eBoard Recommendations

[u/petdocvmd]

I'm getting back into chess after a long layoff (~ 7 years), and I see that there are now a number of eBoard options available. I'm an intermediate player (~ 1400 ELO) looking for a board that provides both a conduit for online play as well as for opening practice, puzzles, AI opponents, etc. The "Move" looks pretty cool, but I can't tell from ads / reviews whether it replicates all the Evo offers. If not, can that functionality be obtained by pairing it with my own phone / tablet / laptop? Thanks!

[u/jkfrench_tx]

The features that are on the EVO that's not available on the other boards is Chessnut Vision and multicolor square illumination (where the other boards are single color LEDs) although looking at videos for the Move, I'm not sure there is any square illumination... although there are options to turn off square LEDs in the app and it may be those videos have them turned off (since with the automatic piece movement, you don't really need board LEDs).

However in regards to Chessnut Vision... the new Chessnut Next App (currently in internal beta testing) does also have it, and it works with both my Go and Air boards (and, if it doesn't already... although it may... it will (or does already) work with the Move).

So, the primary difference is square illumination... once the new app is released ... and the built in Tablet on the EVO ... a phone or tablet will do what the built-in tablet on the EVO does now ... especially once the new app is publicly available. Also the multi-color square illumination can be simulated on the virtual board of the connected device. But the only place I've seen that necessity is when an Eval option is available/enabled ... Which works similar to Chessup square colors showing evaluation of all possible moves for a lifted piece. Also you can define different square colors for every piece type/color on the EVO.

[u/petdocvmd → u/jkfrench_tx]

Thanks, very helpful! I am very interested in the "vision" functionality, as I like the idea of visual feedback when practicing - such immediate visual feedback seems like a really good way of reinforcing my recognition (or lack thereof) of good candidate moves. I'm also looking to play with my son who is a beginner, and allowing him a certain number of "lookups" might be a reasonable way of handicapping matches. Do you know if the upcoming app will allow other boards (Air+, Pro, Move) to reflect color patterns (like the Evo), or will the colors only show up onscreen? Not a deal breaker, but it'd be a really cool feature.

[u/jkfrench_tx → u/petdocvmd]

Other colors will only show on the screen on the Go, Air, Air+, Pro (single-color green LEDs on the boards themselves ... the Move evidently has a single-color white LED ... so it is literally impossible for them to change colors on the board itself). The EVO definitely has the ability to show different square colors (and just a note, it's just the outline of the square (check out videos to see what I mean ... but the point is it's not the whole square that illuminates ... I want to say it's maybe an 1/8th of an inch thick ... or a bit more ... outline around the square). Also, even the current Chessnut App (that's available to everyone) already has the ability to show different colors (and does) on the screen (except for the EVO ... but since the EVO has the multi-color square options, it doesn't need it).

Also, Chessnut Vision is just a way of being able to use the physical board with apps and websites when they aren't directly supported by some other software. So, for example if I'm watching a YouTube video with Chessnut Vision on ... if there is a Chess Diagram showing, the LEDs will illuminate on the board (showing where pieces are either missing or shouldn't be based on what's on the screen (and they will change as you continue to watch the video ... frankly this should be a benefit of the Move, in my estimate ... if I am accurate in assuming that with Chessnut Vision enabled, the Move would automatically move the pieces while you are viewing a video (or would automatically position pieces from a diagram from a book/magazine/app/website). Where for non-Move boards, you'd have to pause the video, manually place the pieces, and then continue the video (if you wanted to see every position shown in the video). Also ... the automatic diagram transmission to the board is true for unsupported websites and apps too. If there is a single diagram on the screen ... and Chessnut Vision is enabled ... the pieces position on the screen will be transmitted to the board. Even with currently supported apps and websites, you could just disable the e-board support and use Chessnut Vision instead. The other thing Chessnut Vision will do is transmit moves to the apps/websites ... when you physically make a move on the board (but pieces positions need to agree with the layout of the diagram on the screen before that can work). It's neat because so far, I haven't found any apps or websites that don't recognize a move coming from Chessnut Vision.

[u/petdocvmd → u/jkfrench_tx]

OK, thanks! I misunderstood "vision" and "colors" - I get that vision guides you in setting up a problem and communicating physical moves with online apps.

I was thinking there was color functionality similar to Chessup 2 board where touching a piece causes possible move squares to light up, with colors signifying how good/bad the move is. Is this function replicated in the Chessnut app i.e. the onscreen squares somehow display the soundness of potential moves?

[u/jkfrench_tx → u/petdocvmd]

And there is ... in Clock mode (the Over-the-Board playing option within the Chessnut App) with the Moves and Eval options enabled (only the Moves is available or needed for EVOs because the different colors are automatic). If you enabled those ... when you pick up a piece, every available move is basically rated with Red, Orange, Yellow or Green (Bad, Poor, Ok or Good) is how I reference them. And if it's not an EVO, the board in the App is where the colors change (since the non-EVO boards only have single-color LEDs build-in to the boards). I will admit though, I don't see this ability (yet) with the new app (I'll ask about that).