How to Build a Chess Table

Cut a piece of wood measuring 20" x 30". Sand down the top and edges to avoid any slivers or splinters that can be caused by touching rough wood.

Use a pencil and straight-edged ruler to draw squares on the table. Each square should be 2.25" high and wide. Make eight rows and eight columns of these squares for a total of 64.

Cut grooves along the pencil lines with a hacksaw blade. The grooves should be about 1/8" thick. Doing this will reduce sliding of the chess pieces.

Sand the top of the table again to prepare it for staining.

Cut the legs for the table so they are 2 inches thick and 16 inches tall. That will make for a sturdy table.

Use a walnut stain for the light squares, and a mahogany color stain for the darker squares. Alternate colors. For instance, make one square dark and the next light, followed by another dark square. Only stain the squares of the game board and not the table itself.

Use a screwdriver to securely fasten the screws from the legs to the table top.

Let the table dry, and you are ready to play.