Where can I get a nice chess board?

Pics in a new thread and impressions please Salcero. Gratz

Two beauties Sal. 

This thread is just fine and the impressions speak for themselves. 

very nice boards,

could you tell us how much you paid?

They're both custom made so the price is premium. The 1st was @ $360 the second a little higher @ $420. If you go to the HOS or The Chess store you'll see boards of this catagory go north of $500 and the Luxury classes go north of $1000. I think 2 boards of this quality for under $800 is a good deal but then again it may not be in some's monetary spending budget. What can I say I love the game that much. Some have much more expensive hobbbies but I can say this is about the most I splurge when it comes to chess. My pieces range in the $100-$400 area but nothing above that amount and I'm quite pleased with my inventoy of both plastic and wood chess sets.

I just saw your response, thanks a lot for the info, the prices seem reasonable and in due time I may go for a similar board.

Thanks again

By the way Aristotele, the company that made my board is called MTM wood.com. There is a chessboard catagory on the site and you could choose from there or request a custom order in the woods of your choice and the size squares you would prefer. I believe his largest square size is 2.36" and the owner's name is Andrei Muntian. Hope this helps you.

Thanks salcero,

I just had a look at the site, prices seem a bit higher than what you paid but quality seems very good.

You will be extremly pleased his work is top notch. I have a second board being constructed for me that will resemble perhaps a near match of this board that the Summerville New England offers for $817 with 2.25" squares. The owner of the company guarantees his boards will never warp over the next 10-20 years or more. I highly trust Andrei's work that it will not warp. The second photo is the first board Andrei made for me and this thing is a beast, a tank of a board. I highly doubt this thing will warp and at $360 I think it's a bargain. Bear in mind I'm one of the first people who ordered his boards which I believe he started constructing this year and is only getting better with time. He has noticed the demand and because it takes a while to make his boards (end grain woods and longer construction time) he has raised his prices a bit but still way under the $817 price tag and better other luxury chess board companies charge. Go with MTM wood Andrei will not disappoint you.

Salcero1 ,

The summervile board in your post is what Andrei made for me , I was the first person to order that board from him.

I saw videos of the cutting boards he makes and I could see what an artist he is. I mean those 3D cutting boards are way more complicated to make than any chessboard. So I was convinced he would be able to make the best chessboards.

Yes BKT and my board will look like the one in the picture as well with the ebony delimiter. A beautiful contrasting perimeter. The man does make impressive boards,no doubt, it's the reason I ordered a second without a single thought or hesitation. I'd figured to receive my package at the end of October.

I just received my board today.

I'll post pics soon.

The House of Staunton provides high-quality mass production items. I do agree with those who suggest the Drueke board. In fact, one of Drueke's family members is producing them again in small quantities. They are listed on eBay for various sizes. The 23" board is listed for $200. Food for thought.

Cheers.

I agree about the HOS boards. I got one of their laminated ones when I got my set and I like it so much I may get another. I like how you can choose notation or not. Mine was 50 bucks, they had one on sale for about 30 bucks. I wanted the smaller size which limited my choices.

mtmwood.com 2.36" Black Walnut and Hard Maple. This is a solid board it weighs 20 pounds. It has a satin smooth finish. Overall this is the best board I have ever seen and I believe the $390 price tag is very reasonable for a board of this quality.

Black_Knight_Tango wrote:

mtmwood.com 2.36" Black Walnut and Hard Maple. This is a solid board it weighs 20 pounds. It has a satin smooth finish. Overall this is the best board I have ever seen and I believe the $390 price tag is very reasonable for a board of this quality.

That is one gorgeous board B_K_T! I had Andrei make me a board of Walnut, Ash and Ebony with shipping it set me back $490 but well worth it. It's my second from him but this time around I asked for engraving but with a matte finish. High gloss tends to give me headaches after staring at the board for a while while playing regular untimed games. His work is worth every nickel to it that's for sure! Same square size as well 2.36" which is perfect for most of my sets that range in the 4.0" King size.

A beautiful board, Salcero. I am fascinated by the construction revealed by your shot of the bottom. If you get a chance, please post some pictures of your different sets in action on it. Many thanks for sharing!

OK I'm supposed to be receiving this board by mid-November late November the latest I'll display some of my sets then on the board to give it a better perception of how they will look on the playing surface.

Dovetail Artistry over at Etsy just posted this. I have one of their borderless boards that I really enjoy.