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Fifty millimetre squares are the size most players settle on once they have owned a few boards, and this is that size in a red timber. The dark squares are bud rosewood (Dalbergia oliveri), a deep red brown that the trade sometimes calls blood red, against maple (Acer oblongum) on the light. The board is 48.26cm across and eight 50mm squares make a playing grid 40cm wide.
The weight is the surprise. At 5,600g this carries considerably more mass than most boards of its footprint, including the sheesham board we sell at the same size and square count. Twenty two millimetres of section under that weight makes for a surface that stays exactly where it is put, whatever happens on top of it.
The underside is felted in green velvet, so it can sit straight onto a polished table without a cloth beneath it and without marking the finish. Squares of 50mm are matched here to a king base of 40mm to 45mm, which is standard club and tournament territory. Other sizes and timbers sit across our chess boards collection.
Other boards already on the site share this footprint and these 50mm squares, so timber and weight are what actually separate them. The 48cm sheesham and maple board runs sheesham against maple, a warm mid brown that reads gently across a room, and it is built at 4,000g. The 48cm ebony and maple board with a sheesham border goes the opposite way with near black ebony and a sheesham border around the play, deeper again at 25mm. This one takes the middle path on colour and the outside line on mass, at a deep red brown and 5,600g.
That weight is worth dwelling on because it changes how the board behaves rather than how it looks. Boards at this size commonly land between three and four kilograms. At more than five and a half, this one is a two handed lift and it will not budge when a player leans on the table or sets a move down hard at the end of a fast game. If you want a board you can pick up casually to clear the table, that is a reason to look elsewhere in the range.
Against a board bundled underneath a set of chessmen, the case is straightforward. Bundled boards are cut thin so the package ships cheaply, and they are usually the first thing an owner replaces. A 22mm timber surface with a felted underside is bought separately because it is meant to outlast whatever stands on it first.
The measurement that matters is the diameter of the king's base, not the height of the king. Height decides how a set looks; base width decides whether it fits. This board is cut for a king base of 40mm to 45mm.
On 50mm squares that is a full sizing rather than a conservative one. Three quarters of 50mm is 37.5mm, so a 40mm base already sits slightly above the classic proportion and fills its square generously. At 45mm you are down to a couple of millimetres of visible timber either side of each foot, which is entirely playable but reads as a well populated back rank in the opening. If you prefer more board showing around each piece, aim at the lower end of the window.
Weighted tournament patterns with a king around 95mm are the natural pairing. The Reproduction 1849 Original Staunton Heavy Ebony 95mm stands on a 40mm base and is drawn for 50mm to 55mm squares, so it sits at the foot of the window here and leaves a clear margin of timber around every foot. Patterns of the same height often foot wider than that, and a base at 43mm or 45mm fills these squares right to the edge, so read the base figure on the set rather than the king height before you pair the two.
Dalbergia oliveri is a red timber rather than a brown one, and that is unusual on a chess board. Its colour runs from a deep brick red through to a red brown depending on the cut, and it carries open figure that stays visible across a 50mm square instead of disappearing into a flat dark tone. Against pale maple the result is a chequer with warmth in it.
The practical difference from a near black board is what happens in low light. An ebony board separates dark from light at maximum contrast in any conditions, which is why tournament equipment tends that way. A red board keeps more character and slightly less brute legibility, so under a single lamp in the evening the position reads a touch more softly. Most players who choose a rosewood board are choosing exactly that.
Like all red timbers it responds to light over time, softening and deepening rather than staying at the colour it arrives in. Keeping it out of direct sun slows that considerably, and it is the single most useful thing an owner can do for it.
The underside is covered in green velvet felt, which does more than it sounds like. It stops the base of the board marking a polished table, it takes the click out of the board itself when a piece is set down hard, and it holds position on a smooth surface without needing a cloth or a mat underneath. On a board this heavy that last point matters, because 5,600g dragged across a dining table would otherwise be a real risk to the finish.
