A couple of chess enthusiasts and creative woodworking professionals in Hungary began making a unique wall mounted chess board to solve something they encountered while playing chess.

The challenge of keeping the figures in place while playing chess over multiple days was compounded by the reality that their dog also enjoyed the chess figures. Hence they wished a more elevated chessboard on which to make moves while passing by.

I caught up with David, co-founder of this new, exploratory venture. They are seeking to make an excellent wall mounted chess board with not just their skills, but input from the community.

Full view of wall mounted chess board

I asked David to tell more about his creation, the challenges they have found, and what they plan to do next.

David shares,

The idea and inspiration to make this wall mounted chess board came from the week-long chess games one of our team members used to have with his father. They would play on a regular board which they placed on a small table in the entrance hall of their house and they would take their turns as they passed by board.

So the “messenger” way of playing was already created then, but when the family bought a dog the dog seemed to be very much interested in the game too – every now and then he would steal some figures or knock the board off the table. This is why the regular chessboard had to be modified a little bit.

The first model we made was a birthday present to our team member’s father. We found we were quite happy with the outcome, saw potential in it and decided to try and make it a marketable product.
close up of wall mounted chess board

The vertical chessboard is made of CNC machined beechwood for long lasting quality with glossy surface. The chess pieces are made of 3D printed Polylactic Acid (PLA) a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugarcane.

The biggest challenge so far is finding the right partner for the production of the 3D printed figures. The ones we have now are fine with regards to functionality but we are not sure if their finishing or perceived quality would meet the expectations of the end users. We would actually love to hear opinions about this.

straight on view of wall mounted chess board

We think that the wall mounted chess board is great in terms of functionality but we are not sure if the design can be considered final and even whether it is possible to successfully introduce to the market just yet.

Looking to the future, we think of our chessboard as an active interior design piece, therefore we think there are many design options to be explored.

This first option features a minimalist design style.

design 2 - modern wall mounted chess board

This second one is for children, to attract more young players to the game while we also believe that chess could serve as an important educational tool between parent and child: it can help children learn to concentrate, cope with failure or success, it teaches them self-discipline, while it also improves their imaginative, problem solving and learning skills.

But the best is that these chessboard also take out the time pressure from the game, so children can take their time and make decisions at their own pace, without being frustrated by the presence of the adults.

childrens design for wall mounted chess board

Thank you David for sharing your project!

I invite those of you reading this page to comment on the designs and share any ideas on what you like or don’t like and how to make the product better!

David is following this as well in Hungary.

The Social Experience of a wall mounted chess board

The vertical wall mounted chessboard is a unique social experience in that it enables people to play chess without being physically present at all times during the game. Hanging on the wall, it both decorates your home or office interior and engages you to play with family or co-workers.

wall mounted chess board - design 1
wall mounted chess board - design 2

Design 1

Design 2

Which of the designs do you like more?  What changes do you recommend? Comment below.

One of the finished boards as of this writing is available at Chess House and here’s the listing to order.