My new board from Colorado Woodworker

So its kind of like my board if you swapped the border wood for the dark square wood and visa versa.  Similar shades overall but a completely different look.  The cherry works really well for contrasting with the ebony pieces.  

Yes.  I'm a stickler for contrast between the playing squares and the pieces.....as you are well aware by now!  I do like that Brazilian cherry for the dark squares, for that reason as well as the fact that it is a beautiful wood when paired against the maple...

forked -

FYI - Noting that you are in the market for a new set, it occurs to me that you might like to check out a set that I had purchased from HOS a couple of years ago.  The Collector II Series, Ebony and Boxwood pieces, 4 inch King.  I lucked out when they put it on sale for under $300 at the time...

https://www.houseofstaunton.com/the-collector-ii-series-luxury-chess-pieces-4-0-king.html

Thanks Russ, it caught my eye almost immediately once I glanced at this particular board on Etsy. When this thread and the thread Brad put up with the sale it was a no brainer. I'm glad Brad chose woods with high contrast and a nice slightly darker cherrywood with more pronounced wood grain showing for the construction of my chessboard. It's a real eye-catcher and will play well against most of my sets. I have another Drueke styled board from Brad but is much paler in composition nevertheless the quality is equally superb! I may hit that pale one with a light amber gel stain to deepen the hue on that one someday but for now extremely satisfied buying from Brad @ CWW. 

Yes that one has been on my radar...

A bit pricey compared to other options.  You got a great deal on it!  

 !!

Yes, I got very lucky with the price.  Note the slightly larger than average King base diameter - 1.8 inches - for the 4 in. King....I bought a board with 2.375 in. squares specifically to accommodate these pieces...(I don't care for crowded pieces on a chess board)....this is a massive set compared to the typical 4 in. King sets - one can't appreciate the fact from the pictures, you have to handle the set to appreciate the physical heft and weight of these pieces.  IMO, it's a special set that is a pleasure and treat to play with...especially in a casual evening game with friends, when you can savor the experience!

You definitely have good taste....I know you will have years of enjoyment playing on those fine boards!

Appreciative of the comments Russ. I really love the warm look of natural wood grained boards matched well with quality carved wood sets. It surely makes playing the game that much more enjoyable. Looking at a well matched chess set and board, like the finely crafted details on the grooves and the coved edge trim of this "Drueke't styled chessboard by Brad Borkowski, lends to invite you to participate in a match. IMHO.

I couldn't agree more...!

Yes I am, I have some walnut colored precut felt rounds that I attached to the bottom of the board as you have, forked. They are 1.5" in diameter and work well to protect any wood to wood or wood to glass surface. No need for paste wax for my board, I like the matte natural look of the wood contrast used here. Perhaps I'll apply a thin coat of oil not wax on a yearly basis or when it appears to look as if it is drying a bit, using a light coat of quality mineral oil instead of a wax. I'll cross that bridge when I arrive at that point in time. Good wood products should be well taken care of to get the most enjoyment out of them over time. 

May I ask where you purchases your felt rounds? And are they thick or thin/low-profile?

I found them on the same website as the board on Etsy. Here's the link of the shop. You'll have to scroll through the pages to find the right size of one and or of mixed color choices that are available in various quantities. The felts are thin, about the standard thickness that would be found underneath a quality felted chess piece. They are not self adhesive, you will need crafting or white glue to attach them. The link as follows:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/FlowerMeBoutique?ref=search_shop_redirect&page=1#items

https://www.etsy.com/listing/225168733/felt-circles-15-1-color-30pcs-craft?ref=shop_home_active_10&crt=1

Here is my reproduction Drueke board. It is 23" X 23" with 2.25" squared. The board is made out of Walnut and Ash. I decided to go with Ash instead of Maple. In my opinion Ash is a much better wood to contrast with Walnut. Has similar grain patterns and the yellowing of Ash is a much richer yellow color than what Maple is. With the chocolate brown color from Walnut along with the aging yellow from Ash is such an awesome combination. It was made by a local wood worker in my area.

I got mine at home depot.  They look pretty much identical to Q's.  I think I recall they have them in white, tan or dark brown, square or round of different dimentsions, and have a preapplied glue on the back covered with paper so that you just peel and stick.  

I agree the yellow ash does look nice.  

@KnightsForkCafe -

With all due respect....the photo of your board is very poor...fuzzy....can barely discern any details of the wood.....

My Drueke board which I purchased in 1989......2-1/4 inch squares .....pieces are GM Blitz set from ChessBazaar.....

Yeah it was a bit of a bad photo.

Hope this is a better picture. I have my Drueke 820.40 reproduction set on it from houseofchess.com.

The photo is a little better, but not by much...

Most poor photos are due to a combination of factors, the most common of which are 1) an unstable or "shaky" camera (i.e., a hand held camera which is moving, even if slightly, in the process of taking the photo and without image stabilization, in which case use a tripod to stabilize the camera; also try a faster shutter speed to reduce the image blurring due to camera movement and 2) improper lighting (use outdoor lighting, or if that's not possible or practical, use a light source that provides an outdoor lighting color temperature, such as a flash and/or "daylight" color temperature light bulbs (fluorescent or LED, not incandescent bulbs)).

More tips...

https://expertphotography.com/a-beginners-guide-to-photography/

https://expertphotography.com/take-sharper-photos-10-timeless-tips/

https://expertphotography.com/raw-vs-jpeg/