I have designed different thematic sets of Chess Pieces for the Chesspionage Project, in the efforts to flesh out my Body of Work more.
I was asked to create a chess set based on animals, specifically I decided to put together a variety of animals usually found in the Savannah areas of Africa, being Lions, Monkeys, Elephants, Rhinos and Giraffes. I would consider switching the roles of the Rhino and Giraffe around, so that the Rhino is a Rook and the Giraffe is a Knight, which would make more sense.
The next set that I created is a horror themed Chess set, including Frankenstein's Monster and his Bride as the King and Queen, a Vampire as a Bishop, which it makes sense given the religious implications of vampires. Jack-o-Lanterns were decided upon as the Pawn as they are simple in shape, their faces can be carved into many different expressions, and pumpkins can be crushed easily. The Knight is a Dullahan, or a Headless Horseman, riding his horse, making sense for the Knight. The Rook is a Werewolf, this was chosen for its amount of power.
The third set drafted up was a set based on Greek Mythology. The King and the Queen piece represent Hades, the King of the Underworld, and another threatning figure in mythology, Medusa the Gorgon.
The Harpy and Minotaur pieces should be swapped around in their roles, because Harpies are able to fly as Knighrs are able to jump, and Rooks are more befitting for a powerful Minotaur. The Pawns are skeleton warriors, seen most iconically in films like Jason And The Argonauts, and the Bishop is another famous figure in Greek Mythology, the Cyclops. Having similar range of movement to a Minotaur makes it equal in power.
The last unique set that I have made a rough draft of is a Dungeons And Dragons themed set, more specifically, themed around the most powerful and iconic monsters. The first monster who represents the King is the Tarrasque, which is known for being one of the most powerful monsters in Dungeons and Dragons. The same applies for the Queen piece, represented by Tiamat, the Queen Of Chromatic Dragons. The Bishop is represented by the beholder, a crafty opponent who shoots many different rats form its eye stalks, floating around the battlefield. The Knight will be represented by the Troll, who is powerful enough to jump around its opponents. As Trolls are known to lose limbs, it will be designed further to have lost an arm, but will be holding a horse's leg in its intact arm to represent its Knight status. The Rook will be a Death Knight, an while it will not be a Knight in Chess, it is still a ferocious opponent that will have large range in movement. The final piece is the Pawn, who is represented by a meek Goblin, who excel in strength in numbers.
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