Buying a chess board

Hi everyone,  
I'm planning to buy my first chessboard and want something that’s both functional for playing and stylish as a decorative piece. I'm particularly interested in marble or wooden designs but would love to hear your recommendations. Do you have any favorites or tips for choosing the perfect board? Thanks!

Hi
There are probably no perfect chess sets or even clocks. It's a matter of taste, size and where you want to play. Should they stand at home and you'll play with your family, or should you hang them on the wall, for example.

I like to have wooden chess sets and a wooden clock (old).

I make these chess sets myself:

To sum up. See what you like and where you'll play them (do you have to hide them in a drawer after the game or will they have a permanent place).
For traditional chess, " Stauton shape" is good standard
Best 
Michal from ChessboArt hanging chess

Thanks for the advice @ChessboArt. Your chess boards look amazing!

Congrats! Sounds like a very nice combination but it really is just the beginning...

(You could post the HoS links if you want - we're always curious how the glamour-shot web site antiquing photos compare to the as-delivered sets.)

I can warmly and wholeheartedly recommend SakisTsiogkasWood if you want something that lasts for the rest of your life, is beautiful and is an incredibly good deal (at least within the EU since they are located in Greece). You may also consider ColoradoWoodworker from the US. I saw quite a few of his boards online and they look very good.

Here is my customized solid wood board from SGW (270€ in total, 50€ shipping to Germany):

From Switzerland you’ll have to factor in shipping, but certainly if you choose to acquire a solid wood board, SakisTsiogkasWood and Colorado Woodworker (Brad Borkowski) should be among the top options. With both you can discuss your preferences before purchase.

Solid wood requires some attention to storage (vertical, not flat) and changes in temperature/humidity. Veneer boards like the famous Spanish RechapadosFerrer ones and Polish ones from Sunrise Chess won’t warp.

I reccomend a wooden one

Excellent selection OP. The one thing I would say is that chess sets and boards are a lot bigger in person. But if you have a dedicated space and are additionally using it as a decorative piece then 4.4 should look great.

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thanks for all these answers!