My interest in chess as a theme was a result of observing it being played in the gardens of Stuttgart. Watching the players walk onto the actual board area to make their move was intriguing. It became physical as well as intellectual.
I imagined each piece: fallen, defeated, alone or victorious. The players themselves would also enter the game. And like characters in a story, they provided an interesting element to this scene. Some would enter the game cautiously, some boldly and some not at all.