Yes AND Yes.

All of this tech talk in the comments and FAQ - what is that all about?!

I promise we have made opening ChessUp and playing games simple and enjoyable. This project attracts everyone from Chess beginners to Chess AI enthusiasts. So the questions and answers can end up very detailed. But really you don’t need to know any of that to turn on the ChessUp and dive into a game.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 14:12

• The AI features are built upon Stockfish( https://stockfishchess.org/ ) – considered the world’s strongest chess AI. We like stockfish not only because of its strength, but because of its long history and projected future of development. Chess AIs are going through a new revolution with the integration of neural networks – and progress is happening very fast. With every major Stockfish update, ChessUp will be updated – and our customers will have the latest and greatest in chess strategy for years to come.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Yes – ChessUp will be able to integrate with Lichess (lichess.org) through its “Board API”. The benefit of this integration is that ChessUp users will be able to matchmake with lichess’s user base, meaning that matchmaking will be almost instant regardless of the ChessUp audience size. We are happy you are choosing a ChessUp board and we want you to be able to play everyone, even those without a board.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

November 2021. We want to deliver a top-quality smart chess board. Our backers mean the world to us, and that is the time we need to deliver the quality you would expect.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

There are two modes of operation with online play. 1) Rated Match – No assistance allowed 2) Friendly Match – Players can compete with assistance on, but it does not affect the player’s rating

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

The app and all promised features are free for life for backers.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Yes!

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Yes a phone or tablet device is required for the full list of features. The AI engine runs on that device. A key part of the AI assistance experience is fast responsiveness. When you are ready to touch a piece, the board is ready to light the move strengths. Phones and tablets have enough processing power to deliver the best ChessUp experience while an embedded AI engine would not be nearly as quick. iOS (12.0 and above) and Android (8.1 and above) devices will be supported.

UPDATE: We have added features of AI assist level 0 and level 1 to the standalone board. We have also committed to adding an embedded AI that can play from beginner to intermediate. The full strength AI will require the app to assist.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Internet is not required for the AI assistance or AI opponent – but it is required for online play and software updates.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Yes! All levels of software (including the board firmware) can be updated even after the board is in your hands. This is important because we may discover small improvements to the software in the future and we don’t want your board to be outdated. Software updates are managed by the app

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Yes – we will integrate some form of broadcasting ability in the app. TBD if we host the broadcast website or allow you to route it elsewhere. If you are interested in this feature – please reach out to us so we can gather input on implementing PGN broadcasting.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

We do not plan on adding this feature at the moment. However, we are interested in judging the demand for such a function so please reach out if desired.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

The charge port will be USB-C. This is to satisfy the charging rate and to future proof ChessUp.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Yes – our pilot batch included both colors (as an experiment) and it turns out we like both. We will work with our backers after kickstarter to honor color requests. We will phase the less popular color out for retail – so being a backer is a unique chance to pick a color. The pieces look equally good on both boards. We will coordinate this detail after the campaign.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Please contact us at [email protected]

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Media kit link is here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17lntNwhtd1R_CM-SqODkEMPI15YpPR-o?usp=sharing

Please reach out to us through our email [email protected] if additional info is required.

Last updated: April 03, 2021 11:20

Yes! We will set up distribution in the EU to make it EU friendly.

That matters because we import the product in bulk and the import taxes are based on the production price of ChessUp. It lowers the import tax to the point that we pay it for you. You get ChessUp without any headache or surprise fees.

Last updated: March 23, 2021 15:36

Yes! ChessUp is a 34 piece set with an extra queen for each side.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

No - not at all. You handle ChessUp pieces exactly as you would a traditional set. There are some old AI chess boards that are made from a tech called “membrane switch”. Those require pressure. We do not have a membrane switch. Our tech is a much better experience - just play and touch how you would with a regular chess set.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

The battery will recharge thousands of cycles - which is several years of life. If it does for some unexpected reason go bad, it is accessible and easy to find a replacement.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Yes you can use the board as a power bank. This will trade charge on the board for charge on your phone. Also - the stand allows a charging cable to be plugged into the phone while you play - so no worries about low battery on your phone.

Yes you can leave the charger on the board and play at the same time.

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Happy to say we have already implemented alternative color palettes and including ones that are best for people with red-green color blindness or deficiency

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Yes!

Last updated: March 22, 2021 12:20

Board colors https://youtu.be/0EKZW2Ic9ug (sorry video is sideways)

Phone Stand https://youtu.be/HiQjQ8cehBM

Load Game Demo https://youtu.be/IxLOnClgccA

Last updated: March 31, 2021 20:32

1) Online Play and Video Chat - board to board:

Player One: ChessUp Board Player Two: ChessUp Board

Time formats: ANY, including custom

Assisted Games (unrated): YES, at the choice of the two players

Rated Games: YES

Platform / Player Pool: Exclusive to ChessUp (we expect a player pool close to 20k people by early 2022)

~~~

2) Online Play and Text Chat:

Player One: ChessUp Board Player Two: ChessUp Board, ChessUp App, or Lichess App/web

Time formats: ANY, including custom when both sides are on the ChessUp network (app or board) Rapid and slower (10 min or longer) - when on the Lichess network (Lichess app or web on Player 2 end)

Assisted Games (unrated): YES, at the choice of the two players when on the ChessUp Network NO when on the lichess network

Rated Games: YES on any network

Platform / Player Pool: ChessUp (20k people by early 2022) Lichess ( > 1 million people)

~~ All games will be archived on ChessUp app regardless of network used (and duplicated on both lichess and ChessUp when appropriate)

So why use Lichess network? Use Lichess for the fastest matchmaking. This mainly helps when people are high rated players looking for a rated match (experts and masters). Lichess even has hundreds of GMs (2500+ rated players) on their platform. So it is great to partner with them so our player pool is never a limitation on finding a fast match - for these rare and top players

Also, many people buying ChessUp already have a lichess account that they would like to keep their play under. For instance they have already achieved a very high rating and don’t want to have to play hundreds of games to climb back up from a new start. So they might choose to play on the lichess network.

Lichess also has a lot of cool features too. They have maia bot opponents - which are meant to mimic human play. It is an active platform that has interesting features. We will offer a lot of features on the ChessUp platform as well - but there is no reason to be exclusive. Lots of people love lichess and we want them to enjoy ChessUp on other networks as well.

Huge shoutout to lichess for being so cool and open as well!

Last updated: April 01, 2021 10:27

You do not need to setup a lichess acount to play on ChessUp. If you want to play on the lichess network, we will add an easy setup feature to create one for you if you prefer.

If you want to link an existing account, no problem.

Last updated: April 01, 2021 10:27

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.

Last updated: April 01, 2021 13:38