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This is the heavy end of the 53cm size. The board measures 53.3cm across with 55mm squares, runs to 45mm deep and weighs 5,390g, which is roughly double the depth of most boards at this footprint and puts it firmly in the category of furniture rather than equipment.
Two timber options. The ebony one is handcrafted in ebony and boxwood, and the distinction it draws is worth reading carefully: the frame is ebonised, while the squares themselves are made with genuine ebony and boxwood. Its underside is felted in green velvet. The second option is bud rosewood and maple, on the same 53.3cm carcass with the same 55mm squares and the same 45mm of depth.
Both are sold as the board alone. It sits alongside the rest of our luxury chess boards collection and is aimed at a buyer who wants a board that is the centrepiece of the room it lives in, not one that gets carried between rooms.
Fifty five millimetre squares on a 53cm board is a well populated size here, so the interesting differences are in timber and build rather than in footprint. Set against our 53cm ebony and maple board, which runs the same squares in ebony with maple on the light side, this board changes two things: the light squares are boxwood, which carries more visible grain than maple does, and the carcass is a great deal deeper.
Against our 53cm ebony board with a sheesham border the difference is the frame. That board surrounds its playing area with sheesham, a visibly different timber from the squares it borders. Here the frame is ebonised and reads as a continuation of the dark squares, which is the quieter of the two treatments and lets the boxwood do the work.
The bud rosewood and maple option is the warmer choice of the pair, red brown against a pale even light square, and it is the one to look at if ebony reads too severe for the room. Both options carry the same 45mm depth, roughly double the 22mm of the 53cm ebony and maple board and the 25mm of the ebony board with a sheesham border named above.
Base diameter is what decides fit on a board like this, not the height of the king. Both options are recommended for a king base of 40mm to 50mm, which on a 55mm square leaves the king covering roughly three quarters to nine tenths of the space it stands on.
That is a wide and forgiving window, and it takes in most of the serious Staunton patterns: a 95mm to 105mm king is usually turned somewhere inside it. What it rules out are the very large luxury patterns, which are drawn for 60mm squares and will crowd their neighbours here. It also rules out compact travel sets at the other end, which look stranded on a square this size.
A board at this level deserves pieces at the same level, so the sets in our luxury chess pieces collection are the natural pairing. If you already own the pieces, measure the widest point of the king's base with a ruler before ordering, because two patterns of identical height can sit a full centimetre apart at the foot.
The ebony option makes a distinction that many boards at this level blur, and it is in the buyer's favour that it does. The playing squares are made with genuine ebony and boxwood. The frame that surrounds them is ebonised, which is to say it is finished to read as black rather than being the same dense black timber as the squares.
That is a sensible way to build a board of this depth, and it is worth understanding rather than glossing over. Ebony is heavy, hard and expensive, and the squares are where it counts: they are the surface the pieces stand on, the part the eye reads all game, and the part that has to hold its colour for decades. The frame's job is to hold the panel and to frame the position, and an ebonised frame does that while keeping the board's mass and cost within reason.
Boxwood on the light squares is the other half of the pairing. Against maple, which is the more common light timber at this size, boxwood is creamier and shows more of its own grain, so the light squares have some character of their own instead of reading as a flat pale field.
Forty five millimetres of depth is what you notice first in person. A board that deep does not flex, does not lift at a corner, and does not slide when a piece is set down firmly, which matters more in a long game than it sounds. At 5,390g it is not something you reposition casually, so decide where it is going to live before it arrives.
The ebony and boxwood option is felted underneath in green velvet, which protects the table it stands on and stops the board tracking across a polished surface. Whichever option you choose, a board of this mass wants a table that can take it: a dining table, a games table or a dedicated stand rather than a light side table.
Care is straightforward. Keep it out of direct sun and away from heat vents, both of which move timber over time, wipe it with a dry soft cloth and never stand a drink on the playing surface. These are handmade items, so the finished weight can vary by up to 10 percent either way.
