News

Solid Wood or Veneer: The Difference You Only Notice Later

They look the same in a photo — not after ten years. How to tell whether a chess board is genuinely solid wood or just veneered.

Caring for a Chess Board: What Wood Needs — and What Damages It

A solid wood board doesn't need much — but it genuinely needs what little it does. What never to do, how to oil it properly, and why air is the real enemy.

Patina: Why a Chess Board Gets More Beautiful With Age

After two years, the board's a different color — and that's a good thing. What patina is, how it differs from damage, and why you can't fake it.

Chess Board Wood Types: Walnut, Maple, and Boxwood Compared

Walnut, maple, boxwood, wenge: which wood defines which chess board — and why solid versus veneered matters more than any species.