The weight is the thing to plan for. This is a board to place once and leave, not one to move between rooms. It wants a table that can carry it comfortably, and at 48.26cm square it leaves space either side on most dining tables for captured material and a clock without either player running short of elbow room.
Care is simple. Wipe the playing surface with a dry or barely damp soft cloth, keep drinks off it entirely, and keep the board away from heaters, vents and direct sun. As with any handmade item the finished weight can vary by up to 10 percent either way, and the figure in the timber will be particular to the board that arrives.
What makes this one interesting is the combination of standard 50mm club squares with an unusual amount of mass, since 5,600g at this footprint is well beyond what boards of this size normally carry and it shows in how completely the surface stays put. The caveat is the other side of that figure: it is a two handed board that wants a permanent place, and anyone expecting to lift it off the table casually at the end of an evening will find it a nuisance. The 40mm to 45mm base window is also a full sizing, so a compact set footing in the low thirties will look adrift on it. It suits a player with a fixed spot for a board and a standard weighted tournament set to stand on it, and it suits someone short of storage rather less. If you want the same size in a lighter, warmer board, the 48cm sheesham and maple board is the one to compare.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
No. This listing is the board alone. It is cut for a king base of 40mm to 45mm, which covers most weighted club and tournament patterns with a king around 95mm.
A king base between 40mm and 45mm. Measure the widest part of the base rather than going by the height of the set, since sets of the same height frequently differ by ten millimetres at the foot.
A deep red brown, sometimes closer to brick red depending on the cut, with open figure that stays visible across the square. It is warmer and more characterful than a near black board and slightly less stark against the maple.
It is 22mm of dense timber across 48.26cm, and the published weight is 5,600g. That mass is what keeps the board completely still in play, and it is also why it is a two handed lift rather than something to move casually.
Green velvet felt across the whole base. It protects a polished table, stops the board sliding on a smooth surface and quietens every move made on it.
Keep it out of direct sunlight, which lifts the colour out of red timbers faster than anything else, and away from heaters and vents. Wipe it with a dry or barely damp cloth and never stand a glass on the playing surface.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
Board size |
48.26cm x 48.26cm (19 inch) |
|
Square size |
50mm |
|
Playing grid |
40cm across eight squares |
|
Board thickness |
22mm (0.9 inch) |
|
Board weight |
5,600g |
|
Weight tolerance |
Handmade, up to 10 percent either way |
|
Dark squares |
Bud rosewood (Dalbergia oliveri) |
|
Light squares |
Maple (Acer oblongum) |
|
Underside |
Felted in green velvet |
|
Recommended king base |
40mm to 45mm (1.5 inch to 1.8 inch) |
|
Chess pieces |
Not included |
One 48.26cm bud rosewood and maple chess board with 50mm squares and a green velvet felted underside
Playing pieces are sold separately and are not part of this listing
All products sold by Sterling Chess are backed by a 12 month limited manufacturer warranty. This covers manufacturing defects and cracking, and ensures every product is 100% genuine. If you need assistance, our team is only a call or email away.
Is shipping really free?
Yes — we offer free standard shipping on all orders across Australia, with no minimum spend. The price you see at checkout is the price you pay.
Are there any exceptions to free shipping?
No exceptions. Every order ships free, regardless of size, weight, or order value.
How long will my order take to arrive?
Orders are typically dispatched within 1–2 business days, with delivery times depending on your location. You'll receive tracking details by email once your order is on its way.
Do you ship to all areas of Australia?
Yes, we deliver Australia-wide, including regional and remote areas — all at no shipping cost to you.
Can I track my order?
Absolutely. As soon as your order ships, we'll email you a tracking number so you can follow its journey to your door.
What if I need my order quickly?
Get in touch before ordering and we'll do our best to help. Standard shipping is free, and we'll advise on the fastest available option for your area. To contact us, simply email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au, call (03) 7037 0931 or open the live chat.
Changed your mind? You can return unused, unopened items within 100 days of your order date, provided they’re in original packaging and resaleable condition. Sterling Chess will cover the cost of shipping return items under our 100-day free returns policy.
