Chessup, a new Kickstarter campaign
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There is a new campaign on Kickstarter for a product called ChessUp. 12” board w/ 1.5” squares and weighted pieces. Uses Stockfish to “train” players by color coding possible moves in the squares when you touch a piece. They also have a collaboration with Lichess for online play (assist is disabled in this mode). Interested to hear the communities thoughts on this product.
I think it looks amazing, however it has the same problem as any other form of computer analysis. It will tell you the best and worst possible moves, but will not give a reason.
I like that they are working collaborative efforts to make it work to play with the online services, but I wish it did not do so through a smart device application, but rather via WiFi.
Agree, there marketing is somewhat deceptive in that they indicate that the machine will train you. Not exactly.
it does seem useful as a stand alone board to use to play on web hosting services, most of me efforts to get that to work in the Mac world have not gone well.
Some interesting commentary on their training concept:
Question asked by a backer:
How does that board suppose to teach with highlighted cells? Assume player is not a pro, with hints without any explanation he/she will just play better against opponent and nothing else, where is the learning process? I'd appreciate if you explain that. Thanks!
Answer provided by the developer:
Jeff WighCreatorabout 23 hours ago
Hi Yevheniy,
There are several benefits and ways to learn:
1) The board can teach opening principles and systems
2) The board can teach endgames / checkmate sequences
3) The board combined with the app "learn button" shows the AI foresight - exchanges and positional advances as to why a move is good or bad. This is great for tactics.
4) The player will often discover that the move they intended to make is a mistake or blunder. With that discovery is a powerful learning moment - when they have to re-study the position. We have a touch limit as a feature that ensures they have to think, then touch, then learn - instead of just hunting for the best move by touching all the pieces.
5) The app has post game analysis to study and even re-load past games
6) The board features an adaptive AI to train against. Players can train with assistance on and off - even switching it back and forth during the same game. This way they study the best line within their own familiar positions and games. It is great for graduating from bad habits.
7) The app and the board work together to teach interactive lessons. There is benefit to human instruction for learning certain strategic insights - and ChessUp offers that learning experience too.
8) We offer puzzles
9) We offer educational games from history - so players can explore their instinct versus the play of top Grand Masters.
10) And really this should be #1... people learn chess by playing. Enjoyable play requires an opponent of similar or slightly better skill. Two things separate opponents in chess (1) geography, (2) skill. ChessUp can bridge both. It ensures everyone enjoys playing - win some, lose some. So the #1 thing it does is engage and retain the player.
Thanks for your question - sorry if I missed it on facebook.
-Jeff
He didn't answer the question. The question was how do highlighted cells teach? Answers included the it teaches openings, has puzzles and has post game analysis, none of which are answers. The AI foresight might work however.
Agree. Frustrating that all of the offerings out there require external parts/devices (smartphone, tablet, external box like Millennium). To achieve internet conductivity. No one seems to want to provide a stand-alone device that offers a playable board, internet conductivity and integration with web hosted chess sites that is OS agnostic.
This just got a little more interesting. They've got Levon Aronian associated with themselves now, and promising to provide lessons after a fashion. Here's another answer to the question about how training will be implemented:
"We are implementing opening training in these ways:
1) Select an opening system and have the board assist you on training all the variations (and the AI or even a live opponent will introduce variety against you as the opponent)
2) Play along with a database that has opening lines from grandmaster games - highlighted by popularity.
3) Free play - you play, the app tells you what variation you played. So now you know where to start in the system selection (see #1)
And just in general - the board suggests moves based on current opening theory (we will have an opening book programmed in).
An API is something we have committed to also. We have to collect a lot more input on the technical implementation, but the board will be opened for 3rd party development in 2022. We are still collecting input on how this API will be implemented technically (i.e. over bluetooth link, over USB, etc). So please message us your thoughts. This is the time to share ideas with us.
Please let me know if that covers the openings question or if there is more info needed."
I have to say these folks seem pretty responsive to their customer base.
They are at $1.6 mi with about a day left on their campaign. They’ve added 7x7 go as well as checkers. I’m curious to see how this one plays out.
Reading through the comments, I like the idea that they plan to have an open API, allowing for crowd sourced improvements over time. Part of the problem w have had with all of these computer interfaces is the proprietary nature of them. It would be good to get to a common standard not only for file format of how games are stored, (which we've sort of reached), but for how electronic boards are interfaced with web based playing sites as well. I imagine a board that I could use to play here, or on ICC or Lichess, or another online service. That has the ability to load different chess engines, which are malleable in that their style of play and strength can be set. Some would call that device a smartphone or tablet or computer I guess, but in my dream it is a physical board with actual pieces. Slowly we creep closer to this dream...
Apr 22, 2021
0
#12
Looks kinda cool but not sure if it really has a niche place since you could just do similar things online? But for people who love using a board it could be something nice.
I was seriously considering putting in my money, but then decided it would be something I would use for a month or two, then shelve.
Apr 22, 2021
0
#14
jjupiter6 wrote:
I was seriously considering putting in my money, but then decided it would be something I would use for a month or two, then shelve.
Yea... I don't see myself ever using something like that. There's more practical ways of learning.
Their marketing it as a learning resource but I don’t see it that way either. I like 56Anavz’s idea of a universally playable online board though. If this works out that way, I think that is it’s real value.
Obviously well marketed. Seems like a neat concept, almost too good to be true. I'm going to wait till next year to see what everyone says. But it is curious that the project is not just on Kickstarter but other money raising websites.
Thread necro. I really like what I see so far so I pre-ordered one. I like the concept. It's an extremely well funded project that looks to be on track to deliver in February and March with great communication from the founders unlike some of the other Kickstarter/Indiegogo chess boards.
I looked at their official youtube page and they responded that the delivery date is march.
I been looking at all the different options trying to decide if to buy or if to wait and I decided to wait. If you're on the fence about which of these online connected boards to buy I would wait until april because:
1. Square Off swap is now updated on their website showing delivery date of late march.
2. DGT Pegasus supposed to have IOS integration by march for chess.com
3. Chessup supposed to be delivered in march
4. Millenium eONE supposed to be delivered end of this month (not sure if delayed).
So if you can hold off until april hopefully by then we'll have reviews of the swap and chessup and also how DGT Pegasus is doing with IOS plus Millenium eONE will have been out for a few months.
Hello everyone. Does anyone tried this ChessUp board with chess.com play? Haven’t found any info about how it works with chess.com