To expand, there should still be a minimum of say 4 on each board, but sometimes one can wait a while for the 6th and 7th players to show up and then other people may have left too.

Like the idea. What might happen if Ryan did it? Might the server just fill up with half-full boards! People quite often come and go from a board. I think this has more to do with them looking for people they want to play. The waiting is a "disadvantage" but it is no "weakness".

One thing that might help though would be a resetting of the "boardwidth".

Currently its open, 1500 to 1700, 1700 to 1900 and 1900 plus. Perhaps changing the cutpoints might help? Instead of open, 1500, 1700 and 1900 you might have, say, open, 1400 and 1800.