diff --git a/myst_parser/mdit_to_docutils/base.py b/myst_parser/mdit_to_docutils/base.py
index b70db12e..1c3b3ad0 100644
--- a/myst_parser/mdit_to_docutils/base.py
+++ b/myst_parser/mdit_to_docutils/base.py
@@ -1349,7 +1349,6 @@ def render_table(self, token: SyntaxTreeNode) -> None:
 
         # top-level element
         table = nodes.table()
-        table["classes"] += ["colwidths-auto"]
         self.copy_attributes(token, table, ("class", "id"))
         self.add_line_and_source_path(table, token)
         self.current_node.append(table)
diff --git a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/docutil_link_resolution.md b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/docutil_link_resolution.md
index e686e17c..83a341db 100644
--- a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/docutil_link_resolution.md
+++ b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/docutil_link_resolution.md
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ c  | d
 [explicit](#table)
 .
 <document source="<src>/index.md">
-    <table classes="colwidths-auto" ids="table" names="table">
+    <table ids="table" names="table">
         <title>
             caption
         <tgroup cols="2">
diff --git a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_directives.md b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_directives.md
index 2b924572..436f0f9f 100644
--- a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_directives.md
+++ b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_directives.md
@@ -230,6 +230,43 @@ table (`sphinx.directives.patches.RSTTable`):
 ```{table} *title*
 :name: name
 
+| a | b |
+|---|---|
+| 1 | 2 |
+```
+.
+<document source="<src>/index.md">
+    <table ids="name" names="name">
+        <title>
+            <emphasis>
+                title
+        <tgroup cols="2">
+            <colspec colwidth="50">
+            <colspec colwidth="50">
+            <thead>
+                <row>
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            a
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            b
+            <tbody>
+                <row>
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            1
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            2
+.
+
+table widths auto (`sphinx.directives.patches.RSTTable`):
+.
+```{table} *title*
+:name: name
+:widths: auto
+
 | a | b |
 |---|---|
 | 1 | 2 |
@@ -261,6 +298,80 @@ table (`sphinx.directives.patches.RSTTable`):
                             2
 .
 
+table widths grid (`sphinx.directives.patches.RSTTable`):
+.
+```{table} *title*
+:name: name
+:widths: grid
+
+| a | b |
+|---|---|
+| 1 | 2 |
+```
+.
+<document source="<src>/index.md">
+    <table classes="colwidths-given" ids="name" names="name">
+        <title>
+            <emphasis>
+                title
+        <tgroup cols="2">
+            <colspec colwidth="50">
+            <colspec colwidth="50">
+            <thead>
+                <row>
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            a
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            b
+            <tbody>
+                <row>
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            1
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            2
+.
+
+table widths given (`sphinx.directives.patches.RSTTable`):
+.
+```{table} *title*
+:name: name
+:widths: 1 2
+
+| a | b |
+|---|---|
+| 1 | 2 |
+```
+.
+<document source="<src>/index.md">
+    <table classes="colwidths-given" ids="name" names="name">
+        <title>
+            <emphasis>
+                title
+        <tgroup cols="2">
+            <colspec colwidth="1">
+            <colspec colwidth="2">
+            <thead>
+                <row>
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            a
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            b
+            <tbody>
+                <row>
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            1
+                    <entry>
+                        <paragraph>
+                            2
+.
+
 csv-table (`sphinx.directives.patches.CSVTable`):
 .
 ```{csv-table}
diff --git a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_link_resolution.md b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_link_resolution.md
index e624b97a..886f4d16 100644
--- a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_link_resolution.md
+++ b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_link_resolution.md
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ c  | d
 [explicit](#table)
 .
 <document source="<src>/index.md">
-    <table classes="colwidths-auto" ids="table" names="table">
+    <table ids="table" names="table">
         <title>
             caption
         <tgroup cols="2">
diff --git a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/tables.md b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/tables.md
index b478b926..57badd75 100644
--- a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/tables.md
+++ b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/tables.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ a|b
 1|2
 .
 <document source="<src>/index.md">
-    <table classes="colwidths-auto">
+    <table>
         <tgroup cols="2">
             <colspec colwidth="50">
             <colspec colwidth="50">
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Header only:
 | --- | --- |
 .
 <document source="<src>/index.md">
-    <table classes="colwidths-auto">
+    <table>
         <tgroup cols="2">
             <colspec colwidth="50">
             <colspec colwidth="50">
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ a | b | c
 1 | 2 | 3
 .
 <document source="<src>/index.md">
-    <table classes="colwidths-auto">
+    <table>
         <tgroup cols="3">
             <colspec colwidth="33">
             <colspec colwidth="33">
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ Nested syntax:
 |c  | {sub}`x` |
 .
 <document source="<src>/index.md">
-    <table classes="colwidths-auto">
+    <table>
         <tgroup cols="2">
             <colspec colwidth="50">
             <colspec colwidth="50">
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ a|b
 [link-a](https://www.google.com/)|[link-b](https://www.python.org/)
 .
 <document source="<src>/index.md">
-    <table classes="colwidths-auto">
+    <table>
         <tgroup cols="2">
             <colspec colwidth="50">
             <colspec colwidth="50">
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.xml
index 18605dc4..a4afe77b 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.xml
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
         <paragraph>
             <literal>
                 a=1{`}
-        <table classes="colwidths-auto">
+        <table>
             <tgroup cols="2">
                 <colspec colwidth="50">
                 <colspec colwidth="50">
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.xml
index 72397484..84c499c0 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.xml
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
         <paragraph>
             <literal>
                 a=1{`}
-        <table classes="colwidths-auto">
+        <table>
             <tgroup cols="2">
                 <colspec colwidth="50">
                 <colspec colwidth="50">
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.xml
index 231ca337..45f700ac 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.xml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
                         texte 8 en 
                         <strong>
                             gras
-        <table classes="colwidths-auto">
+        <table>
             <tgroup cols="1">
                 <colspec colwidth="100">
                 <thead>
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.xml
index dfc5f414..f3499541 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.xml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
                         texte 8 en 
                         <strong>
                             gras
-        <table classes="colwidths-auto">
+        <table>
             <tgroup cols="1">
                 <colspec colwidth="100">
                 <thead>