1) It comes with a satin finish which shows off the beauty of the wood while eliminating unwanted glare and reflections. 2) This is a double sided board with no felt bottom or feet. You can choose to have the wood grain be vertical or horizontal. I recommend placing a soft washcloth underneath it. 3) The smaller, borderless size makes it perfect for smaller space play as well as for study/analysis. It is easy for me to have my books and notes in front of me and still be able to comfortably reach across the entire board. 4) This is a beautiful luxury board deserving of luxury pieces! I chose the House of Staunton's Library Collection - Lasker Series Luxury Chess Pieces - 2.875" King to go with it. The ebony and boxwood contrast perfectly under my soft 25 watt lamp. Easy on the eyes and easy to "see" the game. Classic! 5) I could go on and on. This is heirloom quality. Don't forget to protect your board with the 16" MoW Chess Board Carrying Bag. I also have the 18" version of this with the HOS Fischer Spassky genuine ebony pieces. These boards merit your strong consideration to make your short list.