How big should the squares be?

Most standard playing surfaces feature squares measuring between one and a half to two inches across. This provides enough room for typical nineteenth-century playing pieces to sit comfortably without crowding the board. Tournament sizes are larger, but domestic tables weren't built for professional matches.

I recently inherited a heavy wooden table with a chessboard on top, but the squares look painted on rather than made of different woods, so is that normal?

Painted chequerboards turn up on provincial pieces. Rural makers sometimes painted the squares directly onto a solid pine or elm top when they lacked the tools for intricate veneer work. These surfaces often wear away in the centre from decades of sliding pieces. While marquetry is more common on formal town furniture, a painted board remains a legitimate historic technique.

Do tables come with pieces?

Hardly ever. Sets get separated from their tables over the decades. You'll usually have to source pieces separately. Just check the base diameter fits within the squares.

My table has a chessboard section in the middle that slides right out, and underneath there is a deep empty space lined with faded red paper, what was this actually used for?

That void typically held a fabric workbag or small gaming accessories. Many Victorian tables served a dual purpose, functioning as a sewing table during the day and a games table in the evening. The sliding top allowed quick access to the storage well. Faded paper or silk linings are standard findings in these compartments, originally meant to protect delicate threads or expensive carved sets.

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Victorian Chess Tables

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Antique chess tables combine a flat playing surface inset with sixty-four contrasting squares alongside specific storage solutions for holding gaming pieces when they aren't in play.