What chess board?

Hi

Coming back to chess later in life and I need a board!  I've got a lovely Lewis chessmen set and I need a board to go with it.  I've been surprised to see so many laminate boards around as opposed to wood.  I've also seen a number of damaged secondhand laminated boats for sale on Ebay from the likes of Regency.

My questions are twofold:

1. Are laminated boards better than wood?  If so how?

2.  There don't seem to be that many wooden boards around our am I looking in the wrong places?

3. Where should I be looking for a decent board to complement the chess set?

Oops...that's three questions!  Oh well....

Budget is flexible, say £70-£150 ish.

Cheers!

Despite the implications of some posts, here, quality solid wood chess boards are not prone to warping....here are a couple of examples...

You might check out ColoradoWoodWorker (Brad Borkowski) on ETSY.com (USA)....he makes custom solid wood chess boards. His prices are very reasonable....

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ColoradoWoodWorker

check out my CWW board here (posts #64-70)..

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/cb-gm-blitz-set?page=4

Another outstanding, quality solid wood chess board are those made by JLP. The exclusive distributor for these boards is ChessHouse (USA). JLP is a first-class, heirloom quality, solid wood board which, with proper care, should provide generations of chess-playing pleasure..

https://www.chesshouse.com/collections/jlp-hardwood-chess-boards

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/anyone-have-experience-with-jlp-chess-boards?page=1

Note the JLP boards are inspired by the legendary Drueke solid wood (maple & walnut) boards. I'm not certain if they are currently being manufactured. You can see my Drueke board here (purchased in 1989) , together with my newly acquired GM Blitz set from ChessBazaar (posts #33-36). Note that the lighting and camera settings were different between photos...

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/cb-gm-blitz-set?page=2

If you prefer to purchase a board from a chess retailer located in the UK, you might check out Official Staunton. They have received positive commentary in theChess.com forums...

https://www.officialstaunton.com/collections/chess-boards

Also FYI -

Chess Set Sizing - Pieces vs Board...

The primary sizing criteria for the pieces vs board is that of square size vs King base diameter...

A good rule of thumb is...

King base diameter = 0.75 * square size

or equivalently....

Square size = 1.33 * King base diameter

Any variation from these ratios, or the size of individual pieces and pawns, becomes a matter of personal preference...
https://blog.chesshouse.com/how-to-select-the-right-size-chessboard-for-pieces/

See also...
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/a-system-for-sizing-chess-pieces-and-boards-long

You might also want to consult the FIDE Manual, Sections 2 and 3 on equipment regulations...
https://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/Standards_of_Chess_Equipment_and_tournament_venue.pdf

Warping is caused by the existence of moisture within the wood. Kiln-drying removes 99.99% of the moisture content from the wood. If the moisture has been removed by kiln drying, it will not warp from that point on, assuming prudent care is taken to prevent re-introduction of the moisture. Manufactures of high-end chess boards know this. Cheap wood boards in many cases are not made with kiln-dried wood. Or are made with inadequately dried wood. Of course if one were to store any wood board in an high moisture, high humidity environment for a long enough period without taking steps to prevent incursion by moisture, it is possible that over time the board might absorb enough moisture to cause warping.

The boards in the photos of posts #4 and #6 are cheap, junk chess boards. They are examples of why it is prudent to purchase from a reputable manufacturer of quality boards such as Drueke, JLP etc. (Unless, of course whether or not the board eventually warps is not a priority for you).

You're wrong. The boards in your photos are cheap, poorly made junk.

I own eight solid wood chess boards. Including three Drueke boards. None of them are cheap junk. All are made by reputable manufacturers. The youngest of these boards is 15 years old. The oldest is my first Drueke board, which I purchased in 1989. None of the boards have warped. Of course, I know how to take care of them, and store them properly in a humidity-controlled environment (my home).

@#10 & #12 -

Wood can crack if it contains moisture (which all wood contains prior to being Kiln-dried), and/or if it is exposed to extremes of temperature and/or moisture and, finally, of course, if it is improperly manufactured and/or exposed to greater forces/stresses than it was designed and manufactured to withstand.

Curious to know the reason why, from your perspective, some of your boards have warped, while none of mine have), and some of your boards have not. Would you say it just a matter of luck, or simply random chance?

Warping doesn't happen for no reason....

End of story!

I am a fan of veneer boards from Rechapdos Ferrer. They are from Spain and you should be able to find them in UK or EU easily. Otherwise, there are others from Poland as well.

Check out Regency Chess website.