All Sterling Chess products are backed by Australian Consumer Law and include a minimum 12-month Australian warranty. If there’s an issue with your product, our team is here to help and will work to make it right.
Click here to view our full returns policy.
If you're shopping for a new chess set, you're in the right place—and here's why.
1. We know chess inside and out
At Sterling Chess, we're not just another online store. We’re chess lovers, players, collectors, and game night fanatics.
That means we care about quality, balance, and feel—and we only stock sets we’d use ourselves. From tournament-grade boards to handcrafted wooden pieces, we’ve got what real players want.
2. Unmatched variety for every player
Whether you're just learning or a lifelong grandmaster, we have something for you.
Looking for a folding set for travel? A stunning showpiece for your home? A kid-friendly set for your budding chess champion? We’ve got it all—and more.
3. Fast and FREE shipping on all orders
Shipping is FREE on all Sterling Chess orders.
We ship quickly from local and international warehouses, so you’re not waiting weeks to get your game on.
Most orders are packed and sent within 24–48 hours. Plus, you’ll get tracking updates every step of the way.
4. Customer support that actually helps
Have a question? Need help choosing a set? Our friendly team is ready to help—no scripts, no bots, just real people who care about your experience.
You can call our team anytime between business hours on (03) 7037 0931 or email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au. Alternatively, you can use our live chat during business hours to contact our helpful support team.
5. Thousands of happy customers
Don't just take our word for it—our reviews speak for themselves. Sterling Chess is trusted by thousands of players who keep coming back for more. Great products. Great service. No hassle.
6. Classic games, too
We're all about chess—but we also carry backgammon, checkers, poker and other timeless strategy games. If you love the classics, you’ll feel right at home.
Ready to make your move?
Choose a chess set that fits your style, skill level, and space—and enjoy the Sterling Chess difference. You’ll love how it looks. You’ll love how it plays. And you’ll love buying from a team that loves the game just as much as you do.
Fifty millimetre squares are the size most players settle on once they have owned a few boards, and this is that size in a red timber. The dark squares are bud rosewood (Dalbergia oliveri), a deep red brown that the trade sometimes calls blood red, against maple (Acer oblongum) on the light. The board is 48.26cm across and eight 50mm squares make a playing grid 40cm wide.
The weight is the surprise. At 5,600g this carries considerably more mass than most boards of its footprint, including the sheesham board we sell at the same size and square count. Twenty two millimetres of section under that weight makes for a surface that stays exactly where it is put, whatever happens on top of it.
The underside is felted in green velvet, so it can sit straight onto a polished table without a cloth beneath it and without marking the finish. Squares of 50mm are matched here to a king base of 40mm to 45mm, which is standard club and tournament territory. Other sizes and timbers sit across our chess boards collection.
Other boards already on the site share this footprint and these 50mm squares, so timber and weight are what actually separate them. The 48cm sheesham and maple board runs sheesham against maple, a warm mid brown that reads gently across a room, and it is built at 4,000g. The 48cm ebony and maple board with a sheesham border goes the opposite way with near black ebony and a sheesham border around the play, deeper again at 25mm. This one takes the middle path on colour and the outside line on mass, at a deep red brown and 5,600g.
That weight is worth dwelling on because it changes how the board behaves rather than how it looks. Boards at this size commonly land between three and four kilograms. At more than five and a half, this one is a two handed lift and it will not budge when a player leans on the table or sets a move down hard at the end of a fast game. If you want a board you can pick up casually to clear the table, that is a reason to look elsewhere in the range.
Against a board bundled underneath a set of chessmen, the case is straightforward. Bundled boards are cut thin so the package ships cheaply, and they are usually the first thing an owner replaces. A 22mm timber surface with a felted underside is bought separately because it is meant to outlast whatever stands on it first.
The measurement that matters is the diameter of the king's base, not the height of the king. Height decides how a set looks; base width decides whether it fits. This board is cut for a king base of 40mm to 45mm.
