Khasi Heritage Travel Chess Set

Chess pieces are designed to be instantly recognisable during fast gameplay. Most modern sets follow a single standardised visual tradition derived from European medieval imagery.

Players therefore identify pieces by memorising unfamiliar symbols rather than understanding the visual logic that differentiates them.

This project reframes the chess set as a form exercise:

Can a completely new visual language be developed where each piece remains clearly identifiable, balanced and playable — without relying on the traditional chess iconography?

The challenge was not to decorate chess, but to redesign a coherent system of recognisable forms.