Custom Chess Boards

[Mark B]

I had these chess boards made to my specifications a couple of years ago. I'm nuts about beautiful wood!

Board 1:
Square Size: 2 1/2"
Light squares: Maple Burl
Dark squares: Gaboon Ebony
Delimiter: Argentine Brown Ebony
Border: Cocobolo
Trim: Maple Burl
Corners: Cocobolo
Bottom: Cocobolo panel

Board 2:
Square Size: 2 1/2"
Light squares: Birdseye Maple
Dark squares: Amboyna Burl
Delimiters: Argentine Brown Ebony and Gaboon Ebony
Border: Argentine Brown Ebony
Trim: Birdseye Maple
Corners: Argentine Brown Ebony
Bottom: Argentine Brown Ebony panel

 

[Mark B]

View of the solid bottom panels:

 

[Wireworm5]

Nice, I prefer the black squared board. I have a some root wood for making smoking pipes, which I never got around to carving. This wood would be good for making a custom chess set with. I was working on a custom design but never followed through on the idea. I need to purchase a Dremel tool as well.
I'm not one for fancy chess sets, I prefer just a plain Stanton style used in those tube chess sets. A custom design I was thinking of however would be squarish rather than round and maybe too difficult to make if I got requests to make more and go into production.
Do you have a chess rating or an approximate rating. Maybe we could have a game to raise money for AK. I haven't played chess though in 3 years, but it wouldn't take long to brush up if there was lets say a new set of speakers up for grabs.

 

[Dave918]

Both are drop dead gorgeous! :yes: :thmbsp:

-dave

 

[dingus]

i remember those. my record is 1-1-1 on one of them.

 

[Mark B]

I also prefer the Staunton design Ww5. I've got a House of Staunton Collector series tournament ebony set. Here's a pic from the HOS web site (www.houseofstaunton.com):

 

[Mark B]

As for playing a game, I only play FTF, and don't play for money, food or speakers. My skill level - I'd say a couple of notches above duffer. That sound about right to you dingus?

 

[steve gibson]

Those are beautiful. A lot of painstaking work went into those.

 

[Mark B]

Those are beautiful. A lot of painstaking work went into those.

SG, you're right about the fine craftsmanship. They are stunning from top to bottom, and the proportions are the best I've seen. This was a once in a lifetime purchase (as were the boards) so I ordered the chess set with gold embossed leather pads instead of the standard green billiard cloth.

 

[dingus]

My skill level - I'd say a couple of notches above duffer

if thats accurate it doesnt make me feel too good about my abilities.

 

[Mark B]

Hey I said a COUPLE of notches above duffer (list is in lowest to highest order):

* duffer
* promising nincompoop
* talented idiot <====

What's there to feel bad about?

 

[dingus]

What's there to feel bad about?

* jr. pawn grabber
* hack
* duffer
* promising nincompoop
* talented idiot

 

[Mark B]

Edited my previous post - added "(list is in lowest to highest order)"

 

[dingus]

ok, so we're both pretty talented then.

 

[Mark B]

Birdseye Maple & Amboyna Burl board:

 

[Mark B]

Another view:

 

[Mark B]

And another:

 

[Mark B]

Gaboon Ebony & Maple Burl board:

 

[Mark B]

Another view: