Compact Folding Chess Set

The main idea was to make a chess set that doesn't need a separate box or bag. When folded, the chessboard becomes a compact case containing all 32 chess pieces. The folded set measures only 180 × 90 × 28 mm and unfolds into a full 180 × 180 × 15 mm chessboard. The board uses magnets to stay securely closed during transportation and to hold the two halves together when playing. Instead of modelling traditional chess-piece silhouettes, the pieces use Unicode chess symbols (FreeSerif font) incorporated into the 3D models. The two halves of the chessboard are designed to fit together mechanically. One half has a 2 mm raised rim around the perimeter, while the other half has a corresponding recessed area. The two halves are secured by 8 × 5×2 mm magnets. This creates a positive fit between the two halves. When the board is opened, 3 additional magnets located on the each side of the board hold the two halves together and keep the playing surface aligned. Magnets required 22 × neodymium magnets, 5 × 2 mm. Pay attention to magnet polarity during assembly. Two versions of the model are included. _AMS — Multicolor Version. Designed for printers equipped with an AMS or another multicolor printing system. The chess symbols and board elements can be printed in contrasting colors directly during the printing process. _NO_AMS — Single-Color Version Designed for a conventional single-extruder / single-color FDM printer. No AMS or automatic filament-changing system is required. For the chess pieces, it is possible to change the filament by pausing the print at the appropriate layer. For the board, individual squares in two different colors are printed and then glued into the recesses on the board. The model geometry is adapted for printing the chess pieces and symbols without a multicolor system. The model should be printable in any common FDM materials, but PETG was used for the prototype shown in the photos. Recomented layer height: 0.2 mm