Six young chess enthusiasts from the Royal Borough have been part of a unique project to design and print a queen chess piece using the Council’s 3D printer.
The final design will be unveiled at Kensington Central Library on Saturday 3 December from 11.30am to 1.30pm, when the girls will compete in a special chess tournament using pieces which have all been printed by the 3D printer.
The initiative is known as the ‘Queen’s Journey’ because there are 64 squares on a chess board and this year marks Her Majesty’s 64-year reign. The six girls, aged between seven and 13, are part of a local chess club run by chess enthusiast and classical pianist Jason Kouchak. Over the past six months the girls have designed the queen’s chess piece and been shown 3D printing in action.
Councillor Emma Will, the Royal Borough’s Cabinet Member for Libraries, said:
“We are continuing to invest in our library service and I’m delighted that the addition of our 3D printer has inspired these young people to get creative with digital technology.
“Over the coming months we will be holding more events to showcase exactly what 3D printing can do and I’d urge budding inventors, creators and aspiring entrepreneurs to pop into their local library to find out more.”
Jason Kouchak who as a local resident had the idea of bringing the giant chess set to Holland Park said:
“This chess and 3D project provides an opportunity to inform and inspire more girls to see chess from a different and new exciting perspective.
“The Queen having reigned for 64 wonderful years provided the girls with an opportunity to design a 3D chess Queen and understand the importance of the 3D design process as they see their designs magically transformed into a physical piece”