“Strong and sporty”: Nymzo is the trendy chess brand designed for a new wave of players

Until recently, chess was largely perceived as a game for, put bluntly, nerds and old people. But in recent years it’s begun to shed that stuffy image. The pandemic, pop culture and a wave of content creators have turned this centuries-old game into a global phenomenon where groups meet to play at trendy coffee shops and swanky bars soundtracked by vinyl DJs.

New York-based graphic designers Elliott Walker (Pentagram, Collins) and Tim Hucklesby (Red Antler) noticed that despite this new wave of social chess clubs, the tools were stuck in the past. Players were either limited to low-quality plastic pieces with vinyl mats, or impractical and expensive hand-crafted sets made of glass or wood. “Chess was being talked about like it was a new era sport,” says Elliott, “but where was the brand and equipment to support that?”

Enter Nymzo: an alternative chess brand for next-gen players. “We wanted to approach our products as technical equipment designed for this new era of the game, supporting the transformation in how chess is seen and played today,” says Tim. “Chess culture has changed so much in the last decade, yet surprisingly little has changed about its design in over a century.”

The team launched with the Stanton Series 01 in January 2025 – a roll up mat and weighted pieces that glide just like a classic board. The process began with considering traditional conventions, and focusing on form and material, “unifying the architecture of the pieces, perfecting weight and balance, and selecting materials that are both durable and play smoothly,” says Elliott.

Following a successful launch that sold over 2.6k sets and caught the eye of world number one Magnus Carlsen, Nymzo is now preparing to launch a second series. Offered in four new colourways, the Stanton Series 02 is a lighter, faster and more accessible evolution of its original series in both price and play.

As brand designers by trade, the identity for Nymzo came together organically: “We discussed how skateboarding and running have distinct visual cultures, and how we want to try and help shape that same world for chess,” says Tim. Compared to these markets though, there are few recognisable chess brands currently on offer. “We could really set the template for what a next-gen chess brand looks like – strong and sporty, but not too reminiscent of any other subcultural sport or activity.”

This applied to the design of the product itself too. Since the audience is widening across different demographics and groups, variety and personal expression became a critical point to think about. “There is no reason a chess set needs to be wood-toned or monochrome. There is no reason it has to have green felt on the bottom of the pieces. There are many ways to achieve colour contrast,” Elliott concludes. “There will always be classic colourways for people that like a more traditional look, but we want to make chess sets that appeal to all types of people.”