It’s Glasgow vs Edinburgh in a Game of Chess
“With the Edinburgh chess set we’ve really pushed ourselves and the technology to the limit”
Two former Glasgow university students have thrown down the gauntlet for a chess match to celebrate the launch of their latest 3D chess set which celebrates the architecture of Edinburgh. Monday 30th May sees a special Duke’s Gambit chess competition take place at The Duke’s Umbrella gastropub on Argyle Street. The venue’s monthly chess event will see students from the University of Glasgow compete with students from the University of Edinburgh in a one-off special.
Designed by Michael O’Donnell and Alex Duff, the Edinburgh chess set is a 3D model depicting some of the capital city’s statues and landmarks including the Scott Monument, Edinburgh Castle, Greyfriars Bobby statue and Murrayfield Stadium.
The pair, who studied mechanical engineering with product design, met on their first day at university. They graduated together during the pandemic in June 2020 and a year later launched their business with a Clydeside chess set honouring Glasgow.
“The intricate detail of our chess pieces is our unique selling point,” says Alex Duff. “We visit the location, take as many pictures as possible, then build up the model from the ground up using 3D CAD software. It takes around 36 hours in total to make one set, that includes printing time, hand finishing and assembly.
He added “With the Edinburgh chess set we’ve really pushed ourselves and the technology to the limit. The machines we use to produce the models are accurate to five microns. That’s 0.05mm. Tiny! That’s how we can produce such detailed models.”
“This is a dream come true for us,” says a delighted Michael O’Donnell. “We are passionate about Scotland and chess,so this is the perfect way to celebrate that. We wanted to make a set that would be challenging and fun to play, but also act as a beautiful centrepiece in people’s homes.”
The sets are available to buy online from www.3dscotland.net .
The Duke’s Gambit Glasgow vs Edinburgh chess competition takes place on Monday 30th May, from 6.30-9pm, free entry.