Chess pieces

[kacperwyczawski]

Icon name

chess-pawn, chess-rook, chess-knight, chess-bishop, chess-queen, chess-king

Use cases

• Chess-related software
• Chess-related educational materials
• Chess-related branding/merchandise
• Algebraic notation (with symbols instead of letters)

Design ideas

This example would need to be adapted to have similar style to other icons, of course

Checklist

• [X] I have searched if someone has submitted a similar issue before and there weren't any. (Please make sure to also search closed issues, as this issue might already have been resolved.)
• [X] I have searched existing icons to make sure it does not already exist and I didn't find any.
• [X] I am not requesting a brand logo and the art is not protected by copyright.
• [X] I am not requesting an icon that includes religious, political imagery or hate symbols.
• [X] I have provided appropriate use cases for the icon(s) requested.

[jguddas]

Can you think of any additional usecases?

[karsa-mistmere]

I agree with, @jguddas, we probably need additional use cases to be able to add these.

In the meantime, I drew these just for fun:

[kacperwyczawski]

Can you think of any additional usecases?

I edited the issue to include more usecases

[chessurisme]

I agree with, @jguddas, we probably need additional use cases to be able to add these.

In the meantime, I drew these just for fun:

Try more minimalist, I guess. 😁

[chessurisme]

Here's my candidate:

[karsa-mistmere]

I really like some of your design choices, that being said:

• the bases need to have some rounding in one way or another as dictated by guideline no. 7
• the queen is way too dense
• the king feels like it's been squished down
• the knight looks nice, but perhaps feels a bit off balance to the right, and its nose would require extra rounding
• I personally also feel like a 5px radius circle as pawn's head is a bit too big
• I've experimented with the same circular top for bishop as present on your version but felt like it's too much of a distraction, hence the minimalist line instead

I've updated mine, incorporating some ideas from yours:

Some other changes include:

• in the first row, I'm using the bases from siren and anvil
• in the second row, I'm using the base from stamp, this is perhaps more guideline-adjacent, but siren and anvil would also need to be updated to match
• the rook in the second row uses the same top shape as castle does (trying this should have been a no brainer from my part)
• the extra line in pawn really makes of breaks the icon for me, but this might just be a personal preference, although I don't believe I've ever seen a chess pawn that didn't have a collar, without it, it just feel like a regular board game puppet

[chessurisme]

Great insight, @karsa-mistmere.

For the pawn, I prefer the third row over the others. It feels smooth, and the circle is distinct from the rest of its part. Is there any chance we can make the circle smaller, but not as small as in the first and second rows? The third one's circle looks big enough for me, but if we can't make it smaller, just leave the third row as it is. The extra line could be added.

For the rook, I prefer the first row. The dent looks better when inside than outside. I feel it resembles a pitchfork or comb when outside. I don't know if you feel the same. The third row feels like pieces on a variant of a chess game. It is more detailed than the rest and doesn't seem like a rook to me. (Yes, there are a lot of chess variants. It is weird to play them, by the way. Chess960 was my favorite.)

For the knight, I prefer the second one. Eyes are not really necessary. In the real world, eyes don't catch more attention. However, the curve does. The way you curve the head of the knight feels great in how it attaches to the base.

For the bishop, I prefer the first one. I like how it feels bulbous. The second one reminds me of a lamp shape. (I don't know if it is the same; my brain says that.)

For the king, the second one is great. The bulbous head looks like it fits perfectly on a collar (base) shirt.

For the queen, same as the king.

For the bases, try to make them match for all of them. Any mention of bases above is just minor. Let me know how you got it.

[SurSerious]

The king, queen, and rook could be used to symbolize strength, courage, or power. The pawn could be used to symbolize quotes / concepts about persevering, courage, etc. (being the weakest to becoming the strongest)