Robot chess set, real photo 1 of 3

Robot chess set

Two sides of little robots, ready for a real game.

The set

16 robots a side, lined up on a 17.0 in board and ready to play.

Cream plays White

The cream robots wear dark-green trim and a rosette on the chest. They move first.

1. e4 e5

Each piece type has one shape, so the set plays like any chess set. Pawns to the centre.

2. Nf3 Nc6

Knights jump in chess, so here they hop out over their own pawns.

3. Bc4 Bc5

Terracotta answers move for move: cream trim, black visors, a sunburst on every chest.

The board

64 squares of 2.1 in, 17.0 in across, files lettered a to h along the edge.

Pawn to king, one robot taller each step.

The pieces follow the FIDE standard, the proportions tournament sets use, so the king towers at 3.7 in and a pawn stands 2.0 in.

One terracotta piece of each kind in a row, shortest to tallest: pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen, king 2.0 in 2.2 in 2.4 in 2.7 in 3.3 in 3.7 in
PawnRookKnightBishopQueenKing

Two sides, told apart at a glance.

The cream king, queen and bishops facing the camera, dark-green trim and a rosette on every chest
Cream Dark-green trim, a rosette on every chest, and the first move: cream plays White.
The terracotta queen and king up close: a crown and a cross on top, black visors, cream sunbursts on their chests
Terracotta Cream trim and a sunburst on every chest. The queen wears a crown, the king a cross.

Up close

The robot chess set mid-game on an oak kitchen table in the evening, a white coffee mug beside the board
Three moves into a game on the kitchen table. Next to a coffee mug, the robots look their real size.
The terracotta robots lined up on a walnut coffee table by a sunny window, a mug beside the board
Left set up on the coffee table, it looks like it belongs there.
The terracotta pawns in a row, each with one big round eye and a cream sunburst, the knight in profile at the front
Each pawn has one round eye and a sunburst. The knight is a horse's head in profile.
The game after three moves each, seen low from the side of the board: cream knight and bishop out, terracotta knight and bishop facing them
Three moves each, seen low from the side of the board. Every piece is easy to tell apart, even mid-game.

Robot chess set

Two sides of little robots, ready for a real game.

Overall size
17.0 × 17.0 × 4.0 in, board plus the tallest king
Board
17.0 in square, 64 squares of 2.1 in
Pieces
32, 16 a side
Heights
King 3.7 in, queen 3.3 in, pawn 2.0 in (FIDE proportions)
Cream side
Dark-green trim, rosettes; plays White
Terracotta side
Cream trim, sunbursts

Good to know

Is it a complete chess set?
Yes: 32 pieces, 16 a side, and a board of 64 squares. Each piece type has one shape on both sides, so it plays by the ordinary rules.
How big is it?
The board is 17.0 in across, with 2.1 in squares. The king stands 3.7 in tall and a pawn 2.0 in, the FIDE proportions tournament sets use.
Which side moves first?
Cream plays White, so the cream robots open the game.
Do the robots need batteries?
No. They are playing pieces with nothing powered inside: no batteries, motors or lights. You move them by hand.