JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div id="chessBoard"></div>

CSS

#chessBoard{
    display: inline-block;
    border: 2px outset lightGray;
}

#chessBoard div{
    line-height: 1px;
}

#chessBoard span{
    display: inline-block;
    width: 32px;
    height: 32px;
}

#chessBoard div:nth-child(odd) span:nth-child(even),
#chessBoard div:nth-child(even) span:nth-child(odd){
    background-color: black;
}
#chessBoard div:nth-child(even) span:nth-child(even),
#chessBoard div:nth-child(odd) span:nth-child(odd){
    background-color: snow;
}

JavaScript

var x=8;
var y=8;

var chessBoard = document.getElementById("chessBoard");

for (var i=0; i<y; i++){
    var row = chessBoard.appendChild(document.createElement("div"));
    for (var j=0; j<x; j++){
        row.appendChild(document.createElement("span"));
    }
}