This is a table I made from quarter sawed walnut and cherry
pieces, cut into "tiles" with the center of the heart on a corner.
The tiles were about 1/4" thick and naturally were end grain.
They were applied to a heavily varnished 3/4" piece of plywood as
a base, with double length pieces of walnut applied underneath
herringbone pattern. The base and spindle was all walnut as well.
The chess pieces were then surrounded by end grain mahogany tiles
to create a boarder, and then finished with a cherry raised edge.

The tiles were applied using PL400 construction adhesive for both
hardness and water resistance. After sanding, the end grain tiles
were sealed by applying Homer Formby's modified Tung Oil and hand
rubbing for approximately 2 hours until nothing more was absorbed.
Due to the only 1/4" thickness, no material was added to the
underside of the tiles, other than what absorbed downward. . .
long after the PL400 had dried.

The quarter sawed tiles were set in groups of 4, with the heart of
each touching. That gave a circular swirl effect to each 4-tile
area and an overall pleasing look to the top of the chess table.
Nonny

Nice job. I never got into chess but always loved the handmade wooden
boards and pieces. You going to make the pieces too?
`Casper