On 50mm squares that is a full sizing rather than a conservative one. Three quarters of 50mm is 37.5mm, so a 40mm base already sits slightly above the classic proportion and fills its square generously. At 45mm you are down to a couple of millimetres of visible timber either side of each foot, which is entirely playable but reads as a well populated back rank in the opening. If you prefer more board showing around each piece, aim at the lower end of the window.
Weighted tournament patterns with a king around 95mm are the natural pairing. The Reproduction 1849 Original Staunton Heavy Ebony 95mm stands on a 40mm base and is drawn for 50mm to 55mm squares, so it sits at the foot of the window here and leaves a clear margin of timber around every foot. Patterns of the same height often foot wider than that, and a base at 43mm or 45mm fills these squares right to the edge, so read the base figure on the set rather than the king height before you pair the two.
Dalbergia oliveri is a red timber rather than a brown one, and that is unusual on a chess board. Its colour runs from a deep brick red through to a red brown depending on the cut, and it carries open figure that stays visible across a 50mm square instead of disappearing into a flat dark tone. Against pale maple the result is a chequer with warmth in it.
The practical difference from a near black board is what happens in low light. An ebony board separates dark from light at maximum contrast in any conditions, which is why tournament equipment tends that way. A red board keeps more character and slightly less brute legibility, so under a single lamp in the evening the position reads a touch more softly. Most players who choose a rosewood board are choosing exactly that.
Like all red timbers it responds to light over time, softening and deepening rather than staying at the colour it arrives in. Keeping it out of direct sun slows that considerably, and it is the single most useful thing an owner can do for it.
The underside is covered in green velvet felt, which does more than it sounds like. It stops the base of the board marking a polished table, it takes the click out of the board itself when a piece is set down hard, and it holds position on a smooth surface without needing a cloth or a mat underneath. On a board this heavy that last point matters, because 5,600g dragged across a dining table would otherwise be a real risk to the finish.
The weight is the thing to plan for. This is a board to place once and leave, not one to move between rooms. It wants a table that can carry it comfortably, and at 48.26cm square it leaves space either side on most dining tables for captured material and a clock without either player running short of elbow room.
Care is simple. Wipe the playing surface with a dry or barely damp soft cloth, keep drinks off it entirely, and keep the board away from heaters, vents and direct sun. As with any handmade item the finished weight can vary by up to 10 percent either way, and the figure in the timber will be particular to the board that arrives.
What makes this one interesting is the combination of standard 50mm club squares with an unusual amount of mass, since 5,600g at this footprint is well beyond what boards of this size normally carry and it shows in how completely the surface stays put. The caveat is the other side of that figure: it is a two handed board that wants a permanent place, and anyone expecting to lift it off the table casually at the end of an evening will find it a nuisance. The 40mm to 45mm base window is also a full sizing, so a compact set footing in the low thirties will look adrift on it. It suits a player with a fixed spot for a board and a standard weighted tournament set to stand on it, and it suits someone short of storage rather less. If you want the same size in a lighter, warmer board, the 48cm sheesham and maple board is the one to compare.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
No. This listing is the board alone. It is cut for a king base of 40mm to 45mm, which covers most weighted club and tournament patterns with a king around 95mm.
A king base between 40mm and 45mm. Measure the widest part of the base rather than going by the height of the set, since sets of the same height frequently differ by ten millimetres at the foot.
A deep red brown, sometimes closer to brick red depending on the cut, with open figure that stays visible across the square. It is warmer and more characterful than a near black board and slightly less stark against the maple.
It is 22mm of dense timber across 48.26cm, and the published weight is 5,600g. That mass is what keeps the board completely still in play, and it is also why it is a two handed lift rather than something to move casually.
Green velvet felt across the whole base. It protects a polished table, stops the board sliding on a smooth surface and quietens every move made on it.
