Try the following. Does this work the way you want in Vizard?
Code:
import viz
viz.go()
viz.clearcolor(viz.SLATE)
import vizfx
board = vizfx.addChild('chessboard.OSGB')
# Disable ambient light
vizfx.setAmbientColor(viz.BLACK)
import vizcam
vizcam.PivotNavigate(distance=1)