The reason to look at the ebony option is that its squares are genuine ebony and boxwood, and it is honest about the frame around them being ebonised rather than the same timber, which is a distinction plenty of boards at this level leave unspoken. The caveat is mass: at 45mm deep and 5,390g this is a board you place once and leave, so it needs a table that suits it and it is not the right buy if the board has to be put away between games. It suits a collector or a serious player furnishing a room around the game, with a set on a 40mm to 50mm base already in hand or on the way.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
No. This listing is the board on its own, so the playing set is chosen and bought separately.
No, and the difference is worth knowing at this level. The frame is ebonised. The squares themselves are made with genuine ebony and boxwood.
Pieces with a king base of 40mm to 50mm, which covers most serious Staunton patterns with a 95mm to 105mm king. Measure the widest part of the base rather than going by the height of the set.
Timber. One is ebony and boxwood with an ebonised frame and a green velvet felted underside; the other is bud rosewood and maple. Both are 53.3cm across with 55mm squares, 45mm deep and 5,390g. For a lighter board at the same size, our 53cm Indian rosewood and maple board is the alternative.
At 5,390g it is a two handed lift and it is designed to stay in one place. Choose where it is going to sit before it arrives, and make sure the table can carry it comfortably.
Keep it out of direct sun and away from heat vents, wipe it with a dry soft cloth, and avoid standing drinks on the playing surface.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
Board size |
53.3cm x 53.3cm (21 inch) |
|
Square size |
55mm (2.1 inch) |
|
Playing area |
44cm across eight squares |
|
Board thickness |
45mm (1.7 inch) |
|
Weight |
5,390g |
|
Ebony and boxwood option |
Genuine ebony and boxwood squares, ebonised frame, green velvet felted underside |
|
Bud rosewood and maple option |
Bud rosewood and maple |
|
Recommended king base |
40mm to 50mm (1.5 inch to 1.9 inch) |
|
Weight tolerance |
Handmade, up to 10 percent either way |
|
Chess pieces |
Not included |
One 53.3cm luxury chess board with 55mm squares
In your choice of ebony and boxwood or bud rosewood and maple
Playing sets 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.
This is the heavy end of the 53cm size. The board measures 53.3cm across with 55mm squares, runs to 45mm deep and weighs 5,390g, which is roughly double the depth of most boards at this footprint and puts it firmly in the category of furniture rather than equipment.
Two timber options. The ebony one is handcrafted in ebony and boxwood, and the distinction it draws is worth reading carefully: the frame is ebonised, while the squares themselves are made with genuine ebony and boxwood. Its underside is felted in green velvet. The second option is bud rosewood and maple, on the same 53.3cm carcass with the same 55mm squares and the same 45mm of depth.
Both are sold as the board alone. It sits alongside the rest of our luxury chess boards collection and is aimed at a buyer who wants a board that is the centrepiece of the room it lives in, not one that gets carried between rooms.
Fifty five millimetre squares on a 53cm board is a well populated size here, so the interesting differences are in timber and build rather than in footprint. Set against our 53cm ebony and maple board, which runs the same squares in ebony with maple on the light side, this board changes two things: the light squares are boxwood, which carries more visible grain than maple does, and the carcass is a great deal deeper.
Against our 53cm ebony board with a sheesham border the difference is the frame. That board surrounds its playing area with sheesham, a visibly different timber from the squares it borders. Here the frame is ebonised and reads as a continuation of the dark squares, which is the quieter of the two treatments and lets the boxwood do the work.
The bud rosewood and maple option is the warmer choice of the pair, red brown against a pale even light square, and it is the one to look at if ebony reads too severe for the room. Both options carry the same 45mm depth, roughly double the 22mm of the 53cm ebony and maple board and the 25mm of the ebony board with a sheesham border named above.
Base diameter is what decides fit on a board like this, not the height of the king. Both options are recommended for a king base of 40mm to 50mm, which on a 55mm square leaves the king covering roughly three quarters to nine tenths of the space it stands on.
That is a wide and forgiving window, and it takes in most of the serious Staunton patterns: a 95mm to 105mm king is usually turned somewhere inside it. What it rules out are the very large luxury patterns, which are drawn for 60mm squares and will crowd their neighbours here. It also rules out compact travel sets at the other end, which look stranded on a square this size.
