Create Board Game-like Grid in Python -

i thinking of creating board game in python, 1 have grid of spaces, each different properties, , may or may not have pieces resting on them. these pieces should able move between spaces, though subject various rules. (chess or checkers examples of i'm thinking of, though game have different/more complicated rules, , grid may not square, if spaces are).

i wrote java implementation of similar data structures class, using modified version of linked lists. python, imagine there's better way (maybe library out there?)

drawing chessboard pretty trivial tkinter. here's simple example:

import tkinter tk class gameboard(tk.frame):     def __init__(self, parent, rows=8, columns=8, size=32, color1="white", color2="blue"):         '''size size of square, in pixels'''          self.rows = rows         self.columns = columns         self.size = size         self.color1 = color1         self.color2 = color2         self.pieces = {}          canvas_width = columns * size         canvas_height = rows * size          tk.frame.__init__(self, parent)         self.canvas = tk.canvas(self, borderwidth=0, highlightthickness=0,                                 width=canvas_width, height=canvas_height, background="bisque")         self.canvas.pack(side="top", fill="both", expand=true, padx=2, pady=2)          # binding cause refresh if user interactively         # changes window size         self.canvas.bind("<configure>", self.refresh)      def addpiece(self, name, image, row=0, column=0):         '''add piece playing board'''         self.canvas.create_image(0,0, image=image, tags=(name, "piece"), anchor="c")         self.placepiece(name, row, column)      def placepiece(self, name, row, column):         '''place piece @ given row/column'''         self.pieces[name] = (row, column)         x0 = (column * self.size) + int(self.size/2)         y0 = (row * self.size) + int(self.size/2)         self.canvas.coords(name, x0, y0)      def refresh(self, event):         '''redraw board, possibly in response window being resized'''         xsize = int((event.width-1) / self.columns)         ysize = int((event.height-1) / self.rows)         self.size = min(xsize, ysize)         self.canvas.delete("square")         color = self.color2         row in range(self.rows):             color = self.color1 if color == self.color2 else self.color2             col in range(self.columns):                 x1 = (col * self.size)                 y1 = (row * self.size)                 x2 = x1 + self.size                 y2 = y1 + self.size                 self.canvas.create_rectangle(x1, y1, x2, y2, outline="black", fill=color, tags="square")                 color = self.color1 if color == self.color2 else self.color2         name in self.pieces:             self.placepiece(name, self.pieces[name][0], self.pieces[name][1])         self.canvas.tag_raise("piece")         self.canvas.tag_lower("square")   # image comes silk icon set under creative commons # license. more information see http://www.famfamfam.com/lab/icons/silk/ imagedata = '''     r0lgodlheaaqaoesakx7fqx8f61/g62cilcjkriihm+halknmnciankkanomalurk7wovlwpv9er     anisanuxan2zan6aan+baoccaokeancjkoshanknk+imaoyran6qsnaxpfcwaokyjokyjvkyanw0     r/s1apw2apw3apa4ape5apm7apm8apq8ao28ke29lo2/lo2/l+7bm+7bno6+re7cmu7boe7dnpha     p+/foo/fo+jgs+/fqo/go/dhpojbdfdippdjqpdispdkqpdkrpdiuphlq/hlrermv/hmr/lnsovh     fvlos/rnp/lptvlove/ldfprufpru/psu/lpapptvppuvftuvvlpe/lscptwwftxw/txxptxx/xy     xu/skvxzypfvdfxay/tycfxazpxazvbwfvtye/xbbvhwl/bdapbeavvadffea/bebvffbfbdfpvb     e/fgb/pam/fgcvfgeptbnfbcl/bfivfjdvfjepbemfjelpxeopjkepbfmvffnvbfofjlgffjkvfh     nvjio/nnhvfjovjmlvzlmvrmpvrrmfzpp/zqq/vqr/zssvvvp/vvqfvvupvvuvvwvfzzwp//////     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////yh+funyzwf0zwqgd2l0acbu     agugr0lnuaah+qqbcgd/acwaaaaaeaaqaaaizad/crxiskdbfydmlbhxcgaknikgptlupcpbjiua     +vethswfpdqkokb0ye4amfiiopncj8pae20y6vntqmsubkwajkfyqacjrylcmofipymrhzv89kkg     keskome8xhmcreiogc/2tbaowhgcaygkkbncwwkafncicashka4rahyk9maqwimmoq8edhbdkmun     bqmefpigasorbqm1bgljriiogsxwbcmtoccmoxsw2hcbo8qwdqcvmmkzcncbhqga/qmgayidbqzu     yxyyeaa7 '''    if __name__ == "__main__":     root = tk.tk()     board = gameboard(root)     board.pack(side="top", fill="both", expand="true", padx=4, pady=4)     player1 = tk.photoimage(data=imagedata)     board.addpiece("player1", player1, 0,0)     root.mainloop()