Chess Boards

Chess Boards

Chess boards come in many sizes, colours, styles, and materials. It can make finding the right chess board to match your piece or your style difficult.

Guide To Chess Boards

When you are looking to buy a new chess board, whether it is to replace an old one or to complement your custom set, you should start by considering how you will use the board. 

Is it for travel? Is it decorative? Or will you use your chess board for tournaments and club events?

Once you know the answer to these questions, you can start to narrow down the options available to you when looking for a new chess board.

Types Of Chess Boards

The next step is to consider the different types of chess boards and which will be more suitable for you.

Decorative chess boards are often modern collectables and can vary in size and be for outdoor décor as well. 

Practical chess boards are designed for everyday use and are usually of better quality so that they can endure usage on a daily basis. 

Thematic chess boards are often more for fun and are a collector’s item displaying various themes such as war, history, etc.

Standard Chess Board 

You might want to look at the very practical, magnetic chess board. These boards are usually available in different sized sets of three or four variables. The boards are typically made of wood. You can use this magnetic material to hold the pieces of the game while you play. 

Or you might want to invest in a luxury chess board that will stand the test of time and be something special. At Official Staunton, our luxury chess boards are manufactured in Italy by Master Craftsmen. We are the exclusive UK distributor for the renown Italian chess boards manufacturer Giglio Asla. We are proud to offer these superbly crafted chessboards that are simply beautifully made and make a fantastic centrepiece and the perfect platform to display your chess set. 

How Much Is A Chess Board?

You should consider the quality and cost of the material when shopping for chess boards. Some materials will be more expensive than others and some brands will be more expensive due to the quality of the craftsmanship.

If you want an every-day chess board to replace an old board from a set, you might want a less expensive option so that you aren’t worried about using it. But if you want a decorative board that will have pride of place in your home office then you might want to choose a more expensive chessboard made from high quality material.

What Is A Standard Chess Board?

When choosing a chess board, you need to consider whether you will be using it privately or during tournaments. 

A standard chess board has 64 squares and features a grid reference that enables the chess game moves to be recorded. Chess boards can be made and used in a range of styles and sizes. However, a regulation tournament chess board should be 19 inches. This size and standard is also the preference of Chess Clubs and Scholastic events

A Chess Board To Match Your Pieces

Anyone looking to buy a chess board will likely understand just how difficult it is to find the perfect size for their pieces, since chess board square sizes fluctuate considerably. But size really does matter when it comes to chess.

The general rule of matching your chess board with your pieces, is that the pieces remain smaller than the squares of the chess board. Your pieces should never overlap over the squares of the chess board. Read our full article on choosing the right size chess board to match your pieces for more information. 

‎How To Set Up A Chess Board 

Once you have your chess board and pieces, you will need to know how to set up your pieces on the right places on the board

1. White on the Right
   Start with the white squares on the bottom right of the board
2. Get Your Pawns In A Row
   Set out your pawns next to each other on the second row
3. Castle Barricades Up
   Set your castles (or rooks) in either corner of the first row
4. Knights In The Castle
   Set your knights next to either castle on the first row
5. Stinking Bishops
   Set your bishops next to your knights on the first row
6. Match The Queen’s Outfit
   Set your queen on the square of the same colour as her next to the bishop
7. King Follows Suit
   Set you king in the last square on the first row
8. Whites Move First
   The white suit pieces move first to start play

For information about how to set up a chess board correctly, read our guide on setting up a chessboard.