shakkilautaa

Shakkilauta is Finnish for a chessboard, the square board used for the game of chess. The form shakkilautaa is the partitive case, used in sentences such as Ostan shakkilautaa, meaning I am buying a chessboard. The term distinguishes the object from the pieces or the game itself.

A chessboard has eight ranks and eight files, forming 64 squares that alternate in color. The standard arrangement is light and dark squares, and the board is oriented so that the rightmost corner from the player's perspective is light; equivalently, the a1 corner is dark. Moves on the board are usually described using algebraic notation, with files labeled a through h and ranks numbered 1 through 8.

Common characteristics include size and material. The square side is typically about 5 cm in tournament boards, giving an overall width of roughly 40 to 50 cm; smaller boards are common for casual play. Surfaces are made from wood (such as maple, boxwood, or rosewood), plastic, or composite materials, with finishes ranging from simple varnish to intricate inlays. Some boards are bundled with carrying cases for portability.

History and use. The 8x8 chessboard has been standard in modern chess since the 19th century, though earlier boards varied. Beyond chess, similar boards may be used for other games like checkers, but shakkilauta in Finnish generally refers to the chessboard used in the game of chess and related instruction and play.