from the makers rather than through grey channels. That is how we can tell you which boards feel right to play on rather than only which ones photograph well.

Board sizing is the thing people most often want to talk through before buying, and it is worth getting right the first time. The team is a call or email away on (03) 7037 0931.