Replica Soviet Chess Set
When the Art Institute of Chicago hosted the “Revoliutsiia! Demonstratsiia!” exhibit in late 2017/early 2018, I was quite taken with a chess set that appeared in the 1925 “Рабочий Клуб” (“Worker’s Lounge”) designed by Russian Constructivist artist Alexandr Rodchenko. I decided to create a replica of the set for myself.
Shaping the Pieces
I started with some 1 inch square poplar dowel rods. Using a coping saw, an electric drill, and some small files, I shaped the pieces.
Weighting the pieces
Because the wood I used was not particularly heavy, I also decided to weight the pieces. I drilled a hole in the bottom of each piece, inserted a fishing weight, and used wood putty to seal the hole.
Fishing weights
Painting the pieces and making the board
One of the most striking aspects of the original chess set was the color scheme - red and black. I decided to paint my pieces in the same colors. Rodchenko’s set actually included two chairs which were part of the chess board construction. I decided to go for a simpler folding board design with the same color scheme.