Keep it out of direct sunlight, which lifts the colour out of red timbers faster than anything else, and away from heaters and vents. Wipe it with a dry or barely damp cloth and never stand a glass on the playing surface.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
Board size |
48.26cm x 48.26cm (19 inch) |
|
Square size |
50mm |
|
Playing grid |
40cm across eight squares |
|
Board thickness |
22mm (0.9 inch) |
|
Board weight |
5,600g |
|
Weight tolerance |
Handmade, up to 10 percent either way |
|
Dark squares |
Bud rosewood (Dalbergia oliveri) |
|
Light squares |
Maple (Acer oblongum) |
|
Underside |
Felted in green velvet |
|
Recommended king base |
40mm to 45mm (1.5 inch to 1.8 inch) |
|
Chess pieces |
Not included |
One 48.26cm bud rosewood and maple chess board with 50mm squares and a green velvet felted underside
Playing pieces are sold separately and are not part of this listing
All products sold by Sterling Chess are backed by a 12 month limited manufacturer warranty. This covers manufacturing defects and cracking, and ensures every product is 100% genuine. If you need assistance, our team is only a call or email away.
Is shipping really free?
Yes — we offer free standard shipping on all orders across Australia, with no minimum spend. The price you see at checkout is the price you pay.
Are there any exceptions to free shipping?
No exceptions. Every order ships free, regardless of size, weight, or order value.
How long will my order take to arrive?
Orders are typically dispatched within 1–2 business days, with delivery times depending on your location. You'll receive tracking details by email once your order is on its way.
Do you ship to all areas of Australia?
Yes, we deliver Australia-wide, including regional and remote areas — all at no shipping cost to you.
Can I track my order?
Absolutely. As soon as your order ships, we'll email you a tracking number so you can follow its journey to your door.
What if I need my order quickly?
Get in touch before ordering and we'll do our best to help. Standard shipping is free, and we'll advise on the fastest available option for your area. To contact us, simply email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au, call (03) 7037 0931 or open the live chat.
Changed your mind? You can return unused, unopened items within 100 days of your order date, provided they’re in original packaging and resaleable condition. Sterling Chess will cover the cost of shipping return items under our 100-day free returns policy.
All Sterling Chess products are backed by Australian Consumer Law and include a minimum 12-month Australian warranty. If there’s an issue with your product, our team is here to help and will work to make it right.
Click here to view our full returns policy.
If you're shopping for a new chess set, you're in the right place—and here's why.
1. We know chess inside and out
At Sterling Chess, we're not just another online store. We’re chess lovers, players, collectors, and game night fanatics.
That means we care about quality, balance, and feel—and we only stock sets we’d use ourselves. From tournament-grade boards to handcrafted wooden pieces, we’ve got what real players want.
2. Unmatched variety for every player
Whether you're just learning or a lifelong grandmaster, we have something for you.
Looking for a folding set for travel? A stunning showpiece for your home? A kid-friendly set for your budding chess champion? We’ve got it all—and more.
3. Fast and FREE shipping on all orders
Shipping is FREE on all Sterling Chess orders.
We ship quickly from local and international warehouses, so you’re not waiting weeks to get your game on.
Most orders are packed and sent within 24–48 hours. Plus, you’ll get tracking updates every step of the way.
4. Customer support that actually helps
Have a question? Need help choosing a set? Our friendly team is ready to help—no scripts, no bots, just real people who care about your experience.
You can call our team anytime between business hours on (03) 7037 0931 or email us at support@sterlingchess.com.au. Alternatively, you can use our live chat during business hours to contact our helpful support team.
5. Thousands of happy customers
Don't just take our word for it—our reviews speak for themselves. Sterling Chess is trusted by thousands of players who keep coming back for more. Great products. Great service. No hassle.
6. Classic games, too
We're all about chess—but we also carry backgammon, checkers, poker and other timeless strategy games. If you love the classics, you’ll feel right at home.
Ready to make your move?
Choose a chess set that fits your style, skill level, and space—and enjoy the Sterling Chess difference. You’ll love how it looks. You’ll love how it plays. And you’ll love buying from a team that loves the game just as much as you do.
