Any Competitor to Monroi Chess?

For keep chess score and personal chess management, is there anything similar to Monroi Persocal Chess Manager in the market? At least is there anything else that is FIDE or USCF approved? For example, Chess Score Pad in iPad. It's an app, but is allowed to be used with an iPad in USCF rated chess tournaments just for move wriring purpose as an alternate to use paper scoresheet?

I am thinking of buying Monroi for my son but was thinking if buying Chess Score app in iPad is a lot cheaper solution. How is your feel about using Monrio vs something else? Did you buy from Monroi from their web site for from a tournament? I see I can't buy it from anywhere except from monroi.com . From where did you buy, if you have one?

it is first time i heart about it :S

I hear you can use a pen and paper. This innovative new technology is remarkably inexpensive, and unlike the Monroi doesn't even require batteries.  

monroi is so overpriced... all it does is record moves.  I would love to see a resonably priced alternative.

$359.00 for a piece of GROTESQUELY overpriced junk??? How about spending that much money on a nice set, bd, clock, books and chess software instead?

Got it. Thank you for the hints.

Aside from price, even service wise, I think if I am allowed to use an iPad app, that would be lot more integrated with my whole digital and chess world. What about Chess NotePad iPad app? The only thing is if USCF tournament directors will allow my son or me to use it... Has anyone used anything other than Monroi and plain pen/paper scoresheet in a UCSF chess tournament?

Finally I found what I was looking for. It's Chess Score Pad Tournament Edition - http://chessscorepad.com/ . This has been submitted to UCSF for certification. So I will wait until it gets certified. It's only $12 and should look lot better in iPad than anything else that you can think of.

Let's say he plays in a typical weekend tournament, three four hour games in a day. Will you bring extra batteries for your glorified pen and paper? What if the table is next to a window and there is full sunlight on the iPad?

I purchased Chess Score Pad Tournament Edition and my son used it in a practice game with me yesterday. It's lot more convenient with all the options that you can think of. There are still sortcomings. For example, in Monroi you can take opponent's signature but here there is no way you can take sign. There will always be question of battery life but in airplain mode, which is a must, it uses less battery. Backlit problem I dont' think will be a big deal in most cases and even if we hit a corner case where you are unlucky to play just in the wide open under sun, pen and paper is always there.

I am thinking once USCF approval is received, this will become the de facto standard tool for score taking just because of its cheap price $12.

I seriously doubt that you can program an iPad app in a way that prevents the app from being switched off and a chess engine being switched on. If the USCF approves such an app, cheating will hit epic proportions.

If they certify that I'm going to have to get studying so I can be good enough to enter FIDE tournaments only . . .

Thank you Shadownight911. I enjoyed commenting on the games too! And yes, I found in one of forum post about eNotate. At least there is another option!

For the iPad app, it's only submitted for USCF as FIDE has a rule that won't allow any electronic device that is nulti-purpose and is not dedicated to chess move recording only. So if you are playing FIDE tournaments, Monroi is your only option as an electronic device (of course there is always the old classical pend and paper).

If cheating is a concern, here is how they tried to reduce the chance of it -

Designed for tournaments

• Games cannot started unless Airplane Mode is turned on.
• Once you begin to enter moves you must enter the results of the game before you exit, or the game will be marked "Abandoned" and locked from further editing.
• Once the results have been entered, you cannot edit the moves or the results using Chess Score Pad. You can edit and annotate the game after you email the PGN to your PGN database.
• There are no options to check for illegal moves or positions.
• Should be used in tournaments with iOS 6 "Guided Access" as described in "Device Settings For Tournament Play"

However, if you want to cheat you don't need a device, it can be done in so many other manual ways as long as you are allowed to go to restroom or stroll outside / walk during your game. The concern is not invalid but I believe the advantage is lot higher than this small concern.

