Abstract Chess Sculptures
Photoshop, Illustrator, Omnigraffle,Rhino3D,netfabb,Meshlab
“Time doesn’t follow logic. It simply moves forward. When dealing with abstract data, time
can be a major factor in how we visualize it and ultimately, how we analyze it.”
For my final project, I have decided to analyze one of my previous architectural projects that
I completed during my studies at Berkeley: Rocktaves
Rocktaves is a flexible performance arena designed for the city of San Francisco. It has
been inspired by the article City and the Signs 2 from the book Invisible Cities by Italo
Calvino.
Printing Process
The aim:
To create an abstract chess sculpture which shows how a popular chess game unfolded
in time. The idea is not to create a visual but a system, where any artist can simply bring
in his chess game and we can 3D print and visualize the game in new way.
Elements: Chess, the idea of multiplicity, city & the signs 2 from Invisible cities (Italo
Calvino). Lessons from urban design, Bauhaus movement (design aspect)
The Design:
A game of chess usually last around 20-40 moves and at each position, one player might
gain competitive advantage over the other.
What I want to showcase through the piece is how the position transforms with every
move.With every move the game invents and reinvents itself.
I am trying to create an environment where the game involves on its own according to a
given set of rules. The idea is to create these abstract layers of chessboards, which show
xthe various strategies and piece maneuvers. After creating the first ready to print model, i
began to deform the shape to create a more visually interesting piece where there were
bends and twists to the structure to depict the strategies used by Bobby Fisher.
Rules:
The multidimensional chessboard will be structurally supported by beams/columns (call it
whatever you feel like) these beams are being moved around, bend and twisted over the
period of the game. They are essential the chess pieces being extrapolated over time,
and they are moving around the board as the game unfolds.
The final model has had several revisions, primarily because 3D printing is tricky and not
all models can be efficiently printed. Instead of it being a limitation, I have decided to use
this to my advantage and change the way I think about my emphasis and the rules that
govern my design.
The Game of the Century
In chess, The Game of the Century refers to a chess game played between Donald Byrne
and 13-year-old Bobby Fischer in the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament in New York City on
October 17, 1956, which Fischer won.In this game, Fischer (playing Black) demonstrates
noteworthy innovation and improvisation.
Byrne (playing White), after a standard opening, makes a seemingly minor mistake on move 11,
losing a tempo by moving the same piece twice. Fischer pounces with brilliant sacrificial play,
culminating in a queen sacrifice on move 17. Byrne captures the queen, but Fischer gets far too
much material for it –a rook, two bishops, and a pawn. At the end, Fischer's pieces coordinate to
force checkmate, while Byrne's queen sits, useless, on the other side of the board.
1.In general, moving the same piece twice in the opening wastes time; other pieces should be developed first.
2.Material sacrifices are likely to be effective against a king still in the middle and on an open central file.
3.Even at 13, Fischer was a player to be reckoned with.
Design Process
