What do you like in a Chess Board?
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Those boards are stunning! The link in your post doesn’t work. The biggest thing for me right now is square size. 2 inches is a little small, and 2.25 is a little too big. I find 55cm to be the sweet spot. Then there are a million conservations/details. But square size is #1 for me.
Oct 24, 2022
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#3
Thank you Krames for pointing out the broken link - I got it fixed.
Glad you like the boards. The 55 mm suggestion is a good one. That comes out to 2.165 inches which sounds like a good sweet spot between the 2" and the 2-1/4" tournament size. I will definitely keep that in mind for the next boards I build.
Appreciate your feedback!
-Tim
Oct 24, 2022
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#4
For me, personally, I prefer 55mm boards as well (almost impossible to find in the US!), walnut and maple, with as little ornamentation as possible.
I lean more to flat boards than elevated, like in your photos, and appreciate the classic Drueke style with relief cuts.
Something missing in the market is a modern version of this, in walnut and maple. It’s the classic Jacques board, with a raised edge (not raised playing surface).
53mm raised framed board hear hear
Raised frame is also my preference at the moment. Not a wide frame, I prefer the overall dimension of the board to be on the smaller side. I had a beautiful custom one made, but that was before I was sure about 55cm. A simple, classy, raised frame, 55mm square board would be great offer.
of al the strangest posts ive ever read, of all the weirdest questions ive ever seen asked, this, is one of them. not this, this is a statement typed out like this, but the question in the OP.
MCH818 wrote:
I agree with VBerriz. The raised frame boards I think in general are missing in the market especially the US. I was lucky enough to find a used one online but these always come in small sizes. Mine is a 51 mm. 53 to 55 mm would be great!
well why not buy a 53 or a 55? stop sitting on ur arse and gazing all worebegone at your 51 mm. not that 2 mm would make much of a difference, all in all.
I also agree with VBerriz.
Oct 26, 2022
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#11
The boards shown are absolutely beautiful....From a purely personal standpoint,I like a nice platform board,though I have two flat ones and only one platform type.....So many nice choices around.
Oct 26, 2022
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#12
The best board I have is the next butterfly wing Chessboard made in Brazil in the 1930s . . .
My other one needs legs . . .
I have a dozen more club vynil sets . .
Oct 27, 2022
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#13
I agree with VBerriz too. I realise I'm not really adding anything to the conversation here but I'm just trying to join in. Here is a picture of what looks like the ultimate board to me:
But if you go down the route of making boards in this old style, please don't "antique" them artificially!
Oct 27, 2022
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#14
MCH818 wrote:
Very nice photo Matt! It looks beautiful. And I agree with not artificially antiquing it.
It's not mine 
. Just a picture I found on the interweb.
Oct 27, 2022
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#15
It's lovely though, isn't it? I'm guessing walnut and maple with a mahogany border?
Judging by the pictures on @Timo1177's website the OP would have the skill to produce something similar if they put their mind to it I think.
I would note that some folks are particular about the direction of the wood grain. Some prefer it along the direction the pawns would advance, others prefer it perpendicular to that direction. Just one consideration you might ask a customer when they order a board.
IpswichMatt wrote:
It's lovely though, isn't it? I'm guessing walnut and maple with a mahogany border?
Judging by the pictures on @Timo1177's website the OP would have the skill to produce something similar if they put their mind to it I think.
This side of the water , I like this board , Still it's not cheap ,
Timo1177 wrote:
If you're going to buy a chess board to showcase at home, I'm curious what would you look for? Strong contrast of the squares, frame size, sturdiness, natural wood, etc? I appreciate your feedback because I make chess products. You can see my offerings at Falling Leaf Chess. Here's a few pictures of my latest finished projects.
I love natural wood. Because of my age I prefer strong contrast between the light and dark squares so they are easier on my eyes. And, most important of all for me personally, I must have the annotation letters and numbers printed on the board in a font that is big enough to see easily.
Oct 27, 2022
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#19
My tastes are all over the place, which is one of the reasons I've become a collector/hoarder rather than just having one great set. Most of the time, for a display board, I would say a large (55+mm) wooden board, with a substantial but not overpowering frame. And of a kind of heft that you could use it to beat a dog to death.
In terms of the specifics, that's going to vary. My current "best" board is the Italfama briarwood/elm board, which is beautiful, but I am equally partial to other colour combinations. In an ideal world it'd be solid wood, but that's a question of price as much as anything.
For a display board, I don't mind an absence of notation. For an analysis board or one that's going to get used for moderately serious play (i.e. with recorded moves) notation would be preferable.
I am however also partial to stone (marble/alabaster) boards and I was seriously tempted by a number that I saw in Volterra a couple of years ago.
Nov 3, 2022
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#20
My thanks for all the responses and input. Very enlightening. Based on the comments, particularly @VBerriz and @MCH818, I have built my first reproduction of the classic Jaques board. The recessed squares are 55 mm and made with African Wenge and Hard Rock Maple for optimal contrast. The board measures 20" square (50.8 cm), 1" high, and 1-1/4" frame. As always, you can view more details at Falling Leaf Chess. Thanks for your time!
If you're going to buy a chess board to showcase at home, I'm curious what would you look for? Strong contrast of the squares, frame size, sturdiness, natural wood, etc? I appreciate your feedback because I make chess products. You can see my offerings at Falling Leaf Chess. Here's a few pictures of my latest finished projects.