Checkmate with Paul Smith

Checkers is for tramps. True story.

During the Age of Enlightenment, chess was viewed as a means of self-improvement. Even ol’ Ben Franklin wrote an article in 1750 called “The Morals of Chess” in which he said:

“The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of Chess, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adversaries to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in some degree, the effect of prudence, or the want of it. By playing at Chess then, we may learn foresight, circumspection and caution.”

Paul Smith on the other hand has simply improved the quality of the game by releasing his limited edition hand made chess set including a board storage case and pieces box. It’s got a multi stripe leather trim around the base, the top of the board has a leather black and white check with red outline and white contrast stitching, the top is embossed with the Paul Smith signature, and the bottom is covered in purple suede.

Paul Smith says purple's the new white

As for the wooden pieces  - they’re all handmade and lacquered in both black and purple, with felted bottoms. This Chess set is another piece, which captures the character of Paul Smith’s humorous approach to the design of everyday objects, with the bold use of colour and quality in detail. Get one here for £575 (only about R6000).