You can play chess to be challenging, fun and sometimes frustrating. Garry Kasparov called the game “mental torture”. with virtually limitless possibilitieschess offers unparalleled depth, and you could easily fill a library with books on how to play it. The Internet has opened up many potential competitors, and smart chess boards allow you to play with anyone online or offline, not to mention getting into different chess programs.
I’ve been testing smart chess boards for the past month or so with the help of my chess-crazed oldest, and this is my top pick.
The smart chess boards I recommend the most
For my starting gambit, I recommend Chessnut Pro. With a classic wooden design, Chessnut Pro looks like a regular board, but it has smart stuff hidden inside. The beech detailing is beautifully weighted, an important but often underrated feature. They feel great in the hand, and the set comes with a couple of extra ladies. This is a full tournament size board (55 cm or 21.7 inches), so you’ll need room for it.
The board is very well made, with subtle red LEDs hidden in the corner of each square that light up to indicate moves. I like that it looks like a regular board when you’re not playing online. On one side there are discreet controls with a USB-C port and Bluetooth connectivity for connecting to a computer, laptop or smartphone. There is no need to press with every movement, as each part has a sensor chip that is automatically detected.
We used Chessconnect Chrome Browser Extension play matches Chess.com and Lichess.organd it was quick and easy to get up and running. The official Chessnut app has AI opponents, but they’re a bit weak and lacking in variety. It’s not very nice, but you don’t have to use it, and you can connect to various online services with a little tinkering (check Graham’s programs for some better options). Online play was a little glitchy from time to time. Sometimes there is a slight delay and we have to click to reconnect for each game. Battery life is pretty good (we got seven to eight hours), though it does take a while to recharge (best left overnight).
If, of course, you don’t want to spend that much, then Water Nut ($250) it’s a much more affordable option. It’s also wooden, but much smaller (33 cm or 13 inches), with lighter parts and visible LEDs. The Air+ ($400) same size but with heavier wooden parts and thin LEDs on the board. Functionally, both give you the same experience as the Pro.
