To care for a wooden chessboard, it is enough to dust the pieces and the board with a soft, dry cloth, to apply a thin coat of wax from time to time on waxed or oiled woods, and to keep the set in a room with stable humidity, away from the sun and radiators. Never use water in quantity or household cleaning products.
Caring for a wooden chessboard: the basics
- Dust regularly with a microfibre cloth or a soft brush for the mouldings and the knights’ manes.
- Wash your hands before playing: grease from the fingers eventually dulls the finishes and grubs up pale woods.
- Never wet: a barely damp cloth is the maximum, followed by immediate drying.
- Ban household products, silicone-based sprays and alcohol, which attack varnishes and waxes.
- Store the pieces in a compartmented box rather than loose, to avoid knocks between them.
Identify the finish before acting
A varnished wood and a waxed wood are not cared for in the same way. Do the discreet water-drop test under the base of a piece: if it beads, the surface is varnished or lacquered; if it spreads and darkens the wood, it is waxed or oiled.
| Finish | Look | Routine care | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varnish or lacquer | Protective film, satin or glossy | Dry cloth; nothing else | Wax in a thick coat, abrasives |
| Wax | Matt or satin, soft to the touch | A thin coat of beeswax from time to time, buffed with a woollen cloth | Water, solvents |
| Oil | Matt, “fed” wood | A few drops of suitable oil, excess wiped off completely | Leaving excess sticky oil |
| Raw wood or polished ebony | Natural shine | Dry cloth, buffing | Stains, coloured products |
Beeswax and linseed oil: how to go about it
On a waxed finish, a colourless beeswax or microcrystalline wax, applied in a very thin coat with a cloth and buffed after a few minutes, revives the colour and protects against dust. Once or twice a year is enough for a set in regular use. On an oiled finish, de-greased linseed oil or a special wood oil is applied in the same way, carefully wiping off the excess: excess oil turns tacky. Beware: cloths soaked in linseed oil can ignite spontaneously as they dry; let them dry flat, outdoors, before throwing them away.
On ebonised black pieces, test the wax on the base first: some coloured or solvent-based waxes can lift a little of the stain.
Humidity, the first factor in lifespan
- Hygrometry
- The relative humidity of the air, expressed as a percentage. Wood constantly exchanges water with the air: it swells when the air is humid and shrinks when it is dry.
It is commonly recommended to keep wooden objects at a relative humidity of between 40 and 60%. Below that, the wood shrinks: solid boards crack, veneers lift, ebonies split. Above it, the wood swells, the joints move and finishes can bloom white. Sudden swings are even more dangerous than extreme values: a set that goes from a cellar to a heated drawing room, or that sits above a radiator, suffers more than one left in a slightly dry but stable room. A small hygrometer helps to monitor the room in winter.
Direct sun, finally, fades woods: rosewood and padauk darken or shift in colour, maple yellows. Place the set away from south-facing windows.
Replacing the felt
- Peel off the old felt with a thin blade, without cutting into the wood or the weight.
- Clean the base: remove the glue residue by light sanding.
- Cut the new felt slightly larger than the base, or use self-adhesive discs of the right diameter.
- Glue with fabric glue or PVA glue in a thin coat, pressing for a few minutes.
- Trim with a craft knife or scissors, flush with the base.
Take the opportunity to check that the weight is firmly fixed (see weighting). A weight that moves is easily reglued before fitting the felt.
What should you do if the chessboard cracks?
A fine crack in a solid board is often a sign of air that is too dry. Start by bringing the board back into a more humid, stable environment: the crack sometimes closes partly. A stabilised crack can then be filled with tinted wood filler, hard restoration wax or a fine strip of wood glued in. A lifting veneer is reglued with PVA glue, under light pressure, protecting the surface. For an antique or valuable board, entrust the repair to a furniture restorer rather than risk damaging the veneer. The differences between solid and veneer are set out on our page on chessboard woods.
Storing a chess set
The best storage is a box with compartments lined with felt or velvet, one slot per piece, which stops the pieces from knocking together in transit. Store it flat, in a living room rather than in the loft or the cellar. Le Palais des Échecs offers storage boxes for chess pieces in several sizes, to be chosen according to the height of your king (see sizes).
Frequently asked questions
How do you clean wooden chess pieces?
With a soft, dry cloth, and a brush for the mouldings. If they are greasy, a barely damp cloth followed by immediate drying is enough. A thin coat of wax, on waxed finishes only, then revives the wood.
What should you do if the chessboard cracks?
Put it in a room with stable humidity (between 40 and 60% or so), wait for the wood to settle, then fill the crack with wood filler or restoration wax. A valuable board should be entrusted to a furniture restorer.
Should you wax a varnished chessboard?
No. The varnish already forms a protective film; a simple dry cloth is enough. Wax applied over varnish can leave greasy marks.
Further reading
- Chess piece woodsThe species compared: colour, density, hardness and CITES.
- Chessboard woodsMaple, walnut, mahogany, marquetry and veneer.
- WeightingLead, zinc, steel, double weighting and felt.