Quote:
Originally Posted by Dowly
Say wha? Who the heck cares how big the squares are?  You chess-people are wierd.  |
There is a very pragmatic reason, Dowly. Too small boards make it more difficult to play and to properly see all the things and to analyse. For that reason the FIDE has ordered that for tournaments only boards should be used with 5 cm per squares (upwards) and king heights being around 9 cm. The diameter of the king's base also is regulated. Believe me, it makes sense, it is about visual ergonomics. In chess clubs you will not find smaller boards, too. I personally consider 4x4 cm also to be acceptable, though, and kings of 7-8 cm height. firgure sets also are regulated, for tournaments only Staunton form and in the German league the socalled Bundesform (federal form) are allowed.
Nothing is worse than to have pieces that are too huge for the fields they stand on, like it is the case with many smaller chess computers for example. the fields may have 2 cm, but the figures are so huge that their basement fills the sqzare from one edge to the opposite edge. Terrible.