Moh Maya
Moh Maya reimagines the traditional chess set through the lens of Indian modernism. It’s a study in material, form, tradition and symbolism - where design becomes both an object of play and reflection.
Designed by Tanay Vora, Yaman Gupta, Vidushi Gupta and Hardik Sharma
YDI Community Project Edition #1 2025
Unlike the flat boards we all know, Moh Maya is tiered, almost like a landscape. The pawns begin on a lower plane, humble and grounded. The central battleground rises, a stage where the real drama unfolds. The back row, where the king and queen preside, stands higher still—a symbolic peak of hierarchy and vision. The shifts in elevation give the game a new tactility. You don’t just play across the board—you move up and down it, as though climbing through terrain. It adds drama to each move, making the board itself part of the story.
Each piece draws from India’s mid-century architecture - concrete geometry, strong lines, structural balance. Every element is intentional drawing on the ancient symbolism of the chakras.
Pawns connect to the Root Chakra - stable, grounded, patient. Knights channel the Sacral Chakra - creative, playful, always in motion. Bishops hold the Solar Plexus - focused, decisive, powerful. Rooks align with the Heart - protective yet generous. Queens take on the Throat Chakra - voices of leadership and expression. And the King stands with the Crown - wisdom, balance, the quiet center of it all.
Chess has always been about discipline and order. This chess set introduces a single, thoughtful shift - an additional queen (as seen above) when a pawn reaches the final line. This subtle change highlights transformation, reminding us that even small moves can carry big meaning.
Above all, Moh Maya is about telling a story of India. Not through motifs of the past, but through the lens of the present. It looks to India’s modernist movement, to its spiritual philosophies, to its ability to mix tradition and innovation without hesitation.
For too long, Indian design has been seen through a narrow lens - nostalgic, ornamental, or folkloric. Moh Maya aims to change that narrative. It’s Indian design that is bold, forward-thinking, and global in its conversation, while still rooted in a culture that has always asked big questions about life, illusion, and meaning.
The creation of Moh Maya was itself a journey. Over three months, across four countries, the project took shape through conversations, sketches, models, and refinements. Different perspectives fed into the design, but its soul remained anchored in India. Like the game of chess itself - born in India, carried across continents, reshaped by cultures - Moh Maya is a story of exchange. It is local and global, personal and universal.
