For more than a century, wall-mounted chessboards have played a quiet but crucial role in the history of chess. Long before projectors, broadcasts, and digital boards, demonstration chess sets allowed audiences to follow games in real time—without disturbing the players.
Early demonstration boards were not primitive teaching aids. They were often handcrafted objects, designed for visibility, proportion, and presence. Chess was presented on stages, in halls, and during major matches as a form of intellectual performance.
Historical photographs featuring players such as Alexander Alekhine and José Raúl Capablanca clearly show that demonstration chessboards were once made with care and artistic intent.
For a deeper historical overview with archival photographs, see: Types of demonstration chess sets through history.
When Demonstration Chess Lost Its Craft
Demonstration chess did not become unattractive by accident. The change coincided with a shift in how chess was consumed.
- Chess moved away from stages and audiences.
- Broadcasts, screens, and later the internet replaced physical boards.
- Demonstration chess survived mainly in schools and clubs.
At that point, priorities changed. Weight, price, and durability mattered more than aesthetics or precision. Mass production replaced craftsmanship, and boards became purely functional teaching tools.
Importantly, this does not mean demonstration boards were unnecessary—only that beauty stopped being required.
A detailed comparison between classic demonstration boards, decorative vertical chess, and modern systems can be found here: Demonstration chess vs vertical chess – comparison.
The Alignment Problem Every Chess Player Notices
There is a physical limitation shared by most traditional magnetic demonstration boards.
Because pieces are attracted across the entire surface of the square, there is no fixed reference point. The result is subtle but frustrating:
- pieces rotate slightly,
- sit at non-identical heights,
- fail to align on vertical and horizontal axes.
Most experienced chess players instinctively straighten pieces before a game. On standard demonstration boards, achieving perfect alignment is extremely difficult—sometimes impossible.
Traditional demonstration board during chess training. Even small misalignments become visible and distracting.
This issue becomes even more apparent under cameras and photography, where symmetry and consistency are critical.
ChessClub: Modern Demonstration Chess for Real Education
Despite these limitations, demonstration chess remains indispensable in education. ChessClub was created as a contemporary answer to this reality.
ChessClub wall chess boards are designed specifically for schools, clubs, and academies:
- lightweight construction,
- durable surfaces,
- usable indoors and outdoors,
- designed for daily work with children.
ChessClub in daily classroom use at Silesian Chess Academy.
ChessClub used outdoors during training sessions—mobility and visibility remain key advantages.
ChessboArt and the Return of Precision
ChessboArt was not designed to replace demonstration chess—but to resolve its unresolved problems.
Each ChessboArt board uses a proprietary dual-magnet system:
- two permanently embedded magnets in every piece,
- corresponding magnetic points inside each square.
This forces each piece into a single, fixed position—centered, leveled, and aligned along both axes. Magnets are pressed into the material and cannot loosen or fall out.
The goal was not decoration. Decoration is a side effect of solving precision.
Professional Use: From Masterclasses to Film Sets
At the highest level of use stands ChessboArt800—a fully wooden system designed for permanent installation, professional training, and environments where visual discipline matters.
In 2024, Judit Polgár—the greatest female chess player of all time—used ChessboArt800 during her MasterClass sessions. Her foundation continues to use these boards in professional education.
Judit Polgár using ChessboArt800 during professional training.
Modern chess is increasingly produced for cameras—streams, documentaries, films, and short-form content. Poor alignment and reflective materials do not survive modern lenses.
ChessboArt boards used on the set of the historical film “W szachu. Ostatnia rozgrywka”.
Anikó Kiss-Zliczyńska, screenwriter and decorator:
“The chess sets created by Mr. Fudalej were a beautiful and meaningful part of the set design, used in numerous scenes, including the chess Olympiad and key historical moments.”
David Llada, chess photographer (“The Thinkers”):
“This chess set is truly stunning and looks incredible mounted on my wall.”
Not Reinvention, but Continuation
ChessboArt did not reject demonstration chess. It completed an idea interrupted more than a century ago.
By restoring alignment, material integrity, and visual discipline, wall-mounted chess returned to its place between function and craft.
From classrooms to galleries. From training sessions to film sets.