Chess
a pair of tables
Two brothers living in different countries began playing chess together during Covid. For one brother's fortieth, Kiln designed a pair of matching tables that would give the game a physical place in each of their homes.
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Year
- 2024
- Scale
- Object
- Role
- Design
V1
The first version expanded the brief beyond a playing surface. It introduced concealed storage for the pieces and space for two whisky glasses, making the brothers' shared ritual part of the object. It was conceived as a starting point that could be developed with the fabricator.
V2
The second version was intended as the final design. The lid rotated around a single pivot to reveal the storage beneath, allowing each player to set out the other's pieces before returning the board to its closed position. The pivot and rounded profile could not be developed within the available fabrication capacity and budget, so the mechanism and form had to be reconsidered.
V3
The built version separated the playing surface, storage tray and base into distinct elements. The board can be lifted with one hand and the tray removed with the other, then replaced while the pieces are set out. It can also be moved onto another suitable surface with the storage kept beside it. Simplifying the geometry reduced the labour involved in making the tables while retaining the concealed storage and the ritual of opening them for play. The storage is a scalloped radial tray with a place for every piece. A larger set of pieces selected by the client required the board to be enlarged and the proportions adjusted again.
In the making.
Outcome
Two matching tables were made, one for each brother, and the quality of the build was high. They are personal objects, made for two people who play across a distance and meant to last long enough to be handed on.
The pieces
Kiln also designed a set of chess pieces for the second version of the table. Each follows standard chess proportions at three-quarter scale, keeping the board compact without losing the hierarchy and presence of a full-sized set. Their profiles give each piece a character suited to its role while retaining a consistent family of graceful lines. The pieces were developed as tactile objects as much as playing markers. Their weight, tapered tops and sculpted spines are intended to settle naturally between the fingers, making the simple act of lifting and moving a piece feel satisfying. Each was also designed to stand as a small sculptural object in its own right. Although they were not fabricated with the tables, Kiln intends to develop them for production as a studio project.