What is the green cloth on card tables called?

It is called baize. This is a coarse woven woollen cloth. Playing cards slide easily across the tight weave. You will find it in green, red, or sometimes blue on most antique games tables.

My grandmother left us a folding table that has a chess board on top but also a leather backgammon section inside, is this normal?

Combination tables are quite common. Cabinet makers during the nineteenth century produced pieces that housed multiple parlour games in a single unit. The chess board was usually rendered in contrasting wood veneers on the exterior. When opened, the inner surfaces revealed backgammon wells. Some even feature a sliding top that reverses to show a plain surface for writing. They function as versatile pieces of furniture.

How do you clean antique baize?

A soft clothes brush is your best tool. Brush gently in one direction to remove dust and chalk without lifting the wool fibres. Never use water or modern fabric cleaners on an original baize surface. Moisture causes the wool to shrink and pull away from the timber edges.

I have noticed that the back leg on my card table swings all the way out on a wooden hinge to support the top, why just one leg?

A single swinging rear leg is the traditional method for supporting a folding top. It keeps the table stable when open. When closed, the leg folds flush into the back frame. The table then sits flat against a wall as a console during the day. More complex antique games tables sometimes feature a concertina action where both back legs extend. However, the single swing leg remained the standard for everyday use.

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Antique Games Tables from the 18th Century

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Antique games tables are specialised pieces of folding or convertible furniture designed primarily for card playing, chess, and backgammon, featuring hinged tops that open to reveal playing surfaces traditionally lined with baize or set with contrasting veneers.