Ttanks for the information. I would go for this. But I purchased already one...
Square Off - Chess Set
Sort:
Apr 24, 2018
0
#43
Dennis_Petersen wrote:
I have ordered the Grand Kingdom set. I realize these guys have come a long way in 4 years. Lets not forget it is a startup. They have continued to professionalize many of the aspects, the features will come. I would rather wait until they can ship the finest product rather than rush and cut corners. They are working out many of the aspects which will be needed to mass produce the item I am sure. It is going to be something everyone can afford in a quality package. They have a commitment from chess.com which will make the unit a huge success but they need the put in place the ability to mass produce the item. I would suspect that once all the production issues are in order the features will come. The chess world will change in a way I know I will enjoy. Over time more and more units will be delivered and we will all begin to enjoy the features which made us purchase one in the first place. I am told my order will take 8 to 12 weeks, if the ends up longer fine I am willing to wait as the chess.com comparability will take them some time anyway.
That is exactly how I looked at it as well. Square off is brand new. They are revolutionizing the chess world with this. I would much rather wait for them to have a product without flaws then rush it through without making sure it works. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID!! My grand kingdom set is absolutely amazing. I can go home and play OVER THE BOARD CHESS online anytime now. Notmtwain I was one of the first to order as well. I am not sure why you didn't get your board yet. I did and so did a lot of other US customers.... Either way relax and enjoy the wait. It is worth every penny and every minute you had to wait. Getting upset about it is not going to do any good.
Apr 24, 2018
0
#44
torrubirubi wrote:
Ttanks for the information. I would go for this. But I purchased already one...
They have been very transparent throughout the process. They sent out updates every month telling the status of the set and what unexpected hold ups caused the delay. Its not like people were just sitting around 2-3 years wondering. They kept communication open and delivered. BIG TIME.
For those who might be wondering, I contacted Chess.com support and they confirmed with the owners that they are working on what is needed to support Square Off chess computers.
Apr 25, 2018
0
#47
Dennis_Petersen wrote:
For those who might be wondering, I contacted Chess.com support and they confirmed with the owners that they are working on what is needed to support Square Off chess computers.
I would really like to try using a Square Off chess set in my games in chess.com's Slow Chess League. I use a real board for better concentration, and to make the experience more like a real OTB game. Not having to manually make moves for my opponent would definitely enhance the experience. I don't have a Square Off set, but now I am really tempted to buy one.
Apr 25, 2018
0
#48
This looks like an interesting idea. I think they can improve on some things though. For one thing, the board itself seems to have the squares coloured like a plywood yellow and sharpie black. Was this developed solely by techies or was there a chess player involved in this as well? Since the pieces look like box and rosewood, how difficult could it have been to go instead for a nicer maple and walnut look for the board? Easier on the eyes and overall nicer to look at. I hope that they'll fix that in upcoming versions, because at the moment it just looks like 90 percent tech, 10 percent chess to me, a sophisticated gimmick I wouldn't care too much to play a game on.
Apr 25, 2018
0
#49
maik1988 wrote:
This looks like an interesting idea. I think they can improve on some things though. For one thing, the board itself seems to have the squares coloured like a plywood yellow and sharpie black. Was this developed solely by techies or was there a chess player involved in this as well? Since the pieces look like box and rosewood, how difficult could it have been to go instead for a nicer maple and walnut look for the board? Easier on the eyes and overall nicer to look at. I hope that they'll fix that in upcoming versions, because at the moment it just looks like 90 percent tech, 10 percent chess to me, a sophisticated gimmick I wouldn't care too much to play a game on.
I actually love the look of the board, the rosewood finish, and rosewood pieces. To each their own I guess.... The set is so amazing lol I think you are a bit crazy (no offense) if your that picky on the appearance it but whatever justification you need bro
Apr 25, 2018
0
#50
@maik1988, thanks for that feedback. I haven't seen a Square Off chess set in person, so I didn't know how much of an issue the aesthetics might me. That does matter very much to me, so hopefully the company will take note and improve the board appearance. Users can supply their own favorite chess pieces, assuming the board square-size is close to standard.
Apr 25, 2018
0
#51
Yenny-Leon wrote:
@maik1988, thanks for that feedback. I haven't seen a Square Off chess set in person, so I didn't know how much of an issue the aesthetics might me. That does matter very much to me, so hopefully the company will take note and improve the board appearance. Users can supply their own favorite chess pieces, assuming the board square-size is close to standard.
Yenny-Leon I am not sure if the chess pieces will work with my other set i can check it out when i get home though.
If you decide to buy it use promo code JOSEPH10 to save some money.
*note*
I do not work for square off
I am not affiliated with square off
I do not get anything if you use the promo code or don.t.
I love set and want more players to be on it.
Saving money is always a good thing
Just curious : Does the squareoff e-board recognize the pieces enough to know which piece a pawn promoted to?
