Our East Anglia-based research group has used Computerized Tomography (CT) and 3D printing in combination with CAD and 3D modelling software to study chess pieces made of a number of different materials. We discuss some of our results and findings with particular reference to complete and incomplete nineteenth-century Cantonese ivory chessmen.

We used both hospital CT and a micro-CT scanners to study chess pieces manufactured from ivory, bone and wood as well as various resins and plastic materials. The mean X-ray attenuation values of the different materials were measured using TomoMask <www.tomomask.com> while external and internal 3D structures were studied using the Disect viewer <www.disectsystems.com>. The 3D X-ray data was converted to various computer formats for further manipulation before final 3D printing.

The intricate external and internal features of various sized nineteenth-century Cantonese ivory chess pieces that were either complete, incomplete or broken that were examined by micro-CT could be faithfully reproduced when 3D printed. Furthermore, the structure of each individual ball-within-a-ball of the puzzle-ball bases could also be studied individually, giving further insight as to how they were made.

CT, CAD, 3D modelling and 3D printing technologies can be used to both study individual chessmen (or indeed pieces from any other type of game) as well as to produce highly accurate and pleasing replicas in many different materials including bronze, silver, ceramic, sandstone and nylon.