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✔ Questions? Call Us: (03) 7037 0931
Almost every timber chess board is built the same way: a playing surface set inside a frame, where the frame does no more than surround it. This one leaves the frame off. The squares run out to the outside edge, which is what borderless means here, and it changes both how the board looks and how much of its footprint is actually in play.
The numbers show the payoff. The board measures 48cm across and carries 60mm squares, so eight squares of 60mm span the full width with nothing left over. Both options are made in Spain from veneer, in red ash burl with maple under a hi-gloss finish, or black anigre with red ash burl under a matte one.
It is 13mm thick and weighs 2,250g, which puts it among the lighter surfaces in our chess boards collection rather than with the heavier boards we stock. Sixty millimetre squares are cut for large pieces, and the recommended king base of 45mm to 52mm is the part to check before you order.
On a framed board, part of what you buy is not playing surface. The border carries the outer dimension, the squares sit inside it, and the difference between the two is timber you look at rather than play on. That is the normal arrangement and there is nothing wrong with it, but it is worth seeing clearly when you compare two boards by their outer size.
Take our sheesham and maple board at the same 48cm. Same 48cm outer dimension, 50mm squares. Here the whole 48cm is squares, so the same footprint on the same table gives you a full 60mm to move on. If you have ever set a large set up on a board that turned out to be cut for smaller pieces, that is the difference this design buys.
What you give up is the margin. A frame gives you somewhere to rest a hand, somewhere to park a captured piece, and a raised edge that takes the first knock. None of that is here. The edge square is the edge of the board, so this suits a player who likes a clean object and keeps taken pieces off to the side of the table.
The figure that decides whether a set suits a board is the diameter of the king's base, not the height of the king. Height is what you notice; base diameter is what has to share the square. This board is cut for a king base of 45mm to 52mm.
On a 60mm square that leaves a clear margin of board around each piece without stranding it in the middle. The Nathaniel Cooke 1849 Staunton at 115mm sits at the top of that window on a 52mm base, and its own recommended square size is 60mm, so it is a direct match rather than a near one.
A step below it, the Ferocious Elite Series at 113mm stands on a 48mm base and is also cut for 60mm squares. What will not suit the board is the common 95mm tournament set, because patterns at that height are usually turned on bases in the high thirties to low forties and are meant for 50mm to 55mm squares. They will physically fit and they will look undersized. If that is what you own, the sensible move is to buy the board to the pieces rather than the pieces to the board.
The choice on this listing is timber and finish together. Red ash burl gives the dark squares a swirled, tightly figured character against maple on the light squares, under a hi-gloss finish that lifts the figure and deepens the contrast. Black anigre is the quieter option, an even dark brown to near black against red ash burl on the light squares, under a matte finish.
Everything else is common to both. Each is 48cm across with 60mm squares, 13mm thick, 2,250g, made in Spain from veneer, and cut for the same 45mm to 52mm king base. So neither option is the upgrade. A gloss surface returns more of the light in the room, which flatters the burl and is worth thinking about if the board will live under a bright downlight; matte returns less of it and is the calmer of the two to play on for an afternoon.
At 48cm this fits an ordinary dining or side table with room either side, and at 2,250g it is a board you can lift one handed and stand on a shelf when the table is needed for something else. That is a real part of the case for a veneered panel at this thickness: it is meant to be moved, not installed.
The trade for that lightness is that it will slide if the table is polished and someone leans on it, so it wants a mat or a cloth under it rather than a bare glossy surface. Because the squares run to the edge, the outside of the board takes the wear that a frame would normally absorb, so lift it rather than dragging it across a table. Keep it out of direct sun and away from heat vents, wipe it with a dry soft cloth, and stand drinks somewhere else. Finished weights on a handmade item can vary by up to 10 percent either way.
