Ryan McQueen | Design Engineer

I was looking for a way to take advantage of my apartment patio and decided to create an outdoor chess set for the space so everyone could play at their leisure.  This took advantage of the benefits of 3D printing as any lost or damaged pieces could be easily replaced, plus I enjoyed the idea of designing a set of my own.

I created a common base to start each piece with.  I made it a bottom-heavy hemisphere to keep them stable and upright.  I took advantage of Inventor’s ability to find the centroid to help in this regard.  With a circular base it seemed logical to make them multi-directional so it didn’t matter what direction they faced.  To keep them lightweight and reduce print time, I made the upper features hollow.  To prevent rainwater from collecting I incorporated open spaces to allow drainage.  I ended up really liking the aesthetic of this design, which gave it a unique look that is not easy to achieve without 3D printing.

Taking my inspiration from a variety of sources, I mixed some classic chess designs and some creative ideas of my own.  Here is a basic rundown:

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• Pawn:

  • I stuck closely to a classic design, topped with a familiar "ball and ring", with the functional features described above.

• Rook: 

  • Another piece inspired by the classic “castle turret” design.  I added some texture and made it look like a more literal turret by showing individual bricks and "doors" at the bottom for drainage.

• Bishop:

  • I created this piece with crosses and shape to evoke a bishop’s hat.

• Knight: 

  • My personal favorite, this was inspired  by the helmet of some the most fearsome warriors in history: the Spartans.

• King:

  • Based on classic royal imagery, and the crown in particular.

• Queen: 

  • As the most powerful and important piece, I made this design the most elaborate.  I kept a nod to a typical Queen with the classic “ball and points” at the top. To emphasize it as the most dangerous piece I added some “blades” around the perimeter.

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I consider the final set a great success.  I am very happy with the aesthetic and they have been outside my apartment for months, holding up very well and weathering everything Chicago weather can throw at it. 

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The model files can be found on Thingiverse here.

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