White vs. Red

Padauk, bubinga, redheart, and satine are all very red woods. I've seen padauk that looks like it's been dyed red. 

A couple of Padauk boards from House of Staunton:

http://www.houseofstaunton.com/boards/PadaukWL.JPG

http://www.houseofstaunton.com/boards/PadoukHolly.jpg

Peices here:

http://www.houseofstaunton.com/Store/category=%20&exact_match=on&keywords=Wooden%20Series%20Chess%20Set

Just don't get any rosewood pieces. They look terrible.

I was little sleepy, so I thought we play as white vs NM Reb.

Makes sense.

 Typical Indian rosewood isn't worth the effort. Usually a dull brown with tones of gray, and the dark striping. On the other hand I have seen beautiful examples of Brazilian rosewood. A rich brown with reddish tones.

On the other hand I have seen beautiful examples of Brazilian rosewood. A rich brown with reddish tones.

I agree completely. I have the HOS Grandmaster set in the dark rosewood, and it's gorgeous. The so-called "golden rosewood" a.k.a. sheesham wood is a somewhat excremental color and seems somewhat more open grained, making for cheap, inferior looking pieces.

I have a sheesham set. It has some of the good qualities of rosewood but is softer and generally inferior. I have used it for blitz and tournament play, and it's a high class set for those uses.

Compared to the ultra crappy "French Wood" set I got in the 70s from the USCF, it is a work of art. The standard has certainly risen.

Ebony uber alles.

Well... at least uber rosewood.

Hmmm, then--as is not abnormal--I am confused.  P'raps we just differ on what we classify as red.

Much better than splitting elm though, isn't it!?

Hmmm, then--as is not abnormal--I am confused.  P'raps we just differ on what we classify as red.

The soil a tree is grown in can have some affect on the color of the wood, but I've never seen any oak anywhere, whether raw or made into furniture or other items, that I'd classify as anything near red without some stain or colored varnish. Cherry I can see, especially raw, but even that isn't much more than a reddish brown once it's got any age or exposure.

Much better than splitting elm though, isn't it!?

I've had some elm that was straight grained and split like a dream. Other trees were stringy and a pain to split. In fact I have some of that left to get ready for this winter. Got the mulberry done. That stuff is almost fun, even dripping wet. There's a wierd wood -- screaming yellow when first split, but quickly turning red-brown with exposure.

Bur Oak wrote: "I've never seen any oak anywhere, whether raw or made into furniture or other items, that I'd classify as anything near red without some stain or colored varnish."

I can see it now:  you and me standing in my woodyard, you leaning on the handle of a maul, looking skeptical, me squatting down by a piece of freshly split red oak, with a split piece of ash, elm, white oak, poplar laying nearby.

Me, pointing at the red oak, "See, it's red!  Look at those other pieces of wood right beside it, then tell me it's not red."

You, chewing morosely on a piece of timothy, "Naw.  That ain't red."  Plunging the maul into my skull, "Now, that's red!"

I know this is a bit late. (I decided to see your posts after you commented on mine.) But I have seen one. My teacher has one and is played on a black and red board. The pieces are based on Ancient China. Hope this helps. Also, he's never beaten me in a game of chess.

Vincent

Can there be a set where you use the blue pieces as if they are white and the red pieces as if they are black?

What type of wood is "blood rosewood" - is it naturally so red or enhanced with some kind of stain?  Example:

http://www.deluxechesssets.com/files/2933582/uploaded/menwcol375-7.jpg