The chess set on a walnut coffee table beside a white mug, the cool side nearest, the warm side across the board

2030 San Francisco Chess Set

32 pieces shaped like a skyline. One city plays cool, the other plays warm.

From the fog to the first move

Out of the fog.

Somewhere under the marine layer sits a 9.6 in board. Keep scrolling and the fog burns off.

A checker you can feel.

The board is one grey all over. The dark squares sit a fraction lower than the light ones, so the pattern is a relief that catches the light, not paint. Four 4.8 in quadrants dovetail into one square.

One city cool, one city warm.

16 pieces a side. One side wears blues, purples, greens and yellows; the other wears reds, pinks, orange and brown. Each kind of piece has its own colour, so it is easy to find on a busy board.

Read it like a skyline.

From the edge of the table the back rank rises and falls like towers: the king at 3.3 in, the pyramid queen at 3.0 in, down to pawns at 1.5 in.

The cool city moves first.

Pawn to e4, pawn to e5, then the knights and bishops come out. This is the Italian Game, one of the oldest openings there is.

Castle, and it is your game.

The tan king slides two squares toward its rook, and the blue rook steps over to guard it. From here the board is yours.

Six heights, one skyline.

Both sides share the same six shapes, so height tells you the piece: tallest is the king, shortest is the pawn. Pick one to read it.

The six cool-side shapes in a row from tallest to shortest: tan king, yellow queen, blue bishop, purple knight, blue rook, green pawn

  • A slim tower that flares out at the crown. The tallest piece on the board.

  • A four-sided pyramid with a sharp point, the city's best-known shape.

  • A tapering mast on a stepped foot, topped with a ball.

  • A cone that curls forward at the tip, the one piece that leans.

  • A square data-center tower with ribbed walls and a notched roof.

  • A small peg with a round head, in three colours down each front row.

On a wooden café table beside a cup, a hand reaches in and rests two fingers on the yellow pawn at the front of the cool side

Up close

At 9.6 in square and 14.0 oz with every piece on it, the set fits a coffee table, a desk or a café table for two.

A few moves in: centre pawns on e4 and e5, knights out on f3 and c6, the bishops facing each other across the board
Six moves in, the centre already crowded and still easy to read.
Eye level at the board's edge: the cool back rank rises in front, the warm pieces stand behind
Down at table height it looks like a city block.
The set on an oak desk in front of a window, a hazy city outside, a laptop at the edge
By the window on a grey morning, the warm city nearest.
The empty board: one grey, the dark squares set slightly lower than the light ones
Empty, the board is all relief: no printed squares, just light and shadow.

Find a piece by its colour.

No black and white here. Every kind of piece has a colour of its own on each side, and the pawns run in threes along the front row. Pick a kind to see where it starts.

The board from above with every piece on its starting square, coloured as it ships Warm city Cool city

Cool city on your side, warm city across. The cool side plays as white.

The set from straight above: the warm pieces along the top edge, the cool pieces along the bottom, the empty squares between

36 pieces in the box.

2030 San Francisco Chess Set: a skyline you can play, made from PETG.

16
cool-city chessmen: king, queen, two bishops, two knights, two rooks, eight pawns
16
warm-city chessmen, the same shapes in reds, pinks, orange and brown
4
board quadrants that dovetail into one 9.6 in board
Board
9.6 × 9.6 × 0.47 in
Squares
1.1 in
Set up, overall
9.6 × 9.6 × 3.8 in
Tallest piece
King, 3.3 in
Shortest piece
Pawn, 1.5 in
Weight
14.0 oz, board and pieces
Material
PETG
The whole set from one corner, the warm city on the left and the cool city on the right, lined up for a game

Good to know

Which side is white?

The cool city: blue rooks, purple knights, blue bishops, a yellow queen, a tan king and green, yellow and white pawns. It moves first. The warm city, in crimson, pink, brown, red and magenta, plays as black.

How do I tell the pieces apart?

By height and by shape. The king is the tallest at 3.3 in with a flared crown, the queen is a 3.0 in pyramid, the bishop wears a ball, the knight leans, the rook is a notched tower, and the pawn is the shortest at 1.5 in.

How big is it?

The board is 9.6 in square and 0.47 in thick, with 1.1 in squares. With the kings standing it is 9.6 × 9.6 × 3.8 in, and the whole set weighs 14.0 oz.

Why are some squares lower than others?

The board is a single grey. The dark squares are set a fraction lower than the light ones, so the checker shows as a relief, in light and shadow, instead of being painted on.

What is it made of?

PETG plastic, the board and all 32 pieces.