Chess Glossary
44 technical terms around chess boards, pieces and wood – each explained in two or three sentences. Where a fuller explanation exists, a link leads straight to it.
Piece standards
What is the felt base for?
The felt under the base protects the board from scratches and lets the piece glide silently. Felt set cleanly into the base rather than glued on counts as a mark of quality.
What is king height?
King height is the height of the tallest piece in a set. Tournament sets are usually 95 to 105 mm.
Why does the knight matter so much?
The knight is the only piece that is not rotationally symmetrical, so it has to be carved. Mane, eyes and nostrils therefore reveal faster than any other piece how much handwork went into a set.
→ Spotting handwork versus mass production
What is a lead weight in chess pieces?
A lead weight is a metal insert in the base of a chess piece. It lowers the centre of gravity so the piece stays upright during play. Lead-free substitute alloys are common today.
→ Weighting explained in detail
What belongs to a set of chess pieces?
A piece set comprises 32 pieces, 16 per colour. With two spare queens it comes to 34. What matters when buying is king height, base diameter and weighting.
→ What to look for when buying
Why do you need a spare queen?
The spare queen replaces a promoted pawn. Complete sets therefore contain 34 pieces instead of 32, with one extra queen per colour.
What does Staunton design mean?
The Staunton design is the worldwide standard for chess pieces. It was designed in 1849 by Nathaniel Cook and named after the chess player Howard Staunton. Tournaments require it.
What does wood turning mean?
Turning is shaping wood on a lathe. Rotationally symmetrical pieces such as the pawn, rook and queen are made this way; the knight, by contrast, is carved.
→ Machine and hand in production
What are weighted chess pieces?
Weighted pieces carry a metal weight in the base. In tournament sets pieces are usually weighted so they do not tip over during play. A common rule of thumb puts the base diameter at 40 to 50 percent of piece height.
Board and measurements
What is the border on a chess board?
The border is the frame around the 64 squares. It usually carries the coordinates and explains why outer dimension and playing surface differ.
What is a chess casket?
A chess casket is a board with an integrated compartment for the pieces. Board and set stay together without a separate box.
What are coordinates on a chess board?
Coordinates are the letters a to h and the numbers 1 to 8 along the edge of the board. Without them a game can neither be recorded nor replayed.
→ Checklist for competition sets
What is a folding board?
A folding board closes in the middle and doubles as storage for the pieces. The hinge is its most vulnerable point.
What is an inlay?
In an inlay, woods are set into the surface rather than printed on or veneered. On a chess board the squares are formed from solid inlaid pieces.
What is the outer dimension of a chess board?
The outer dimension covers the playing surface plus the border. On its own it says nothing about square size.
What is the playing surface?
The playing surface is the field of 8 × 8 squares without the border. At 50 mm square size it measures 40 × 40 cm.
What is square size?
Square size is the edge length of a single square. The rule of thumb is: square size = king height × 0.55.
Wood species
What characterises birch?
Birch is pale, evenly grained and comparatively affordable. It is softer than maple and is therefore used for boards rather than pieces.
Why is boxwood the standard wood for pieces?
Boxwood is very dense and fine-pored. It can be turned and carved precisely without chipping. For the dark side it is often stained.
What is ebony?
Ebony is a deep black, very dense tropical wood and the classic material for the dark pieces. It is rare, expensive and difficult to source responsibly.
What separates hardwood from softwood?
The classification follows botanical origin: conifers yield softwood, broadleaf trees yield hardwood. In practice hardwood is usually denser and more pressure-resistant too.
→ Hardwood and softwood compared
What characterises mahogany?
Mahogany is a dense hardwood with a warm, reddish-brown tone and fine grain. Under light exposure it darkens over the years.
What is maple used for in chess sets?
Maple is a pale, fine-pored hardwood. It is the classic partner for the light squares because it creates contrast without drawing attention to itself.
What is rosewood?
Rosewood is a dense tropical wood with a reddish-brown to violet tone and pronounced grain. Its trade is regulated under species protection law.
What is sheesham?
Sheesham is Indian rosewood, botanically Dalbergia sissoo, mid-brown and dense. It counts as an available alternative to rarer rosewood species.
What is the difference between veneer and solid wood?
Veneer is a thin layer of wood on a carrier material. Solid wood consists of one wood species all the way through. Veneer can lift at the edges.
What is walnut used for?
Walnut is dark brown, dense and dimensionally stable. On a chess board it is mostly used for the dark squares and the frame.
Wood properties
What is wood grain?
Grain is the visible pattern of annual rings and fibres. It turns out differently on every piece and cannot be reproduced.
Why does wood crack in dry air?
At low humidity wood releases moisture and shrinks. Where this creates tension, fine cracks appear. The heating season is the critical period.
What does a lacquer finish do?
A lacquer lays a closed film on top of the wood. It protects well, but scratches are harder to repair than with an oil finish.
What is an oil finish?
With an oil finish the oil penetrates the wood instead of forming a film on top. The surface stays matte and can be re-oiled in places.
What is patina on wood?
Patina is the natural change of the surface through light, air and use. Pale woods darken, dark woods grow warmer in tone.
Tournament
What makes a competition set?
A competition set meets the federation guidelines: Staunton pieces, weighted bases, coordinates along the edge of the board and a matte, glare-free surface.
→ Checklist for competition sets
What is the DSB?
The German Chess Federation is the national governing body. For tournament equipment it cites a guide figure of 58 mm square size with a 95 mm king.
What is FIDE?
FIDE is the World Chess Federation. For tournaments it recommends Staunton pieces, squares of 5 to 6 cm and a king of around 9.5 cm.
What are tournament dimensions?
Tournament dimensions are the proportions recommended by the federations: base diameter 40 to 50 percent of piece height, base around 75 to 80 percent of square size.
→ Tournament standards from DSB and FIDE
What counts as tournament size?
Tournament size means boards with 50 to 58 mm squares and pieces with a king height of 95 to 105 mm.
→ Tournament standards from DSB and FIDE
Formats
What is a demonstration board?
A demonstration board is a vertically mounted board with flat pieces. It makes a game visible to spectators in teaching and at tournaments.
What is magnetic chess?
In magnetic chess, magnets in the piece and the board hold the position in place. The advantage shows while travelling; the price is a smaller format and less piece weight.
→ When magnetic chess makes sense
What is a travel chess set?
A travel chess set is a reduced-size set, usually folding or magnetic. Square sizes are typically below 35 mm.
Personalisation
What is laser engraving?
In laser engraving a laser beam burns lettering or a motif into the wood surface. The engraving sits in the material and cannot be rubbed off.
→ Personalisation with engraving
What is a metal plaque?
A metal plaque is an inset plate, usually brass, carrying a dedication or a date. It is used as an alternative to engraving.
Making
What does handwork mean in a chess set?
Handwork means the decisive steps such as carving, sanding and finishing are carried out by hand. Machines usually only take on the preparatory work.
What is a one-of-a-kind piece?
A one-of-a-kind piece is a single, unrepeated item. With wood this happens inevitably: grain and tone differ on every board, even with identical construction.