Beautifully hand crafted in Italy. Superb quality. 23.6 inch (60 cm) luxury board. 2.36 inch (60 mm) playing squares. Ideal for a king height of 4.25 inches (108 mm). George Orwell once said, “A thing which I regret, and which I will try to remedy some time, is that I have never in my life planted a walnut.” Swirling walnut burl A keen chess player, Orwell may have never planted a walnut tree but luckily conservationists, particularly in North America, have ensured that the tree is healthily stocked. A fact we are thankful for here at Regency Chess, not least because the swirling wood grain is used to make some of the most outstanding chess boards we have ever seen. The natural beauty of these trees, which can live for more than 300 years, is instantly clear on our Dark Walnut Burl Luxury Chess Board. The natural patterning catches the eye immediately on this Italian made chess board. Our partner craftsmen in Florence, in the ITALFAMA workshops, hand make every single one, carefully placing together pieces of stunning dark walnut to create a breathtaking luxury chess board. In reality this chess board is an ornamental piece as much as a playing surface, a work of art as much as a practical component. An artisan\'s creation The canvas for this natural masterpiece, it must be noted, is a large one at 23 inches, and substantial chess pieces complement it best. With this in mind the product team here at Regency Chess have matched it with a set of exquisite rosewood chessmen to make The Garvi Luxury Rosewood and Walnut Grand Chess Set. The Garvi Rosewood Chessmen fit the bill in terms of size but it was equally important to select a set of chess pieces that could hold their own aesthetically with this board. There are few other pieces that can do so, although our Luxury Chess Piece range does have a few that meet all of the requirements.