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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 area is designed as a battleground where the real drama unfolds. The back row, where the king and queen preside, stands higher (a symbolic peak of hierarchy and vision). The shifts in elevation give the game a new tactility. The intention is to not just play across the board but move up and down it, as though climbing through terrain. It adds drama to each move, making the board itself part of the story.
Pieces
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.
Inspired by Karan Darda work, the pawn shows it can go forward with a cut at the back, which represents it cannot come back to its original place. The ribs represent the training and stacking of battlefield knowledge.
Knight is primarily inspired by Tagore hall by BV Doshi, a robost primal aesthetic showcasing its agility through out the board.
Bishop is a layered character exuding collective wisdom derived from the years of knowledge stacked. The direction from top view shows it's diagonal play style on the board
Inspired by the halls and architecture of IIM, the rook shows strength and power. The geometry mimics it's intended linear movement on the board.
The queen is primarily inspired by the Jantar Mantar, It is a cylinder on the outside to represent omni movement across the board, but when raised at eye level, a feminine silhouette is discovered behind the ribs.
The king is inspired by the steps of a temple, parallelly symbolizing the steep and unstable path to kingship and how it’s soaked in politics, war, and legitimacy games.
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.
