Square Off - Chess Set

Anyone noticed the pieces move more sensibly after being taken since the update? Makes a better path to the parking squares 

I just posted this in the Neo/Swap comments section.  

Just got a nice reply to my query...

• • InfiVention TechnologiesCreatorabout 2 hours ago

    @alan - the SWAP board has alphanumeric markings in individual squares. This could be the reason they are not clearly visible in the images and videos.

     
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any foreing puss?

Huh?

I just downloaded the beta app that has 'adaptive AI'. I am not sure what this is. I played it at 15 minutes and destroyed it but Stockfish would not lose to any human on the planet at 15 Minutes. I am not sure if the next game at the same time control would be harder, or what method it uses to adapt to the players strength. As usual, Squareoff has virtually no documentation on this. Anyone have any ideas?

I do wish they would publish better changelogs for their app and firmware updates on the board

This is their all too brief description of the new "adaptive AI" from the Neo/Swap kickstart.

Whether you’ve just been introduced to the game/chess or if you’ve had a winning streak for decades, Neo’s built-in AI auto-adjusts to your skill level, giving you the fight of a lifetime at every move, with 30 difficulty levels to choose from.

Look very similar, also with the parking spaces. I doubt it's anywhere near as available though.

I have a miltonbradly grandmaster it plays well enough to entertain you. I used to program in opening position about 7 or 8 moves deep and play it out. It really  was easy to beat though. My Grand Kingdom is my favorite all time. 

I have the beta app with the 'adaptive AI' and its play is beyond horrible. In every game, it will simply leave pieces hanging.  Also, in exchanges, it will not recapture. Example, I take the AI's queen, rather than the obvious recapture, it will bring a different piece back to the 1st rank. The openings are sometimes comical.  AI white... 1. d3 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 3.Bc1. 

The engine is Stockfish. At full strength, It will beat any human even at 1 second per move thinking time. So, the AI is playing sub optimal moves randomly. But it is occasionally playing the absolute worse move in some positions. At 15m _ 5sec level, I have played around a dozen games and it is not 'adapting' to my level (USCF 2050) at all. The old non adaptive AI had 20 levels. However at every level, the AI only took 1 second to move. I was about even at L18. So at this and lower levels, the AI...to avoid killing me easily would play 2nd or 3rd best moves in a position. (I assume at L20, it is full force Stockfish) The robotic boards does not have an AI in it. It uses an app on a smartphone and connects via Blutooth to the board. 

You do not need the robot board to use the app. On Google Play or Apple, simply download the Square Off app. It works just fine without the electronic board. You need to check the 'be in beta' option on Google or Apple to get the current Adaptive AI app. 

I have the Grand Kingdom set and I am in the Kickstarter for the Switch. Square Off has a great product with a lot of potential, but I think they should skip the Adaptive AI thing. The old AI only takes 1 sec per move and can accommodate all players. It will beat Magnus at L20, but can play with a beginner at L1. 

Square Off's documentation is virtually non existent, but their email support is good and I have let them know my concerns about the Adaptive AI playing terrible. 

Getting myself 2 SWAP from the kickstarter, hopefully will better my game (which is poor since I rarely can focus 100%) and one will go to my old man so we can play games each at his home

Looking at the values on simillar products, I think 135€ is great value!! This is for the 2x SWAP pledge.

Haven't look into the app just yet, but until June 2020 (at best) I'm sure the community eill share their opinions and hopefully that will reflect on the final versions

only a couple two or three days left to take advantage of the Kickstart prices

They are close to reaching the $600000 goal which will put not only the c port on the neo and swap but a battery in the neo

A battery would be awesome.

if Neo gets the battery will it be a better option than Swap? 

I guess that would depend on it's main use. I for one don't expect to be using the SWAP somewhere with no outlets

Aside from that, the SWAP seems to be always the best of the two, imo.

Oh I see. I was a bit concerned about the Swap futuristic look. I would prefer the Neo's look more but I guess it's wiser to pick function over form, with all the extra stuff Swap can do. 

I'm never planning on playing checkers on something like this, so jsut the Neo for me. The USB-C port is good as you can use a portable powerpack to run it if needed.

How about the blitz mode? Since Swap is 3x faster than their old models but Neo only 1.5x faster will it be a deal-breaker? Or the pieces are just too small to play blitz games comfortably?