The borderless design is the reason to buy this rather than a framed board of the same size. Eight 60mm squares across a 48cm board means you get full sized squares in a footprint that still fits a normal table, and the timbers are named and the origin declared, which is more than most boards at this level tell you. Two honest notes. At 13mm and 2,250g it is a light panel, so it moves on a bare polished table and it has no raised edge to protect the outer squares from knocks. And the hi-gloss option throws reflections under a hard overhead light, where the matte one does not. Buy it if you own large pieces and want a clean, modern object that puts every millimetre of its width into play; look at a framed board instead if you want mass under your hand and a border to rest it on.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
No. This listing is the board on its own, so the pieces are chosen and bought separately.
There is no frame around the squares. The playing surface runs out to the outside edge, so the full 48cm width of the board is eight 60mm squares and nothing else.
Pieces with a king base of 45mm to 52mm. Measure the widest part of the king's base with a ruler rather than going by the height of the set.
It will fit, but it will look undersized. Sets at that height are usually turned for 50mm to 55mm squares, so a smaller board suits them better. Our Staunton chess pieces lists the base diameter on each set so you can check before ordering.
Timber and finish. Red ash burl with maple comes in hi-gloss, black anigre with red ash burl in matte. Both are 48cm with 60mm squares, 13mm thick and 2,250g.
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. Lift it rather than sliding it, because the squares run to the edge.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
Board size |
48cm x 48cm (18.8 inch) |
|
Square size |
60mm (2.36 inch) |
|
Board thickness |
13mm (0.5 inch) |
|
Board weight |
2,250g approximate, up to 10 percent variance |
|
Design |
Borderless, playing surface runs to the outside edge |
|
Construction |
Veneer |
|
Origin |
Made in Spain |
|
Option one |
Red ash burl (dark) and maple (light), hi-gloss finish |
|
Option two |
Black anigre (dark) and red ash burl (light), matte finish |
|
Recommended king base |
45mm to 52mm (1.8 inch to 2.0 inch) |
|
Chess pieces |
Not included |
|
Storage box |
Not included |
One 48cm borderless veneer chess board with 60mm squares
In your choice of red ash burl with maple in hi-gloss, or black anigre with red ash burl in matte
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.
Almost every timber chess board is built the same way: a playing surface set inside a frame, where the frame does no more than surround it. This one leaves the frame off. The squares run out to the outside edge, which is what borderless means here, and it changes both how the board looks and how much of its footprint is actually in play.
The numbers show the payoff. The board measures 48cm across and carries 60mm squares, so eight squares of 60mm span the full width with nothing left over. Both options are made in Spain from veneer, in red ash burl with maple under a hi-gloss finish, or black anigre with red ash burl under a matte one.
It is 13mm thick and weighs 2,250g, which puts it among the lighter surfaces in our chess boards collection rather than with the heavier boards we stock. Sixty millimetre squares are cut for large pieces, and the recommended king base of 45mm to 52mm is the part to check before you order.
On a framed board, part of what you buy is not playing surface. The border carries the outer dimension, the squares sit inside it, and the difference between the two is timber you look at rather than play on. That is the normal arrangement and there is nothing wrong with it, but it is worth seeing clearly when you compare two boards by their outer size.
Take our sheesham and maple board at the same 48cm. Same 48cm outer dimension, 50mm squares. Here the whole 48cm is squares, so the same footprint on the same table gives you a full 60mm to move on. If you have ever set a large set up on a board that turned out to be cut for smaller pieces, that is the difference this design buys.
What you give up is the margin. A frame gives you somewhere to rest a hand, somewhere to park a captured piece, and a raised edge that takes the first knock. None of that is here. The edge square is the edge of the board, so this suits a player who likes a clean object and keeps taken pieces off to the side of the table.
The figure that decides whether a set suits a board is the diameter of the king's base, not the height of the king. Height is what you notice; base diameter is what has to share the square. This board is cut for a king base of 45mm to 52mm.
On a 60mm square that leaves a clear margin of board around each piece without stranding it in the middle. The Nathaniel Cooke 1849 Staunton at 115mm sits at the top of that window on a 52mm base, and its own recommended square size is 60mm, so it is a direct match rather than a near one.
