This was a project of my own where I spent several weekends in a workshop crafting a chess set as a wedding present. 

​

I wanted this to be special, to celebrate the couple's love and their journey together.

​

I chose American black walnut wood and American white oak for the material, the two materials were glued together before I lathed them.

They once told me, when they first met, how they bonded over the fact that they were both Asian American immigrants whose families have moved to United States hoping for better future. I wanted to reflect that journey through the material.

​

The pieces and the board were then finished with my special blend of linseed oil and beeswax for an all-natural finish, safe enough for children to bite on. They were expecting a new baby and I wanted to make sure it was non toxic for the little ones, even if they tried to bite them.

​

I wanted the pieces to be a modern interpretation of classical chess design, but without delving into a minimalist exaggeration. I often find many of these contemporary chess pieces to be too abstract to play seriously with.

I’d rather that the player spend that extra millisecond thinking about their next move than on identifying what the piece is. As for their dimensions, I adhered to US Chess Federation standards as I found them to be the best size to play with and transport.