Well some of you may have seen this as a WIP, but here it is. I decided to stick with the reflective board, but I believe that I’ve fixed the floating pawn issue. I’ve also included a large version for anyone who wants to see it big. Anyhow. Here ya go. C&C, please.
And here is a link to a large version.
You need a more hi-res wood tex. Other than that, it’s photorealistic!
I agree.
However The sky texture seems to warp rather strangely on the flat chess board. That and the pawn seems, too plasticy.
Otherwise nice. Very nice.
nice man - you know i like your stuff - nice work! 
Looks good, I would sugest moving the pawn a little to the left, changing the camera angle just a little bit and what has already been said, other then that its close to being photorealistic so good job 
Mystery
This looks pretty close to photorealistic to me. The pawn is a little shiny, but it depends on what material the pawn is supposed to be made of. Perhaps chrome or silver metal? Good job though.
Very nice. I personally would like to see just a shade of the actual environment to get a better idea of the surroundings, even though the reflection and lighting do a decent job to that end. It’s minimalistic but the environment makes it feel rich.
Random idea: What would the scene look with a wider-angle shot? Perhaps that could show more of the environs and make the pawn look a lot bigger than it is.
Well, the texture has been bothering me, so I made my own in Photoshop. The dark wood is my kitchen table, the light wood is my breakfast bar. So. It still needs work, but I think the texture has been at least mildly improved. I’d like to have it a bit crisper, but that is proving difficult. Anyhow. Do you concur about the mild improvement?
I think the pawn should be less shiny.
Yeah, it’s just a little too reflective.
Try to introduce more imperfections as possible. But not too obvious. For example: a texture map with scratches for the pawn. Make that is almost not noticeable. Also a texture with smudges for the pawn. A very light bump map (maybe brushed metal, or subtle dimples here and there). And you should work on the shadow of the pawn. The reflection suggests at least 3 point light sources above in front of the pawn. Cast the shadows accordingly. And yes, you need shadows, otherwise the pawn could the illusion that is floating. But make the shadows very soft and not too atenuated. The reflection on the chessboard should be toned down a little. The Blender raytracer don’t has it yet: blurred reflections. You see the head of the pawn in the reflection is as sharp as the base in the reflection. But most people won’t notice it anyway. Also I find it very strange the chess board is very polished (hence the reflection of the pawn in the chess board), but the reflections that you see on the pawn are not visible on the location, or in the vicinity of the pawn. The texture in the foreground shows artificats --> use a higher resolution texture. I think that’s about it. If you manage to take all this into account, I think you’ll have a render that’s undistuingishable from a photo.
PS: a focal blur would be nice too.