Inspired by the Lewis Carroll’s novel ‘Alice through the Looking Glass,’ designer Yasmin Sethi developed a chess set that features pieces that “magically turn transparent” when they touch the board.

(In ‘Alice through the Looking Glass’ by Lewis Carroll, Alice falls through a mirror and on the other side of the mirror, she becomes a piece in a game of chess.)

The pieces of this chess set are each contained in a cylinder that turns opaque when they’re removed from the board hiding the identity of the piece.

However, when you put them back down in one of the squares, the pieces turn transparent again and reveal their true identity.

“The effect works thanks to a board made out of a glass material with embedded LEDs (LightPoints) and chess pieces made from clear glass with the negative shape of a traditional, delicate Staunton chess piece enclosed within it.

Placing the chess piece on the board completes a circuit that illuminates the negative shapes, making them visible.” (source : gizmodo)

The idea is to show that chess pieces have no value unless they’re in play.

This product was designed in response to a brief set by Schott UK Ltd. for Final year students of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.