Unlike most other board games, each of the chess pieces is a character: king, queen, rook, knight, bishop, and pawn. I have made the characters on each side of the board representative of East and West, with the pieces on each side having distinctive cultural characteristics.

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Although East and West are opponents in the game, having lived within both Eastern and Western cultures, I equally appreciate and am fond of both, and enjoy their unique differences.

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Some of the pieces can be moved mechanically and some contain surprises inside. For example, a king’s mouth can be moved, the program on the TV can be changed, the samurai makes a flourish with his sword, the sandwich opens to reveal curious layers inside, etc.

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Not only can people play a game of chess with the pieces, they can also create their own stories and enjoy how each piece interacts with each other in the space.

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When not in use, the chessboard is folded and stored in a slot between the rooms, and the game pieces can rest in their own room, inside the concrete contemporary-style house, until the next battle.