“This Chessup electronic smart game board is a useful teaching instrument that helps people learn chess in a fun and dynamic way. I am a chess motivator and teacher for our private school’s chess club and have found that my students benefit from the visual light-up square features that the chessboard offers to beginners as well as intermediate players to be extremely useful and engaging. The only downside of this board that I can see is the inability to take back accidental error moves once the computer thinks a player has made a move, which is unfortunate if someone drops a piece by accident, which happens more often than not because the pieces are not much weighted and tend to be on the slippery side. If taking back moves without the Chessup app is a possibility then I do not know of it, and if that is the case then it is not yet self-intuitive (I legit could not fix the accidents that my students made, like castling while leading with the rook). In one instance my student reported that he had mistakenly put the King and Queen on the wrong squares and found this out because his AI opponent’s King was able to travel across the board. Apparently the game itself cannot tell which pieces are which; it only can detect if there is indeed a piece present on that square and keeps track of what that piece is supposed to be from the start of the game. Software updates and the ability to link up with popular chess websites like Lichess and Chess.com are a welcomed addition. Overall, I found the AI opponents and hints add both extra challenges and additional confidence to each game that typical over-the-board games lack, while still offering an in-person physical feel without the typical eye-strain from constantly staring at a monitor or tablet touch screen. With the visual hint assistance (Green moves for best moves, Blue for good moves, and Red for bad moves) to help people new to the game enjoy it where they would likely never even have tried it in the first place, it is sure to paint a positive experience with the “wow-factor” that comes from the initial colorful visual appeal. This is a unique example of how new cutting edge technology can still be practical and can be used to heighten an old game’s overall experience. I am sure that we can all agree that such methods are needed to cultivate new ideas and bring about more awareness through exposure in order to improve the hobby.”
“Perfect if you need to play AI. I had a fun time playing against my friend.
But there is a huge problem with this board:
Mostly I use ChessUp for playing rapid on Lichess via the app. At least one of three games (if not more) ends with some errors or disconnects. Sometimes there is async between the board and the server. Sometimes between the app and the Lichess server. That spoils all the fun for me.
My last session ended up with two of the games starting in parallel, and the board switching states from one game to another. I resigned from both of the games because I was too frustrated.”
“The board is very neat and generally works as advertised. However, it's absolutely still a work in progress, and has some rough edges. If you can be patient and wait for the fixes and enhancements to come and live with the quirks for now, this is actually a great purchase.”
“The Chessup board is amazing. I really love it but not giving it 5 stars as it is a little glitchy at times, although it has definitely settled down during the first couple of weeks I have used it, and we don't have all of the academy levels included yet.”
“Great customer service when emailing. Just don't expect replies to YouTube comments.
The board is very elegant looking. The lights on the board when it comes to moving each piece give the board a "futuristic" look. Everyone that has seen the board is impressed with it.
It's also very easy to figure out the AI levels and how to switch it to be harder or easier. The manual does a decent job at explaining the attributes of the board.
Now, be sure to calibrate the board. Once on battery and once when plugged in.”
