London vs New York Chess - Skyline Chess
A luxury chess set featuring injection-moulded acrylic pieces shaped like iconic architectural landmarks from London and New York.
Price
£199.00
Editorial rating
5.0 / 5
Last price check
19/02/2026 07:17
Part of the weekly drop
Best Of Office Design And Luxury Gifts: SIHOO Ergonomics, Skyline Chess, And Wearable Tech | Vol. 11
This product was featured in Vol. 11, alongside other human-picked finds with the same slightly obsessive editorial energy.
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Editorial take
Why we picked it
We've all got that one friend who thinks a standard wooden chess set is a bit too "Grandad's library," and this Skyline Chess set is the Supporting piece designed specifically for them. It's for the person who wants to play a game of strategy while simultaneously admiring the brutalist beauty of the Shard or the Art Deco curves of the Chrysler Building.
It turns a centuries-old game into a battle of urban planning, where you can literally knock over Canary Wharf with the Empire State Building. I've spent more time just rearranging the pieces to look like a tiny, high-stakes property development than actually playing the game.
It's the ultimate coffee-table flex-a piece of "playable art" that suggests you're both intellectually formidable and incredibly well-travelled. Perfect for anyone who thinks the Queen should look more like a skyscraper.
Detailed verdict
The full review
The Irresistible
- The architectural detail on the acrylic pieces is stunning; using Big Ben as a Rook and the London Eye as a Knight is a stroke of design genius that actually makes sense.
- The set comes in a high-end presentation box that makes it feel like you've just been handed the keys to a very expensive city-centre penthouse.
The Clever Part
- The contrast between the London "Smoke" and New York "Clear" pieces is visually striking and helps keep the board from becoming a confusing mess of plastic buildings.
- The wooden board is hand-screen printed with a "hatch" design that feels modern and architectural, moving away from the tired old green-and-white checks.
The Fine Print
- Because the pieces are abstract shapes, your brain might short-circuit in the middle of a match when you realize you've just mistaken the Guggenheim Museum for a pawn.
- The acrylic is beautiful but a total magnet for dust; you'll be dusting the Empire State Building with a cotton bud if you want it to keep its shine.
The Reality Check
- Your non-chess-playing guests will constantly try to pick up the Shard to see if it's a fancy salt shaker, which is a risk you'll just have to live with.
Inside this drop
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