The smallest chess set in the world?

by Arne Kaehler
6/18/2020 – The Turkish artist Necati Korkmaz made something tiny with incredible effort. The perhaps smallest Chess set in the world is measuring less than a single centimetre. Soon he will apply for this set to become a new Guinness World record. But will it be accepted? | Photo: Facebook
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
FRITZ is more than just a chess engine – it’s a training revolution! Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.

Small Parts: Not for pets, and children under three years

Necati Korkmaz is a Turkish micro-sculptor who has created the perhaps smallest chess set in the world. The measurement of the board is 9 x 9 mm (0.35 x 0.35 inch).

The word "perhaps" is used, because this is an unofficial record so far. The official Guinness World Record was set up by artist Ara Ghazaryan in 2017.

This "was" the smallest chess set in the world?

The Guinness regulation for the record states:

...that a set has to be exactly to scale and perform the original function as the everyday original. 

Although it is difficult to move a piece to the planned square, it is possible if you keep a very steady hand. Good enough to break the old World Record it seems.

The chessboard

The size of the chess set is best compared with a single blueberry. All chess pieces range from 1.5 to 3mm, smaller than a lentil.

For better visualization, I placed a lentil on my smallest chessboard

In other words, the chess set is really tiny. By using a microscope it is possible to see all the details. The chess pieces are slightly magnetic, otherwise they would just fall over when you breathe on them. Moves can only be mde with self-made tools, as shown in the video below.

It might help to hold your breath while making a move

The inventor Necati Korkmaz told the Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency that he worked on this project six hours a day for six months. 

From time to time, I was very tired but it is a great pleasure to see the work of art finished. I prepared a really usable micro chess set.

One of Korkmaz other recent art pieces is a 2mm tall doctor fighting the coronavirus.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

DOKTOR X Corona Virüse karşı 2 mm.

A post shared by Necati Korkmaz (@microsculpture) on

Links:

 

Topics: chess board, Chess records, chess set, Records
Arne Kaehler, a creative mind who is passionate about board games in general, was born in Hamburg and learned to play chess at a young age. By teaching chess to youth teams and creating chess-related videos on YouTube, Arne was able to expand this passion and has even created an online course for anyone who wants to learn how to play chess. Arne writes for the English and German news sites, but focuses mainly on content for the ChessBase media channels.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register