What are the advantages? Let me tell my ones and you can add or update those - 

1. All my games are available within a finger tip. The classical score sheet diary approach serves well but once oyu play several years and you have several diaries, it's ime consuming to find / search the exact games for a quick recollection. To get rid of it, I have been posting all my games again in my online chess blog so that I don't have to search diaries. Also think of loosing a diary while even if you loose the iPad, you can always have all your games backed up somewhere in an online drive. I must say Monroi will give you the same advatnage here.
2. Using as less of staffs for all chess purposes  as possible. If I buy Monroi, I still have to buy a chess engine (Fritz in PC) or use a free one (Stockfish in ipad). So at times I have to carry 2 devices while if I can do everything in my iPad, I just carry one device. So I get rid of carrying a diary or a Monroi in addition to my iPad.
3. Emailing my games. How convenient it is! My friends tell me, please post your today's game in your chess blog so that I can check tonight how did you play. And almost all the times, I dont get time to post on time. In those cases, I just email my game to that friend who is interested, instantly from Chess Scorepad iPad app. Does Monroi allow me to send the PGN to an arbitrary email address? I guess it can, but I would look forward to some of you for confirmation.
4. Cheap price. While the casual version (less restriction as you are not playing in tournament condition) is $7 while the tournament edition is $12. It's a one time purchase and hence is cheaper than chess diary approach (which is let's say $12 per diary). It's definitely lot cheaper than $369 of Monroi.
5. Interface. How wonderful the interface is compared to the black and what type look and feel of Monroi! My son, who is 6 years old, has not been writing down the moves in chess diary just because he gets too excited once the game starts and forgets writing down moves after first few moves. It would take him soime time to get used to using Monroi (may be first few games in tournament condition, not a big deal). But he was instantly able to record a game that I played with him at home in "tournament condition".

I welcome more of your comments either for or against iPad chess app. But I can ssure you after using it myself, it's just a matter of time. If not this app. some other app will make it to get USCF approval. Just like many of us read the real paper book instead of Kindle ebook, eventually Kindle ebook sell surpassed Amazon's paper book sell. Same will be here. On popular demand, tablet app will get established in the chess score taking notation although will not be a majority for a very long time to come. The convenience is too much to ignore!

I believe the following design considerations are needed for any USCF certified chess recording app or device. Chess Score Pad passes all of those.

1) All other applications and functions of the device must be shut off by the program, and especially any wifi or mobile phone capacities to connect with other devices.

2) No sounds, lights, or other signals must come from the device while it is used in a chess tournament.

3) The program must simply record moves that the user puts into it. It must not correct illegal moves, announce checks, checkmate, en-passant, etc.

4) The recording device must be left on the table at all times during the play of the tournament game, and must be clearly visible to the TD and the opponent.  

5)  If the opponent asks to see a list of moves, as allowed by the rules of play, the screen should quickly toggle to a conventional scoresheet using algebraic notation.

The problem with any ipad app is that from a distance is anyone going to be able to tell the difference between the move entry program and an engine? I doubt it. 

It wouldn't take a good programmer very long to produce something that would pass cursory inspection but would provide GM level assistance during the game.  

Things like the Monroi which are dedicted hardware don't allow that. Things like the ipad which provide general computing capabilities and a free developers kit do. 

USCF only approves 3 devices. Monroi is the top one. eNotate by North American Chess.  Google electronic score sheets.or eNotate. One rule with electronic score sheets, they never leave the table. Seems people would cheat in chess. Imagine that.

http://plycount.com/  

Any reviews on the plycounter?

Thank you Joseph. Plycounter, by all means, looks to be a genuine competitor for Monroi, at least in terms of price as a dedicated chess notation device.

The free market triumphs! Monroi made a ton of money by making it to the market first (which is fine), but now a competitor has entered to help make the prices more reasonable. That being said, I won't buy a PlyCounter until it is certified by at least the USCF, but hopefully it soon will be.

Directly off its website:

"Chess Score Pad is not certified (the application for certification was submitted and denied by the USCF).