A step below it, the Ferocious Elite Series at 113mm stands on a 48mm base and is also cut for 60mm squares. What will not suit the board is the common 95mm tournament set, because patterns at that height are usually turned on bases in the high thirties to low forties and are meant for 50mm to 55mm squares. They will physically fit and they will look undersized. If that is what you own, the sensible move is to buy the board to the pieces rather than the pieces to the board.
The choice on this listing is timber and finish together. Red ash burl gives the dark squares a swirled, tightly figured character against maple on the light squares, under a hi-gloss finish that lifts the figure and deepens the contrast. Black anigre is the quieter option, an even dark brown to near black against red ash burl on the light squares, under a matte finish.
Everything else is common to both. Each is 48cm across with 60mm squares, 13mm thick, 2,250g, made in Spain from veneer, and cut for the same 45mm to 52mm king base. So neither option is the upgrade. A gloss surface returns more of the light in the room, which flatters the burl and is worth thinking about if the board will live under a bright downlight; matte returns less of it and is the calmer of the two to play on for an afternoon.
At 48cm this fits an ordinary dining or side table with room either side, and at 2,250g it is a board you can lift one handed and stand on a shelf when the table is needed for something else. That is a real part of the case for a veneered panel at this thickness: it is meant to be moved, not installed.
The trade for that lightness is that it will slide if the table is polished and someone leans on it, so it wants a mat or a cloth under it rather than a bare glossy surface. Because the squares run to the edge, the outside of the board takes the wear that a frame would normally absorb, so lift it rather than dragging it across a table. Keep it out of direct sun and away from heat vents, wipe it with a dry soft cloth, and stand drinks somewhere else. Finished weights on a handmade item can vary by up to 10 percent either way.
The borderless design is the reason to buy this rather than a framed board of the same size. Eight 60mm squares across a 48cm board means you get full sized squares in a footprint that still fits a normal table, and the timbers are named and the origin declared, which is more than most boards at this level tell you. Two honest notes. At 13mm and 2,250g it is a light panel, so it moves on a bare polished table and it has no raised edge to protect the outer squares from knocks. And the hi-gloss option throws reflections under a hard overhead light, where the matte one does not. Buy it if you own large pieces and want a clean, modern object that puts every millimetre of its width into play; look at a framed board instead if you want mass under your hand and a border to rest it on.
- Blake Sterling, CEO & Founder, Sterling Chess
No. This listing is the board on its own, so the pieces are chosen and bought separately.
There is no frame around the squares. The playing surface runs out to the outside edge, so the full 48cm width of the board is eight 60mm squares and nothing else.
Pieces with a king base of 45mm to 52mm. Measure the widest part of the king's base with a ruler rather than going by the height of the set.
It will fit, but it will look undersized. Sets at that height are usually turned for 50mm to 55mm squares, so a smaller board suits them better. Our Staunton chess pieces lists the base diameter on each set so you can check before ordering.
Timber and finish. Red ash burl with maple comes in hi-gloss, black anigre with red ash burl in matte. Both are 48cm with 60mm squares, 13mm thick and 2,250g.
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. Lift it rather than sliding it, because the squares run to the edge.
|
Spec |
Detail |
|
Board size |
48cm x 48cm (18.8 inch) |
|
Square size |
60mm (2.36 inch) |
|
Board thickness |
13mm (0.5 inch) |
|
Board weight |
2,250g approximate, up to 10 percent variance |
|
Design |
Borderless, playing surface runs to the outside edge |
|
Construction |
Veneer |
|
Origin |
Made in Spain |
|
Option one |
Red ash burl (dark) and maple (light), hi-gloss finish |
|
Option two |
Black anigre (dark) and red ash burl (light), matte finish |
|
Recommended king base |
45mm to 52mm (1.8 inch to 2.0 inch) |
|
Chess pieces |
Not included |
|
Storage box |
Not included |
One 48cm borderless veneer chess board with 60mm squares
In your choice of red ash burl with maple in hi-gloss, or black anigre with red ash burl in matte
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.
