How it works: Each row on the chessboard represents a full measure of music, with each column representing a moment in time and each space representing a potential eighth note. Thus, the first space on the top row is the first beat of the measure; the second space is the second, and so forth. If a space is occupied by a piece, a beat is struck. Otherwise no beat is played. The music loops back to the first beat after playing the eighth.

Since there are eight rows, there are eight different rhythms played at once. Each of these rhythms are played by a different "instrument" with its own tonal quality. More sedate sounds could occupy the outer (i.e. first and eighth rows) while more dramatic tones could be added to the center (i.e. cymbals). These differing sounds could be generated electronically in one of three ways:

• using a MIDI interface;
• by sampling the sounds into a sampler or computer; or
• by microphone embedded in the board, so that players could create their own timbres and sounds by clacking the pieces on the board.

Example: The following example MP3 file is generated from the last game of the Gary Kasparov - Deep Junior chess series played in February 2003.

» Hear the sound rendering [1.8MB MP3]
» See the game archived at wired.com [requires Flash 6 player]

The music is hard-coded into ProTools, with one move per measure. There are 55 moves, hence 55 total measures. Each row is a different percussion sound from the Jazz Set MIDI bank. (The instruments used are not the same as in the schematic above.) The first measuure, in which all of the pieces are aligned in the first, second, seventh, and eighth rows, is of course straight eighth notes by four of the instruments. As the first pawn is moved the first rhythm emerges. The music ends abruptly when Kasparov offers a draw and it is accepted by Deep Junior. A normal performance (see below) would include the setting up and "tearing down" of the board, so that the piece begins and ends in silence.

Performance: The board could be used for any game -- or no game at all -- to create different musical experiences. In a standard game of chess, the performance would start even before any pieces are set down, so that busier and busier rhythms are generated as the board is set up. When the game is ready to begin, entropy ends; the two outer rows are filled with pieces, and a steady rhythm of eighth-notes are heard. Thus the game begins and complexity returns until the game is nearly devoid of pieces. The tempo could be set by a potentiometer on the side of the board. There might also be a bit of syncopation hard-coded into the algorithm.

Construction: Each square is embedded with a sensor -- probably a light sensor -- which can tell if a piece occupies the square or not. (Differentiation between different pieces is probably too difficult for this assignment.) The 64 squares are constantly monitored in matrix form by a microchip underneath the board which sends a MIDI signal to the computer to trigger sound events.

Experiental Sound Piece or Music?: Assuming that players focus on the music, rather than the game, this can well be used as a viable percussion instrument with potentially complex rhythms and a high degree of complexity.