Project 3 // 3D Printed Chess Set: Concept

So, I'm not much of a chess player. I don't know why exactly, as I love games, and I love strategy, but for whatever reason I've never learned how to play chess and something about the celebration of it all makes me feel like I'm about 27 years behind in becoming a grand master chess prodigy. That being said, I've always loved the easy-to-learn-hard-to-master quality of it all, even if its not something I'll end up engaging with directly. 

Misha Osipov at age 3 forgetting more about chess than I'll ever know

All of this to say, that my favourite designs for chess boards are typically the ones that take a similar approach to their design, opting for simple renderings and minimalist designs. Complex boards with intricate pieces are beautiful, but I feel like they detract from what is essentially a perfect execution of game design.  

Now, even though I love a minimal design for the pieces I still need something extra. I can't help it, I'm a contradiction of interests. And looking at designs like the one above it occurred to me that chess pieces resemble a stamp. 

This, of course, interests me greatly as someone who is aiming their BFA at a Print Media major. It also lends itself to the appreciation of a game of chess without playing chess. I think it would be really interesting to see a board (probably made of paper) stamped with the history of a match, whether I understand the moves or not. 

I was toying with the idea of making them mechanical self inking designs, but even though it makes sense in a practical way, I think it might detract too much from my minimal goals... I don't know, I might still be swayed to attempt it.