Most Beautiful Chess Sets in the World

By Elizabeth Stamp

The game of chess has been around for centuries, and while the rules have mostly stayed the same, the look of the game has been continuously reinterpreted. Today both modern and ancient chess sets appear in the permanent collections of institutions such as the British Museum, home of the 12th-century Lewis Chessmen, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which has Josef Hartwig's 1924 Bauhaus chess set. Designers, architects, and luxury brands have all put their own spin on the chess set with new interpretations of the pieces or high-end materials. The game's 32 pieces have been rendered in a variety of shapes and materials, from luxe crystal to sturdy wood, by everyone from architect Daniel Libeskind to Surrealist artist Man Ray, who was known to face off against fellow artist and chess enthusiast Marcel Duchamp. We’ve gathered some of the most beautifully designed chess sets that are sure to delight everyone from chess novices to Kasparov-level players.

Artist Michael Aram is known for his highly detailed organic pieces, and he's applied his signature style to his first game design, a special-edition chess set. He used medieval and floral motifs for the game pieces, which are accompanied by a marble chessboard. The set costs $1,800.

The Samarcande chess set by Hermès features carved pieces that put an abstract spin on the traditional chessmen. Made of java solid palissander wood and mahogany, the set costs $6,400.

Architect Daniel Liebeskind's Architecture & the City chess set for Atelier Swarovski reinterprets the skylines of New York and Milan. Liebeskind mixed a number of materials, including concrete, marble, aluminum, silver, and Swarovski crystal, for the $18,000 set.

Purling London partners with artists to create one-of-a-kind art chess sets. Artist Sophie Matisse, the great-granddaughter of Henri Matisse, took inspiration from Alice in Wonderland for this $18,000 set, which was displayed at an exhibition at the World Chess Hall of Fame.

Surrealist artist Man Ray used abstract forms for the chess pieces in the set he designed in the 1920s using found items in his studio. The pyramid-shaped king piece is a nod to the pyramids where Egyptian pharaohs were buried, and the knight was inspired by the neck of a violin. A reproduction made of beechwood is available for $775 from the Guggenheim Store.

Found on the Isle of Lewis off the coast of Scotland in the 1830s, the Lewis Chessmen are part of a collection of carved chess pieces believed to have been made in Norway around 1150 to 1200 A.D. The British Museum now has 82 of the 93 total pieces in its collection and sells a reproduction set for $241 in its shop.

Sculptor Josef Hartwig created this minimalist chess set in 1924 while teaching at the Bauhaus in Germany. The streamlined design implies the movements of the pieces through their geometric shapes. The set is now produced by Swiss toymaker Naef and is available for $625 from the Guggenheim Store.

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This September, Baccarat will introduce a new collaboration with Marcel Wanders, which features the Dutch designer's take on classic games. The chess set is made of marble and crystal and will be sold for $18,000.

London-based architectural designers Chris Prosser and Ian Flood are the masterminds behind Skyline Chess, which creates sets featuring some of the world's most iconic buildings. Prices range from $155 for a set with acrylic pieces to $3,635 for a bronze edition.

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