FIX Union & Lviv Chess Commons

FIX Union has joined the international Lviv Chess Commons: Move by Move project, as part of which we are producing accessible chess tables for the new Stein Chess Square.

Stein Chess Square is located in central Lviv and is connected to the city’s chess heritage. The project brings together urban design, accessibility and chess culture, creating a space open to different groups of users. The space will be particularly meaningful for veterans, Lviv residents and visitors, providing additional opportunities for social interaction and a return to active community life.

The development of the location has been made possible with the support of German partners, including Lviv’s sister city Würzburg and DAHW.

One of the key areas of Lviv Chess Commons: Move by Move is the creation of accessible chess infrastructure. This includes tables designed to meet the needs of people with different physical abilities, including wheelchair users.

The FIX Union team is producing the first five tables for the project. Our work involves not only manufacturing the tables but also refining their design, components and technical solutions to ensure that they are comfortable and convenient for different users.

Recently, the Lviv Chess Commons team visited the FIX Union production facility to see the tables at different stages of production and learn more about how they are made.

Accessibility Starts with Design

For FIX Union, participation in Move by Move continues our approach of incorporating accessibility into the design process from the very beginning.

“Accessibility is determined not only by whether a person can physically enter a particular space. It also depends on how thoughtfully the shape, height, structure, materials and way of using a specific element have been designed. It is at the design stage that we can anticipate the needs of different users and make the urban environment more comfortable for more people.”

Oksana Straz, Development Director at FIX Union

A chess table is a simple but telling example of this approach. Its primary function remains the same, but a carefully considered design allows different people to use it together.

Chess as a Reason to Connect

The value of the Lviv Chess Commons: Move by Move project goes beyond creating new chess tables. Its broader goal is to create places in the city for meeting, communication and rebuilding social connections.

A game of chess does not require a complicated setting. Two people, a board and a few free hours are enough. This makes chess an accessible way to bring together people of different ages, backgrounds and physical abilities.

For veterans, the emergence of spaces like these can also support the process of returning to active community life. Open urban locations where people can meet without a formal reason, communicate and participate in shared activities can help strengthen a sense of belonging to the city.

Urban Elements That Create More Opportunities

For FIX Union, this project demonstrates how the production of urban furniture and public-space elements can contribute to the quality of the urban environment.

A well-designed urban element should fulfil its practical function while also creating new ways for people to use a space. In the case of chess tables, this means creating opportunities to play, meet new people, communicate and spend time together.

The first tables for Lviv Chess Commons: Move by Move have already been installed. The opening of Stein Chess Square, the first games and many new meetings around the tables are still ahead.

FIX Union is proud to be part of a project that demonstrates that an accessible urban environment begins with thoughtful design and solutions created for real people and real-life scenarios.

You can also become a sponsor and get involved and help create accessible spaces for recovery, communication and community life in rehabilitation facilities and public spaces across Lviv.

We are grateful to the Ukrainian Veterans Fund for its support and for the opportunity to purchase new laser equipment through grant funding. For FIX Union, this is an important step in expanding our production capabilities. The first products manufactured with the new equipment have already become part of the Lviv Chess Commons: Move by Move project.

We thank our partners and the project team for their trust and for the opportunity to work together to create more accessible and comfortable public spaces.

For us, it is important that new production capabilities contribute not only to the development of the company, but also to creating an urban environment that is open and welcoming to everyone.