Chess has been played on flat boards for centuries, but designer Joffey is proposing a rather different way to approach the classic game. Called Turner, this creative chess set wraps the familiar checkerboard around a vertical rotating cylinder, turning the playing surface into a sculptural object that looks as much like a piece of modern design as a traditional board game.
Created for Day 04 of the #Productober design challenge, which focused on the theme of magnetism, Turner uses magnetic pieces that attach directly to the curved surface. This allows the board to stand upright without sending the chess army tumbling onto the table. The cylinder can rotate, bringing different sections of the game into view as players move around it or turn the structure.
The design is immediately recognizable thanks to its blue-and-white checkerboard pattern. Deep blue replaces the usual black squares, giving the set a softer, more contemporary appearance. The chess pieces retain their familiar silhouettes, including kings, queens, bishops, knights, rooks, and pawns, so players do not have to learn an entirely new visual language. The board itself is mounted on a flared pedestal, while dark blue circular caps finish the top and bottom of the cylinder.
Magnetism is the key to making the concept work. On a conventional chessboard, gravity keeps the pieces in place because they sit on a horizontal surface. Turner changes that relationship by turning the board vertically, allowing the pieces to remain attached as the cylinder rotates. The movement becomes part of the experience, transforming a static playing surface into something that can be physically manipulated.
However, the unconventional format raises an interesting question about how the game would actually be played. A traditional board allows both players to see every piece and square at once. With Turner, part of the position inevitably disappears around the back of the cylinder, meaning players would need to rotate the board to inspect the entire game. That could introduce a new spatial challenge, although it might also make complex positions harder to follow.
The concept’s rules are not fully established, and it remains unclear whether the cylinder is intended to change the mechanics of chess or simply provide a new way to display and interact with the existing game. The design also leaves practical questions unanswered, including how firmly the magnetic pieces would hold during rotation and how easily players could move them without disturbing neighboring pieces.
For now, Turner is a design concept rather than a commercially available chess set. Its appeal lies in rethinking an object that has remained largely unchanged for generations. By combining magnetic functionality, a rotating structure, and a restrained color palette, Joffey turns chess into a tabletop sculpture that invites curiosity even when nobody is playing.
Turner may not replace the traditional chessboard anytime soon, but it offers an intriguing alternative for anyone who sees everyday objects as opportunities for experimentation. Sometimes, a fresh perspective on a familiar game starts with changing the shape of the board itself.
