East Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia Latifolia) was chosen for its more attractive grain pattern and color. Birdseye Maple of the Sugar Maple tree is used for the squares of this chessboard, superficially resembles the wood of a burl, but is something else entirely. Birdseye Maple is not technically a distinct species of Maple, but rather, it’s a figure that’s occasionally found in Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple) trees. The eyes reportedly caused by unfavorable growing conditions for the tree. The Maple attempts to start numerous new buds to get more sunlight, but with poor growing conditions the new shoots are aborted, and afterward a number of tiny knots remain.