Wood Chess Boards

How to choose a wood chess board

Almost everyone shops for a wooden chess board the wrong way round. They pick the timber they like the look of, buy it, and then discover the squares are wrong for the pieces they already own. Timber is the part you enjoy for years, but square size is the part that decides whether the board works at all, and it takes about thirty seconds to get right before you order.

The other thing worth saying plainly: a darker timber is not a better board. Ebony and rosewood look superb and they also swallow light, so a set of dark pieces on a dark board can read badly across a table in a dim room. Sheesham and maple is the pairing we recommend most often, because the contrast is honest under any lighting and it is the combination we sell the most of. If the board is going somewhere with good natural light, the ebony boards are the ones that reward it.

Start with square size, not timber

Choose a square comfortably wider than the base diameter of your king, so the piece sits inside it with a visible margin. FIDE sets the base of each piece at 40 to 50 percent of its own height and competition squares at 5cm to 6cm. A 95mm king on a 40mm base suits a 50mm to 55mm square; a 105mm king on a 45mm base wants 55mm to 60mm. Too small and the position looks crowded and pieces foul each other on adjacent squares. Too large and the army looks stranded.

Across this range the square sizes stocked are 38mm, 40mm, 45mm, 50mm, 55mm, 56mm and 60mm, and the weight of the range sits at the top: 55mm and 60mm account for eighteen of the boards whose square size is named. Board sizes run from 37cm up to 60cm, with 53cm the single most common. If you are buying pieces at the same time, our chess pieces listings give king height and base diameter so you can pair the two before either arrives.

• 38mm and 40mm squares. For small and travel armies. The 37cm sheesham and maple board and a folding board with 40mm squares are the two at this end.
• 45mm and 50mm squares. Kings around 75mm to 90mm. Nine boards here, in sheesham, ebony and bud rosewood, on 43cm to 48cm boards. A sensible size for a dining table that has to be cleared.
• 55mm squares. The club standard and the busiest size in the range, suiting kings around 90mm to 100mm. The Player's Choice sheesham and maple 53cm is the one we reach for most, and the blood red bud rosewood 53cm is the same size with far more colour.
• 60mm squares. For kings of 100mm and up, and for boards meant to stay out. The ebony and maple 58cm with a sheesham border and the 60cm deluxe veneer are the largest playing surfaces we stock.

The timbers, and what each one gives you

Maple is the light side on twenty five of these boards, which is why the range looks consistent even across very different dark timbers. The dark side is where the character is.

• Sheesham. Also sold as golden rosewood, and the same timber under either name. Warm mid brown with visible grain, hard wearing, and the strongest contrast against maple. Twelve boards here use it.
• Ebony. Near black and very dense, on seven boards. The most formal look in the range and the one that most rewards good light.
• Rosewood and bud rosewood. Deeper and redder than sheesham. Bud rosewood is the more figured of the two, and the blood red finish is the most distinctive thing in this collection.
• Walnut, mahogany, wenge and palisander. The European end of the range, mostly on the Ferrer and Dal Rossi boards, in browns that sit between sheesham and ebony.

Five boards in this range are veneer over a core rather than timber throughout, and each of those names it in the title, so you can tell at a glance which you are looking at. Veneer is not a lesser choice at these sizes: it holds flat better on a wide board, which is exactly why the largest boards here use it.

Borders, coordinates and one board with none

A border is not decoration. A wide frame gives captured pieces somewhere to sit and stops a hand resting on the playing surface, which is why most club boards have one. Several boards here use a contrasting frame, most often sheesham around an ebony and maple field.

Coordinates along the edge help beginners and anyone recording games, and hinder nobody, though plenty of players prefer the cleaner look without them. The Ferrer mahogany with coordinates is the clearest example. At the other extreme, the minimalist borderless board drops the frame entirely and fits 60mm squares into 48cm, which is the most playing surface per centimetre in the range.

Where these boards sit in the wider range

This collection is the timber part of our chess boards range. Alongside it: luxury chess boards for the heavier display end, tournament chess boards for regulation proportions, and folding chess boards where the board needs to pack away.

Three timber boards here are DGT sensor boards, including the DGT Walnut USB board, which record and transmit moves to a computer; the rest of those sit in electronic chess boards. If you would rather buy the board and pieces together, our wood chess sets range does the matching for you, and our chess tables are for when the board becomes furniture.

Frequently asked questions

What size wood chess board do I need?

Measure the base diameter of your king and choose a square comfortably wider than it. A 40mm base wants 50mm to 55mm squares, a 45mm base wants 55mm to 60mm. If you are buying pieces at the same time, work from the pieces and choose the board second.

Do these wooden chess boards come with pieces?

No. Every board on this page is sold on its own, which is what you want if you are replacing a board or pairing one to an army you already own. For both together, look at wood chess sets.

Which timber is best for a chess board?

For regular play, sheesham and maple, because the contrast holds up under any lighting and the surface wears well. Ebony and rosewood are the better looking boards and want good light to be seen properly. There is no timber here that plays badly; the difference is contrast and how the board reads across a table.

Is sheesham the same as golden rosewood?

Yes. One timber, two names. Rosewood proper is a different, deeper and redder timber again, and bud rosewood is the more heavily figured cut of it.

Are veneer chess boards worse than solid ones?

Not at these sizes. A wide board is more likely to cup or move with humidity if it is a single slab, and a veneer over a stable core stays flatter. The boards here that use veneer name it in the title.

Should I buy a board with coordinates?

If you are learning, teaching, or writing your games down, yes. Otherwise it is a matter of taste and the cleaner look is a fair reason to skip them.

How do I look after a wood chess board?

Keep it out of direct sunlight, which fades timber faster than anything else, and wipe it with a dry or barely damp cloth. Avoid solvent cleaners and standing drinks on it. A board kept out of the sun will still look right in twenty years.

Do you ship wood chess boards Australia wide?

Yes. These ship from Australian stock with local support, packed for the weight of a timber board, and every order is covered by 100 day free returns.

Backed by Sterling Chess

Every board here has been unwrapped, laid flat and had pieces set up on it before it went into the catalogue. That is how we can tell you which boards read well in a dim room, which frames actually hold captured pieces and which timbers photograph darker than they look in the hand.

If you already own pieces and are not sure what fits, that is the easiest question we answer all week. Send us the king height and base diameter, or call us on (03) 7037 0931 or email support@sterlingchess.com.au, and we will tell you which squares to buy. Orders ship from Australian stock and everything is covered by 100 day free returns. More on how we work is on our why buy from us page.