A board at this level deserves pieces at the same level, so the sets in our luxury chess pieces collection are the natural pairing. If you already own the pieces, measure the widest point of the king's base with a ruler before ordering, because two patterns of identical height can sit a full centimetre apart at the foot.
The ebony option makes a distinction that many boards at this level blur, and it is in the buyer's favour that it does. The playing squares are made with genuine ebony and boxwood. The frame that surrounds them is ebonised, which is to say it is finished to read as black rather than being the same dense black timber as the squares.
That is a sensible way to build a board of this depth, and it is worth understanding rather than glossing over. Ebony is heavy, hard and expensive, and the squares are where it counts: they are the surface the pieces stand on, the part the eye reads all game, and the part that has to hold its colour for decades. The frame's job is to hold the panel and to frame the position, and an ebonised frame does that while keeping the board's mass and cost within reason.
Boxwood on the light squares is the other half of the pairing. Against maple, which is the more common light timber at this size, boxwood is creamier and shows more of its own grain, so the light squares have some character of their own instead of reading as a flat pale field.
Forty five millimetres of depth is what you notice first in person. A board that deep does not flex, does not lift at a corner, and does not slide when a piece is set down firmly, which matters more in a long game than it sounds. At 5,390g it is not something you reposition casually, so decide where it is going to live before it arrives.
The ebony and boxwood option is felted underneath in green velvet, which protects the table it stands on and stops the board tracking across a polished surface. Whichever option you choose, a board of this mass wants a table that can take it: a dining table, a games table or a dedicated stand rather than a light side table.
Care is straightforward. Keep it out of direct sun and away from heat vents, both of which move timber over time, wipe it with a dry soft cloth and never stand a drink on the playing surface. These are handmade items, so the finished weight can vary by up to 10 percent either way.
The reason to look at the ebony option is that its squares are genuine ebony and boxwood, and it is honest about the frame around them being ebonised rather than the same timber, which is a distinction plenty of boards at this level leave unspoken. The caveat is mass: at 45mm deep and 5,390g this is a board you place once and leave, so it needs a table that suits it and it is not the right buy if the board has to be put away between games. It suits a collector or a serious player furnishing a room around the game, with a set on a 40mm to 50mm base already in hand or on the way.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
No. This listing is the board on its own, so the playing set is chosen and bought separately.
No, and the difference is worth knowing at this level. The frame is ebonised. The squares themselves are made with genuine ebony and boxwood.
Pieces with a king base of 40mm to 50mm, which covers most serious Staunton patterns with a 95mm to 105mm king. Measure the widest part of the base rather than going by the height of the set.
Timber. One is ebony and boxwood with an ebonised frame and a green velvet felted underside; the other is bud rosewood and maple. Both are 53.3cm across with 55mm squares, 45mm deep and 5,390g. For a lighter board at the same size, our 53cm Indian rosewood and maple board is the alternative.
At 5,390g it is a two handed lift and it is designed to stay in one place. Choose where it is going to sit before it arrives, and make sure the table can carry it comfortably.
Keep it out of direct sun and away from heat vents, wipe it with a dry soft cloth, and avoid standing drinks on the playing surface.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
Board size |
53.3cm x 53.3cm (21 inch) |
|
Square size |
55mm (2.1 inch) |
|
Playing area |
44cm across eight squares |
|
Board thickness |
45mm (1.7 inch) |
|
Weight |
5,390g |
|
Ebony and boxwood option |
Genuine ebony and boxwood squares, ebonised frame, green velvet felted underside |
|
Bud rosewood and maple option |
Bud rosewood and maple |
|
Recommended king base |
40mm to 50mm (1.5 inch to 1.9 inch) |
|
Weight tolerance |
Handmade, up to 10 percent either way |
|
Chess pieces |
Not included |
One 53.3cm luxury chess board with 55mm squares
In your choice of ebony and boxwood or bud rosewood and maple
Playing sets 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.
