I think that you need to pay some more attention
to the lighting, maybe add some area lights. 

A pattern on the pieces would improve this a lot, 
something like wood or marble maybe, the pieces
look a bit plane at the moment though the modelling
is good.  

The edging that surrounds the board seems a bit obtrusive,
and obstructs the view of the bottom of the white pieces,
I'd make that surround level with the playing board, and 
much thicker (horizontally), which would give the board
a more grandiose feeling.  

The ground/table and sky could either do with being much
more plane, or much more ordinary, say wood for the 
table and blue for the sky whith whisps of white cloud.

Though I mention many possible changes above, these are
only small compared to the amount of work that you've
already put into this, so don't be discouraged, and 
remember to let us see the finished article. 

-- 
Cheers
Steve              email mailto:ste### [at] zeroppsuklinuxnet

%HAV-A-NICEDAY Error not enough coffee  0 pps. 

web http://www.zeropps.uklinux.net/

or  http://start.at/zero-pps

 12:22pm  up 11 days, 14:42,  2 users,  load average: 1.00, 1.03, 1.05

Post a reply to this message