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Monday 12 May 2014

Scacco F.R. Opal Puzzle Chess Set (Franco Rocco)

The problem with knowing so many other puzzle nutters (great guys and gals by the way) is that they also buy brilliant puzzles...and then show them to you. This in turn makes you want said puzzles...so you also go and buy them yourself. The cheek of some people! Therefore this puzzle purchase is totally not my fault, even though I am held to blame for the puzzle purchases of a few (hundred?) others.
This is the Scacco F.R. Opal Puzzle Chess Set. I know, that's quite a mouthful to say. It was designed by the Italian architect, designer and puzzle maker Franco Rocco, and I think the design kind of straddles the lines between being a sculpture, a game and a puzzle.

The original version of this puzzle was called 'Scaccomatto', made in 1977 out of solid brass, with one of the set of pieces being chrome plated. Several different versions of this chess set have followed since then, the one pictured above is the 4th regeneration of the design, and also happens to be the most affordable to date. This was brilliant since I had always loved this design from the moment I first saw it, but I resigned myself to knowing I would never be able to afford one...and now here it is!

This version is made out of cast translucent plastic (methacrylate), with a different colour for each set of pieces. Each cube is made up of seventeen pieces, that includes all of the chess pieces for one player and a sprung locking key piece which is designed to hold the cube in a fully interlocking state until it is removed. No board is included, hence the crappy looking board in the photo as it was all I had to hand.

The idea of having such a good quality puzzle design in plastic was a bit off-putting at first, but because the pieces are cast and not hollow it makes a huge difference. They have a nice weight to them, and there are no size imperfections at all. The fit is absolutely perfect.

I remember that I first came across the metal 3rd version of this puzzle at one of the earliest Midlands Puzzle Parties (MPPs). I took a cube apart and I believe it took me at least 45 minutes to get it back together again! Even though being a puzzle isn't the only thing it was designed to be it is certainly not a breeze to solve. Each chess piece is pretty irregularly shaped, and can interlock into all of the other pieces in one way or another. But every piece is also identical to the other pieces of the same type, so all pawns are identical for example.

This is an absolutely brilliant puzzle in every respect, and for the price (~£50) it is a bargain as well. If you are looking to add one to your collection then have a look at the Puzzle Museum website for more information and availability details.

5 comments:

  1. Nice one Oli, many thanks, email punted :-D

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  2. Oli! It's ALL your fault! Although Allard must also bear quite a bit of responsibility! For once I'm actually going to pass! I only want a metal version!

    Kevin
    Puzzlemad

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well mine has turned up :-D I wonder if there's any chance they might do the board as well?

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    Replies
    1. Sadly, I doubt it. But that would be amazing! I'd definitely buy one in a heartbeat.

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  4. I just had a look at my metal set (number 382) last night which was given to me by a friend of his who had bought several sets (it was sitting on the floor in his office when he said "here, take this!"). Chap also had a beautiful desk made by Franco Rocco (circular with inlaid walnut).

    I met him (Rocco) when he had just made the Columbus piece and was showing us how it worked (in Italian, so I didn't understand that much- this was in Barcelona). I was also given a few other things from his studio (and also bought a glass picture frame).

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