I own several dozen, quality guitars (no junk), half of them acoustic and the others electric. Including Taylor, Gibson and Martin (i.e., high-end) guitars. Of course, the wood used in their manufacture is Kiln-dried. I take proper care of them and store them in a humidity and temperature controlled room in my home. That is, they are not exposed to extremes of temperature or humidity. None of these guitars have warped. This not a matter of random chance. It is due to a proper, quality manufacturing process and the proper care that I give them.

You have clearly not read all of what I have said. Or are purposefully ignoring it. I'll spell it out, a final time for you.

Kiln drying is only the first step in warp prevention. It is why wood used for quality musical instruments, quality furniture and yes, quality chess boards, among other uses, is kiln-dried - to make if resistant, not necessarily impervious, to warping, which might be caused by other, external factors.

If you were to expose even kiln-dried wood to extremes of temperature, humidity and stresses/forces for a sufficient period of time, or a poor manufacturing process, then the wood could warp, crack etc., in spite of having been kiln-dried in the first place.

You have avoided answering my earlier questions - what is it that caused the chess boards in the photos you posted earlier to warp? Or was it a matter of pure luck and random chance?

From what I see from the photos of your warped chess boards, they are cheap, poorly made junk.

@DesperateKingWalk -

So your answer is that playing chess on the boards in your photos caused them to warp. That is, if you hadn't played chess on them they would not have warped. Uh-huh.

Returning to the OP,

1. Personal choice. Laminated wood and solid wood boards are two distinctly different objects. Research the differences before you buy. Also notice the veneer used, is it wood, plastic, or a composite material? I own only solid wood boards (just three) as that is my personal preference. They are three-five years old with no warpage, shrinking, or distortion. I made them myself with personally selected and properly aged woods. (Sugar Maple, Black Walnut, Purple Heart, Sapele) 
2. I just googled "solid wood chess boards" and found a plethora of sites. 
3. See posts 3, 5, 11, and 15. Good information in all of them.
Good luck!

Hi Barry and welcome back to chess. You appear to be in the UK/Europe - to which I only raise with envy - you are in the midst of such a rich source of vintage chess boards and pieces. 
I feel that Lewis chess pieces suit wooden boards best - perhaps matt or semi-gloss with muted grain characteristics so that the detail of the pieces stands out again a relatively plain background. But of course, highly figured wood can look good too - it’s all personal taste; each to their own.

If you have time and can wait - search the usual online channels and also flea markets and vintage stores - I imagine you’ll find some lovely boards to match with your Lewis pieces.

Of course, as mentioned above, there are some wonderful artisans making beautiful new boards too.

Here’s some pictures of my Lewis pieces on various different boards - hopefully that triggers some thoughts or inspiration for you. Whichever path you choose, enjoy the journey and perhaps you might find a couple of boards and you can swap the pieces and boards to play and display, over time.
Also depending on your colour - copper can look good too …not my style but my brother likes his set on this table.

Note that boards made of wood that are not kiln-dried will more easily/readily warp than boards that are not. So the first thing that one should look for in a board (assuming you are concerned about warping) is one that is made by a reputable manufacturer and made of wood that has been kiln-dried. Once that is done, ensuring attention to the other factors that I had mentioned would be prudent to further minimize the probability of it warping.

Initially I simply wanted to point out that the boards which @DesparateKingWalk had posted photos of that were warped were not only obviously cheap boards which are clearly poorly manufactured, but are also likely to be made of wood that had not been kiln-dried. That is, the primary reasons that they have warped are likely due not only to a lack of kiln-drying, but also to poor manufacturing and workmanship. And if they have been subjected to extremes of temperature, moisture, or external forces/stresses, that could and very likely would cause or contribute to warping as well..

So lack of kiln drying by itself is not the only factor that could cause or contribute to warping, but if the wood is not so treated, it would significantly increase its susceptibility to, and probability of warping.

@DesperateKingWalk -

You continue to distort what I have clearly explained above. I did not say that Kiln-drying prevents wood from warping. I said that if wood is not kiln-dried, that increases wood's susceptibility to, and probability of the wood warping.

I fully agree with all of @RussBell's assessments related to warping (especially when not taken out of context or altered). His remarks seem to be very rational and sensible.

I would like to add a couple of factors not yet mentioned, though I'm sure more can be added. 1) The type of finish/sealant of the board. This can be a factor as it relates to warping, and also affects durability and appearance. 2) There's also 'inlays', which I consider to be a middle ground between veneers and solid wood. Inlays of real wood that's fairly thick can have some benefits when done properly, and can be a good option too.

Nope, that's not what RussBell wrote.

Nope, don't agree with you either.