The Perfect Chess Board

I spent decent time into pursue for the best board. I ended up that Drueke 2.25 is just the perfect style for my Dubrovnik 1950 NOJ set but the problem is, no Drueke board in mint condition I could find anywhere from 2000s. I seen several boards on photos on forum here and there are few I really liked it but all of them rejected my $600 offer. So I decided to find someone to make Drueke Style board for me. 

I found this seller on etsy from Greece.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SakisTsiogkasWood?ref=yr_purchases

He has over 400 positive reviews and it seemed that people love what he is doing. I decided to give a shot. I asked him to change white squares from chestnut to maple and I asked him to make sloped edges like I seen that some of Drueke board has. 

It arrived today and from what I saw it is just the perfect board in my opinion. I did not unwrap it as I am going to gift it very soon so I ordered another board in rosewood. I thought walnut is going to be a bit pale and I wanted some darker brown. The seller says - its even more classic than walnut. ( he recently shipped it to me so rosewood is on the way ) 

Walnut & Mapple is all what you need. Its like having Mid-Century Scandinavian furniture in your home which will last for decades. 

I have bought from this seller and not only once! I recommend him without any further thought. 

Just take a look at the careful wrapping the board has. You can be sure 100% that the board will arrive without any marks or damages from the delivery trip, this is very important because many sellers don't care about this part.

This is the latest board I purchased:

The square size is 5.5cm (2inch).
All colors are from natural wood without any additional coloring.
It is made from wenge with chestnut for the squares and rosewood for the frame.

The feeling of the chessboard is very satisfying and smooth. You can feel the gentle texture but the pieces slide like a charm! 

Also keep in mind this is handmade from raw wood, no mass production or automated stuff.  

Nice boards @PTYRon and @stsaklidis! 

Drueke boards are hard to find but they are there on eBay. Most of the time it can be had for $300 and up (my memory of pricing might be a little off), but the condition is always an issue. I was lucky to find my Drueke 64 in good condition but it took awhile.

This Greece seller seems to make good boards so it is a good alternative to a vintage one, and there should be no condition issues with the boards from this seller.

Yes they are brand new and the quality is very good. Boards can be custom ordered on size colors etc, brand new not from any refactoring. 

I don't relay like drueke style but the wood is very solid.

I believe they will last for a lot of years.

I personally think that Drueke style is the best board on the world. With sloped edges it is so elegant and it does not look like ordinary block of wood with squares on it. It has character. And this craftsman from Greece done astonishing job recreating a perfect replica of it. In fact, I would not even consider it as replica at all because that diminishes his skills and work. To me it is original. I saw it in person and it vibrates. It is amazing battlefield for mind