A Clever Illusion of a Phantom Queen Appearing Only in a Mirror Reflection During a Game of Chess

Self-described “science magician” Matt Pritchard created the amazing illusion called “The Phantom Queen” where the queen appears only in a mirror that faces the Chessboard but not on the board itself.

The main illusion in this video shows a chess board and its reflection in a mirror. However, there’s a phantom White Queen piece that only appears as a reflection, leaving a mysterious empty square in the foreground.

The Phantom Queen won first place in the Illusion of the Year contest for 2021.

Pritchard explains how this illusion was achieved.

The illusion is achieved by creating a camouflaged invisibility cloak that shields the Queen from one viewing angle. The shape and pattern of this shield also disguise its presence when viewed from a second angle that comes from the mirror’s reflection.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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