I didn’t fully learn chess, but I enjoyed watching Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit. Some of my friends love playing or watching it too. The challenge is that traditional chess sets aren’t easy to carry for games outside of home, like at the office or while traveling. There are portable sets available, but they might not be as stylish as this one.
The Hyde Chess set is made to be both practical and easy to carry, but it also has a unique design unlike traditional sets. Instead of the usual pieces, it features circular versions of the pawns, rooks, knights, bishops, queens, and kings. These pieces are all the same height except for the king and queen. Inside the set, there’s a cylindrical holder to store the pieces when not in use, and the chess board has slots to keep them stable during gameplay.
When you’re not playing, everything fits neatly inside a small box. When it’s game time, just open the box, set up the rectangular board pieces, and take out the circular chess pieces from their storage. Arrange them on the board like usual, and you’re ready to play. The pieces are crafted with a CNC router, and the wooden parts are made from guatambu and dark cedro.
Putting it together and taking it apart is simple, and understanding the different pieces shouldn’t be hard. Though they’re circular, they’re designed like the usual chess pieces. If they make and sell this, it could be a great gift for my chess-loving friends. They might even persuade me to join in on a game eventually.
