Self regulating chessboard

Abstract

A chessboard having a playing platform and a stage or table which together maintain the flatness of the playing platform despite changing humidity conditions is disclosed. The playing platform is fabricated from a plurality of wooden pieces that are cut to exhibit a radial grain, and adhered to adjacent wooden pieces so that the radial grain has a mirrored image to the immediately adjacent wooden piece. The playing platform is allowed to expand and contract without placing undue pressure on the stage or table, and vice versa (i.e., unconstrained).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A chessboard comprising:
 a playing platform having a plurality of square pieces of wood arranged in a square configuration, the plurality of square pieces of wood being laterally attached to each other to form a flat chessboard playing surface;   a stage having four sides disposed on four sides of the playing platform, an interior side of the stage having a groove;   a first clip attached to a bottom surface of the playing platform on a first side of the playing platform with a first tab of the first clip slideably disposed within the groove of the stage on a first side of the stage;   a second clip attached to the bottom surface of the playing platform on a second side of the playing platform with a second tab of the second clip slideably disposed within the groove of the stage on a second side of the stage;   a third clip attached to the bottom surface of the playing platform on a third side of the playing platform with a third tab of the third clip slideably disposed within the groove of the stage on a third side of the stage;   a fourth clip attached to the bottom surface of the playing platform on a fourth side of the playing platform with a fourth tab of the fourth clip slideably disposed within the groove of the stage on a fourth side of the stage.   wherein the first, second, third and fourth clips permit expansion and contraction of the playing platform due to environmental changes while maintaining flatness of the playing surface of the playing platform.   
     
     
         2 . The chessboard of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of square pieces of wood includes sixty-four squares pieces of wood, thirty-two square pieces of wood having a first color, thirty-two square pieces of wood having a second color which is different from the first color. 
     
     
         3 . The chessboard of  claim 1  further comprising four corner clips with each corner clip disposed within grooves of two adjacent sides of the stage, each of the corner clips attached to the bottom surface of the playing platform. 
     
     
         4 . The chessboard of  claim 1  wherein each of the pieces of wood define a longitudinal grain direction which are aligned parallel to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The chessboard of  claim 4  wherein lateral pieces of wood are adhered to each other so that adjacent pieces of wood are positioned with the transverse grains in a mirrored orientation. 
     
     
         6 . The chessboard of  claim 5  wherein all of the pieces of wood are cut to exhibit a radial grain in their transverse sections. 
     
     
         7 . The chessboard of  claim 6  wherein the radial grain is defined as an average slope of the tangential grain being 30 degrees or less to a perpendicular line drawn from a major surface of the transverse section of the piece of wood. 
     
     
         8 . The chessboard of  claim 1  wherein the groove of the stage is formed in an inner peripheral side of the stage. 
     
     
         9 . The chessboard of  claim 1  wherein the stage has a platform engaging surface upon which the playing platform engages. 
     
     
         10 . The chessboard of  claim 1  wherein at least two first clips, at least two second clips, at least two third clips and at least two fourth clips are connected to the stage and the playing platform. 
     
     
         11 . The chessboard of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of square pieces of wood are fabricated from first and second wood materials which are different from each other and the radial shrinkage between the first and second wood materials is less than 2 percentage points and the tangential shrinkage is less than 2.5 percentage points. 
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing a chessboard, the method comprising the steps of:
 selecting sixty-four square pieces of wood;   attaching the sixty-four square pieces of wood together in a 8×8 square configuration to form a playing platform;   forming a stage that peripherally surrounds the playing platform; and   securing the playing platform to the stage while allowing for lateral expansion and contraction of the playing platform at a different rate compared to the stage to mitigate warping of the playing platform due to environmental changes.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the selecting step includes the step of selecting only wood pieces that exhibit a radial grain on their major surfaces. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the attaching step includes the step of aligning the radial transverse grains in a minor configuration with the immediately adjacent piece of wood. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the securing step includes the step of attaching a clip to the playing platform and inserting a tab of the clip into a groove formed in an interior side of the stage. 
     
     
         16 . A playing platform of a chessboard, the platform comprising:
 sixty four square pieces of wood cut to provide a radial grain in the lateral direction of the transverse sections, the pieces being arranged in an 8×8 pattern with the longitudinal grains parallel to each other, adjacent pieces of wood being arranged so that the radial grains are in a mirror configuration, the pieces of wood being attached to each other.   
     
     
         17 . The platform of  claim 16  wherein thirty two of the sixty four square pieces of wood have a first color and thirty two of the sixty four square pieces of wood have a second color and the sixty four pieces of wood are arranged to have alternating first and second colors. 
     
     
         18 . The platform of  claim 16  wherein the sixty four square pieces of wood are adhered to each other to form the playing platform. 
     
     
         19 . The platform of  claim 16  wherein the thirty two of the sixty four square pieces of wood is fabricated for a first wood material and the remaining thirty two of the sixty four square pieces of wood is fabricated from a second wood material wherein the radial shrinkage between the first and second wood materials is less than 2 percentage points and the tangential shrinkage is less than 2.5 percentage points.