You don't say what version of Word you have, but if by "checkered" you mean
that there is a grid on the page, perhaps you have enabled the drawing grid.
This is much easier to do in Word 2007, where you might mistake it for
table gridlines (it's the "Gridlines" checkbox on the View tab). In earlier
versions, display the Drawing toolbar, click Draw, choose Grid..., and clear
the check box for "Display gridlines on screen."
If a grid is not what you mean, perhaps you've added some sort of background
(Format | Background). If so, see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/BlankDocNotBlank.htm
--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org