“As a South Asian, I felt a pull to bring the game home again"
British-Bangladeshi designer and prop maker Anika Chowdhury has reimagined the classic game of chess with her handcrafted glow-in-the-dark set, Glowborne.
The set features South Asian, African, and Middle Eastern characters, placing representation at the centre of gameplay and offering communities a presence in worlds where they have rarely been seen.
For Anika, Glowborne is a celebration of cultural identity and heritage through craft, storytelling, and design.
She traces chess back to its Indian roots, embedding symbolism and cultural nuance in every piece, from Bengali kings and pawns to bishops adorned with bindis.
Through her work, Anika invites players to see themselves reflected in a game traditionally shaped by Western imagery, making each move an experience of pride, recognition, and belonging.
Speaking to DESIblitz, Anika explained the creative process behind her chess set and the importance of South Asian representation.
Re-rooting Chess in Its South Asian Origins
Chess may be known worldwide as a strategic and universal game, but for Anika Chowdhury, its story has always been personal:
“I grew up knowing chess as this universal, global game, but very few people around me spoke about where it actually began – in India.”
As a British Bangladeshi game designer and prop maker, she felt compelled to trace the game back to its roots.
Anika explains: “As a South Asian, I felt a pull to bring the game home again, to give credit to its origins and re-root it in the culture that birthed it.
“For me, it wasn’t just about design, it was to tell the story properly through craft and art.”
Representation Across the Board
Glowborne challenges the traditional hierarchy of chess by reflecting South Asian resilience and leadership throughout the pieces.
Anika says: “For me, making both the king and the pawn Bengali was about showing the full spectrum of who we are.
“Leadership isn’t only found at the top, and resilience isn’t only carried by the everyday worker – both matter.”
Her attention to detail extends to bishops, adorned with bindis:
“The bindi is such a small detail, but it carries a lot of cultural and spiritual weight.
“Adding it to the bishop felt like a way to honour that symbolism, and to show that spirituality and strategy can co-exist.
“It’s a nod to the deeper layers of identity that don’t usually get space in a Western chess set.”
Explaining how Glowborne transforms the way South Asians experience chess, Anika adds:
“We’ve always been given sets where the characters don’t look like us. Glowborne flips that.
“When you sit down to play, you’re not just moving faceless figures; you’re moving characters that carry parts of your heritage.
“It changes the game from something borrowed into something that feels personal.”
Pride, Craft and Cultural Legacy
Anika Chowdhury is deliberate in creating a set that fosters pride and recognition:
“Pride, joy, recognition. That quiet moment of, ‘Oh, that looks like me, or my dad, or my community’.
“I wanted it to feel affirming, like finally being invited into a space we’ve always been part of, but rarely seen in.”
She explains that her designs are “rooted” in her identity but “open enough that anyone can step into it”.
Anika continues: “When the craft is strong, and the storytelling is honest, people connect – whether they share your background or not.
“It’s about being specific with identity, but universal with emotion.”
Stating that her chess creation is also a celebration of South Asian craft traditions, Anika says:
“I sculpted, moulded, and painted every piece by hand, because that’s also part of our cultural legacy – to make things with care and artistry.
“Glowborne is a modern chess set, yes, but it’s also a continuation of that tradition of South Asian craftsmanship.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
Ahead of Glowborne’s launch, Anika Chowdhury is focused on the impact it could have on younger generations and broader conversations around cultural identity.
She elaborates: “I want younger generations to know their culture isn’t something to hide or tone down – it’s something powerful that can glow on the world’s stage.
“I hope it encourages more South Asians to pursue creative paths, even when tradition pushes them elsewhere.”
Beyond the board, Glowborne is positioned as a symbol of representation and collective ownership:
“Glowborne started as a very personal project, but putting it on Kickstarter means it can live beyond just me; it becomes something the community can own and carry forward.
“I hope it adds to a wider conversation about South Asian pride, creativity, and visibility.”
“If people back it, they’re not only supporting a chess set, they’re helping rewrite what representation looks like.”
Glowborne demonstrates how thoughtful design can reshape traditional games to celebrate cultural identity.
Anika Chowdhury’s vision blends South Asian artistry, symbolism, and storytelling, creating a chess set that resonates with both local and global audiences.
By combining craft with representation, Glowborne goes beyond gameplay, offering a platform for conversations about visibility, pride, and heritage.
It is a tangible reminder that culture and creativity can coexist in spaces long dominated by Western norms.
With the chess set launching on October 9, 2025, sign up to be notified by Kickstarter.
Watch the Official Trailer
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