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Yes I know this has zip to do with boards, kites, surf but it is for outside....

dream time.
if you wanted to build an outdoor chess set that was sturdy what would you use.

base for each would be 100 or 150mm DWV pipe around metre high end caps for pawns but what about the other pieces?

any ideas or what else to make from

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Elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn would be the best materials

but in all serious maybe something like paper mache coated or foam

There is a set in a park somewhere in Singapore and they look stone but feel plastic??

hebel blocks

It's not going to be easy . To make them look good it will be horrendously time consuming and expensive.
. EBay and other places sell them for $ 700 a 65 cm set for use on 30 cm pavers , if that's what your thinking. Or $400 for 40 cm high .
If you want cheap and easy and use your downpipe method , I'd suggest having the other pieces taller and paint them differently .
Costs add up quickly . Downpipe , 32 flanges for bases , 32 caps , glue , paint , A cheap 150mm cap is around $10 x 32 = $320 .After all that they will look rough .
$700 doesn't look so bad .
The only way I can think of cheap is to use 150mm downpipe . No bases or caps . On one side at the top of the tube jigsaw the shape of the piece .

Yeah I'm with IMAX, it would cost a bomb to buy the shelf items and even if you made the bases from wood or acrylic and then for the time to be taken it would be big investment.

The retail sets on the other hand look pro.

I guess you always start with giant checkers and see if the novelty wears off?

Imax & KK are on the money

150mm storm water pipe, base will have some weight added for balance, angle grinder, jigsaw and laser cutter will change things.
and yes checkers first to test the waters. I already have Jenga blocks @600mm lengths.

Design yourself some chess pieces based on 2d components screwed together using standard treated pine timber. They don't have to be perfect chess pieces, just recognisable and repeatable shapes. Realistically all you need is a free standing upright with a range of top things that look chessy.

Search for "chess pieces made from flat wood" and you'll find some examples. "chess pieces made from flat timber" has a lot more.

There's only 6 different top shapes you need to design for rook, knight, bishop, king, queen, pawn.

Here's an example. There's heaps more if you look. diy.dunnlumber.com/projects/how-to-make-a-diy-outdoor-chess-set

Square pieces is definitely not what I was thinking, but a great idea!

Although those pieces are pretty small pawns maybe 200 mm tall max, I was imagining 2 to 3 times that size.

What you really need for DIY is a 4 axis cnc router and some foam blanks, although it could be done a large wood lathe for most parts.

There I am thinking cylindrical again.... must be the beer glass..

What about 32 acquired witches hats with fancy tops where required..

I'd be turning the pieces out of foam then a small cement base tied in a hollow in the bottom. Pavers for the board.

Hire boyscouts.
They'd do it for nothing if they thought they were earning their chess badge.
You put girl boyscouts on the white side and boy boyscouts on the black.
You don't have to move them either just yell at them.

Someone's been watching Netflix lately...