Foldable chess—a chess set made of soft, corrugated polymer where a piece, once picked up, collapses and changes its state.
The core idea of the project is to make the material properties an intrinsic part of the game. The chess pieces retain their recognizable shape, but their bodies are constructed from soft corrugated plastic. This allows the piece to be compressed vertically. Here, the polymer functions not only as a material but also as an interactive mechanism.
Interaction Scenario
When the pieces are in play, they are in their fully expanded state. When a piece is selected, the player taps it from above and compresses the corrugated body. This makes the act of capturing a distinct physical gesture, and the change in the piece’s state visually registers its removal from the game.
Storage
After the game, all the pieces compress and become more compact. The board folds in half, transforming into a case for storing the set. Thanks to the collapsible design, the pieces take up less space and fit inside the folded board.
Origami chess transforms traditional chess into a more tactile and emotional object, where the properties of the polymer become part of the playing experience.
