Checkmate
This group project challenged me and my team to design a chess game with a cohesive theme. Our design for three-person chess pitted three decades of American history against each other. In this game, the 1870’s, 1980’s, and 2000’s, compete, using decade-specific weapons, policies, and tech to win. In each of our designs, we followed the same game piece structure, ensuring that each piece fit seamlessly within the context of the overarching theme.
The king, reflecting political influence, was designed to represent the most influential president of each decade. In American, the president himself has a powerful title but exerts authority through other people and influences, just as the king in chess relies on other pieces to determine game play but is ultimately the main factor in determining the winner.
The queen of our set is designed to represent cultural influence, which, much like the strong, varied plays the queen in chess can complete, often turns the tides of America with arms equally as strong as those of political power.
The bishop represents a political movement from each decade in which the president (king) was largely involved. Much like the bishop of a chess set, which is seen as a protector of the king, political movements and policies in America protect and propel the interests of those in power.
The knight represents military or tactical advancements that were implemented for the first time in each decade. Like the chess knight, militaristic movements are often sneaky and stealthy, directed by the interests of the president.
The rook is designed to represent new and/or influential architecture of each decade. Architecture is long lasting, forever influential, and reflects technological advancements and styles of its time. This is reminiscent of the rook’s stable, grid-like movements in chess.
The pawns in this set represent consumer technology for each decade. Technology, like pawns, are mass produced, easily replaceable, and widely distributed.