Product Idea |

Portable Chess Set

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1000+ supporters!

Hi everyone,

I wanted to thank all of the 1000+ people who supported this project so far. I’m amazed and proud. Also thank you to the 200+ following. I know the final goal is very far, but still, it’s a great acknowledgment. Can’t wait to see how far this will go. Please, if you have the chance, remember to share this idea.

THANK YOU!


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Protective lid… a different designing approach.

If you haven’t supported this idea, yet and you want to learn more, please take a look at the short video below. The latest updates are not included but it’s still the quickest way to learn about the core of this set idea!

Hey there,

Here’s a different designing approach to the protective cover to put a game on hold.

It takes a little more assembling than the foldable one, but, when closed, it’s more compact and looks more integrated to the board. It’s specific for the PREMIUM version.

By the way. I’ve finally decided to remove the 1x1 plate at the bottom of the king and queen. I received some comments about them on how they might getting stuck to the board (thanks to Bricking_Jedi and RAKRONDEWL). The new king and queen are still a bit taller than the rest and easy to spot on the board, so even like this they look ok to me.

I had fun designing this update and hope you like it. Comments are always welcome.

If you haven’t already, please support and share this project. THANK YOU!


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Detachable expansions.

First, I wanted to thank all of you so much for your support and appreciation! 860+ supporters so far… I’m amazed!

If you haven’t supported this idea, yet and you want to learn more, please take a look at the short video below. It’s the quickest way to get yourself up to speed on this project!

 

Now with the new update:

a few weeks back I received a comment from technicfan4 who was suggesting me to add some other “mobile pass time games” to this set. So, I created an expansion inspired by the classic additional games you would find in a chess set: checkers (Draughts) and mill (also named in many other ways like Nine Men's Morris). This addition comes in two variants each optimized to be attached to the Premium or Basic version of this set. It shouldn’t need more than 230 LEGO pieces.

Also, here’s two slightly different ways to attach checkers’ pieces to the rotating compartments for those times when you know you’re only going to play checkers.


I had fun designing this update and I really hope you like it! Feel free to leave a comment.

Larger images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/138638656@N06/albums/72157666937574213


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Featured in “Ideas showcase” on brickset.com!

Hi everyone,

I’m very happy to announce that today this set idea was featured (along with other five LEGO Ideas projects) in an article by FlagsNZ on brickset.com

Please go check “Ideas showcase” out: http://brickset.com/article/21839

Almost needless to say that this kind of articles are very helpful, if not vital, for promoting our Ideas, so THAN YOU so much brickset.com!


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Foldable lid? Feedback needed!

If you haven’t supported this idea, yet and you want to learn more, please take a look at this short video. It’s the quickest way to get yourself up to speed on this project!

Hey everyone,

I have been working on this accessory and I would love some feedback from you.

Keep in mind that this is not a final design but It’s more like a concept.

So, here we go: since some games last long hours, or even days, you might need to put away your chessboard until your next move. I thought it would be useful to have a foldable protection that can be attached to either the BASIC or the PREMIUM version. This one it’s made out of about 270 pieces (for the top I used some of the spare parts already included). Most of them are just small technic connectors but, still, it is a significant amount and so I wanted to ask your opinion.

In particular:

  1. Do you think it is an useful feature?
  2. Should it have a specific and optimized form for each version?
  3. Is it a good idea to fold it and keep it attached to the board when not used or would you rather put it away by itself?

If you think you are only going to use this foldable protection with the PREMIUM chessboard then you might want to build a smaller version (you save about 80 pieces). Here’s how it looks like.

Thank you all for keeping on supporting this project and please, if you can, share it!

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Recap video updated.

Hi everyone,

If you haven’t supported this idea, yet and you want to learn more, please take a look at this short video.

It’s the quickest way to get yourself up to speed on this project!

Feel free to leave a comment and, if you like this project, please share it.

THANK YOU!

 


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Pick your favorite colors!

If you haven’t supported this idea, yet and you want to learn more, please take a look at the short video below. It’s the quickest way to get yourself up to speed on this project!

 

Hi everyone,

First of all I can’t thank you enough for keep on supporting this idea. Thank you so much for your appreciation and help!

Few days back, along with a lot of nice comments, I received a suggestion from heidiiversen who was telling me to add some colors and make this project “pop”. I‘ve been thinking about a way to add colors without doubling the number of pieces (say, by doing a “red vs. blue” version or something like that). What I’ve come up with so far are the two versions below.

They’re both inspired by the works of the famous artist Piet Mondrian. These are just examples, then it’s up to you to pick YOUR favorite colors and create your own unique version.

The first one was made by alternating black and  white pieces to create stripes and then inserting colored pieces among them.

The second one makes use of a more complex pattern (again mixing black and white pieces) in which you can insert colored bricks and plates.

Although not so colorful, I’ve also designed this “luxurious” version with metalized silver and gold pieces (12 for each metal).

I would love to hear what you think of these versions so feel free to leave a comment.  

As always, if you have the chance, please, share this project. Thank you!

Larger images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/138638656@N06/albums/72157666931954481


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The project so far… a recap video.

Hi everyone,

Since this set has evolved quite a bit over time, I’ve decided to create a short video (a simple slideshow, I’m not much of a videographer, sorry!) to recap all the updates and save new supporters the trouble to read them all.

Hope it helps and please share it!

Thank you!


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BASIC+ version.

Hi everyone,

a few days back I received a comment from itsnuba who was suggesting that if the set is able to fold it would be more compact. My answer, in short, was that the PREMIUM version is designed to be very sturdy and it’s not compatible with a folding system. The ORIGINAL design has weaknesses of its own and a folding mechanism would probably worsen them by overcomplicating it. The BASIC version, on the other hand, seemed to me that could somehow be able to fold. So I started working on that and the result is the BASIC+ version.

As you can see, it looks pretty much the same as before, but if you break it down to pieces you will find two differences: first the board can be split and second some studs have been added to the central support on the sides facing toward the compartments.

So, when you want to play, you attach the two parts of the board and secure them with a 1x4 tile on each side.

Then you can close it all back in one piece using one 1x8 tile on each side and store the four 1x4 tiles inside (by attaching them to the new studs shown above).

Or, you could split the chess set in two and secure each compartment to its half of the board with two 1x4 tiles.  The two 1x8 tiles are, now, stored inside.

So it’s not really folding, but kind of is, and it gets more compact. It can also be stored away in two separate pockets making it even more adaptable to the space available.

So that’s it for now. Hope you liked this update and comments about it are more than welcome.

Please, if you have the chance, keep sharing this project.

Thank you all for 500+ supporters!

 

Larger images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/138638656@N06/albums/72157666443884305

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