2013 World Championship Chess Set

The official World Chess Championship Chess Set makes an intellectual style statement.

The design of the World Chess Championship Chess Set affords more than a respectful nod to the Staunton set
required for competition play, whilst simultaneously stylishly challenging the traditional norm.

The Design
Classical Staunton

The height and bases of the pieces are defined by the classical Staunton set. It is only the Knights that differ; as defenders of the King and Queen and the only pieces that 'jump' over other, the base does follow the form of the others, but also resembles an equestrian hoof.

Carrying through the Classical theme, Weil linked the eight major chess pieces to the eight columns of the facade of the Parthenon. When contemplating the height of the pieces he considered the pitch of the facade, so that the pieces before play would evoke the structure of a classical building.

Piece by Piece
The 'theatricality of the game' was taken into account.
Pieces were made to suit both the north and south grip

The 'human' pieces; King, Queen, Bishop and Pawn have hierarchical collars as indicators of nobility and piece value and have both a sculptural dimension and functional one, allowing players to hold the piece with 'South hold.'

The heads are figurative and functional. A new crown for the
King, a refined jewel for the top of the Queen's crown and a
vizier's head dress or bishop's miter for the Bishop. These
heads allow players to hold the piece with 'North hold' for the
simple classic move. The rooks have a pure architectural form.

Defining and Differential

The felt beneath the pieces has been changed too. Green baize, the most common material beneath chess pieces, signified how chess had become a parlor game in the Victorian era along with cards, billiards and dice. This has been replaced with black and white felt to give chess its own construct and consistency.

The Designer
Daniel Weil

Pentagram partner Daniel Weil has contributed a new chess
set design to the world of chess. It will join the ranks of the
original Staunton chess set, which has been the standard
thus far.

Since joining Pentagram in 1992, Daniel has worked on
projects that encompass a combination of product design, packaging, interiors and art direction for a broad range of clients that includes, among others, Swatch, Lego, Krug, Benetton, Tretorn, Superga, Pantone, EMI, Mothercare, coca-Cola, Grey Goose, TSE, King's college, Boots, Group G3/Quam, Granada Motorway Services, A Cafe, Cass Art, Oyuna, Mount Blanc, One & Only, the Bulgari Hotel in Milan,
the Dorchester in London.

Notably, Weil's design of the World Chess Championship
Chess Set features the neoclassical, Greek-influenced
aspects of the Staunton's design, but with more emphasis on
certain details.