Chess Mate | India

Inside this oldest handcrafted chess set factory in India lies the secret to making the world’s most exquisite chess pieces. The knight is the hardest to craft!
Amritsar. Home to the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, the iconic Golden Temple in the state of Punjab in northwestern India. Just a few kilometres away, in a back street, artisans toil away to create exquisite chess pieces. This is the manufacturing unit of The Chess Empire, India’s oldest makers of handcrafted chess kits. Rishi Sharma is the three generation owner.
Making a chess piece is a complex process. First, logs of wood are cut into slabs one-and-a-half feet long. These slabs are then slow-dried for up to eight months before shaping can begin. They are then cut into small blocks and taken to turning machines. Special tools are thrusted against the spinning wood block, carving out pieces with precision and accuracy.
Wood chunks are then scooped out from under the base of each piece to create a cavity for weights that provide stability. It’s then sealed with plaster of Paris. The pieces are sanded down once more and taken for colouring and quality check.
Of all the pieces, the knight is the toughest to craft. Achieving accuracy and consistency over hundreds of designs is the real challenge on these pieces, like this one from the King’s Crown series that is priced at $1000 without the board.