Apr 25, 2018
0
#53
mgx9600 wrote:
Just curious : Does the squareoff e-board recognize the pieces enough to know which piece a pawn promoted to?
Yes, it does. When you are promoting a pawn the app pops up with four choices Queen (the board comes with two), Rook, Knight, Bishop. You pick your promotion and it recognize it from there.
Thanks for the quick reply.
So, without the app (which allows you to tell the squareoff e-board which piece the pawn has been promoted to), the squareoff e-board does not know the piece?
Apr 25, 2018
0
#55
mgx9600 wrote:
Thanks for the quick reply.
So, without the app (which allows you to tell the squareoff e-board which piece the pawn has been promoted to), the squareoff e-board does not know the piece?
Correct, the board needs to be connected to the app via Bluetooth to move the pieces around.
Apr 25, 2018
0
#56
@ jr: No offense taken. For me the way a set looks greatly affects how I feel playing with it. I would never play with those godawful black and white plastic club pieces on a black and white roll up board, for instance. I think that's just about the worst thing you can play on. However, put those black and white plastic pieces on a green and white roll up, and it looks much improved already.
The videos of Square off I saw online got me wondering about the sets used. Would they still work if the pieces were broader, or would they push the other pieces out of the way too much? Are they weighted at all? Can you use other pieces?
Apr 25, 2018
0
#57
jr87 wrote:
Yenny-Leon I am not sure if the chess pieces will work with my other set i can check it out when i get home though.
Now that you mention it, the pieces must have either permanent magnets or copper coils inside, so that they can be moved by magnetic fields inside the board mechanism. So we must use the pieces provided with Square Off. I suppose that eventually there could be some choices among different styles of pieces provided by the company.
Apr 25, 2018
0
#58
maik1988 wrote:
@ jr: No offense taken. For me the way a set looks greatly affects how I feel playing with it. I would never play with those godawful black and white plastic club pieces on a black and white roll up board, for instance. I think that's just about the worst thing you can play on. However, put those black and white plastic pieces on a green and white roll up, and it looks much improved already.
The videos of Square off I saw online got me wondering about the sets used. Would they still work if the pieces were broader, or would they push the other pieces out of the way too much? Are they weighted at all? Can you use other pieces?
I guess I can understand that. I hate playing with plastic pieces or crappy green and white roll ups (especially if they edges are all messed up and dont sit flat) I have always played on wooden / stone sets so the square off set is ideal for me. I really love the look and feel of it. It is exactly like playing an OTB game online.
The pieces are light but weighted. I wish yall could try mine out lol so far i have two people i play with normally on there. On average there is at least 4-6 people on looking for matches. It needs more people playing. Although i do enjoy playing the AI as well if i cannot find a match.
Apr 25, 2018
0
#59
Yenny-Leon wrote:
Dennis_Petersen wrote:
For those who might be wondering, I contacted Chess.com support and they confirmed with the owners that they are working on what is needed to support Square Off chess computers.
I would really like to try using a Square Off chess set in my games in chess.com's Slow Chess League. I use a real board for better concentration, and to make the experience more like a real OTB game. Not having to manually make moves for my opponent would definitely enhance the experience. I don't have a Square Off set, but now I am really tempted to buy one.
Another reason to buy one is to give support to the guys who are really doing something innovative. And it is also about chess culture. And to have a sense about chess history. For the same reason I am supporting the website Chessable.
The pieces that came with my SquareOff chess set are very light weight. I did try and use the magnetic pieces I have from a travel set & they did not work. The travel set pieces were heavier and may have been the problem. When the knight tried to move, it jumped a little and fell over on its side. The thing looked like a dead horse. The queen just danced around in circles in its square. It was a little comical, but just didn’t work.
Maybe in the future SquareOff could offer other sets for purchase that can be used.
They seem to be receptive to suggestions, they use a push technology to communicate with people. They are changing their app so you don't have to wait 3 minutes to see if someone is accepting your challenge. You will be able to cancel it if someone doesn't respond. I would suggest they change the app and let anyone challenge someone. Right now you have to have a board in your possession to play a human. When I get mine I really don't care if my opponent has a square off board, I am just looking to use my board to play anyone. . There is a special promo code if you signed up before this recent pre sale. They sent me an email this morning they have 200 units remaining of the lower priced unit and have offered a special promo code. If your interested you might send an email from their web site they may extend that special pricing to anyone at this point. I am sure it is important to move the pre built models which are shipping in the next 3 or 4 weeks to build the Grand Kingdom model I am waiting for which could be 12 weeks out. They gave me the impression by the time I get mine it would have some chess.com features. If your really want want in two days the Chess House bought one and did a Youtube video on the entry level one and are selling it on Ebay now I think the auction is ending in 2 days or so. Listing is This auction is for 1 New/Unopened Kingdom SquareOff Chess Computer, shipping from Chess House in Lynden, WA.