The creators of this 3D edition are Lars Derhaag and Mirela Salcedo Orellana, both students in the Media Studies: Digital Cultures master's program at Maastricht University.
👤 Lars
Hi, my name is Lars, I am one of the two creators of this 3D Edition and this project is part of our Master’s program. For this project, Mirela and I chose to digitize a chessboard. The overall process of photogrammetry was new and interesting. The possibilities that technology offers in this day and age truly amazed me—whereas specific and expensive machines were needed in the past for the digitization of real-life objects, today all that’s needed is a mobile phone and a laptop.
This opportunity to participate in a digitization process gave me new insights and skills in digitizing real-life objects. I chose to propose my chessboard because I’ve always been intrigued by the stories surrounding chess. Both personal stories of chess grandmasters and new technological breakthroughs in this field always draw my attention. Therefore, it seemed like the perfect object to digitize and build an online 3D edition around it.
The ways the 3D object can be integrated into the storytelling of the articles really appealed to me. This gave us the opportunity to offer a more complete overview of chess. The moving chess pieces add another dimension to the overall explanation, making this form of storytelling very engaging for visitors. Overall, I’m satisfied with how our creative ideas turned out in the pure 3D environment.
👤 Mirela
Hello, I am Mirela, and I am one of the two designers of this 3D Edition, created by us throughout our Master's program. I have always been attracted to create projects with digital media and material, physical objects, and therefore the idea of converting a pre-existing chessboard into a virtual world intrigued me instantly.
This project gave me the chance to experiment with photogrammetry and learn how technology can blend physical and virtual spaces. I enjoyed the challenge of taking a handmade item and bringing it into a 3D environment without sacrificing its textures and details. Aside from the technical, what intrigued me most was the way a virtual chessboard could support storytelling. Being able to interact and see pieces, and to imagine strategies, gives a new depth to knowing the game, and that makes it an interesting experience for anyone who checks out our project. I’m excited about how our project offers a dynamic and immersive way to engage with chess!
We both share a deep appreciation for chess—more than just as a game, also as an intellectual and cultural artifact. Our combined interest in strategy and problem-solving made the chessboard an obvious choice.