9 of the Most Beautiful Chess Sets in the World

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 chic $1995.00 Hammond chess set, from the Ralph Lauren Home collection, could possibly be mistaken for a set of rather expensive pen caps in a smart home office.

 

 
The Man Ray chess set is another option for complimenting a striking minimalistic interior style.

The Philippe chess game set is of an ultra modern design, made from tubular pieces of brushed matte stainless steel.

 

Fantasy fans will love this dragon chess set-another good option for home libraries, or even a computer games room.