“I have a lot of respect for your team having to work through all the supply chain issues and android issues while maintaining a positive attitude. Not an easy task. I was very happy with the board and pieces. The professional packaging set a high bar. The only issues are the lack of a complete Android solution and the lack gambit openings. I can't seem to force a King's Gambit on any setting. The board AI seems a little weak but the app compensates for it. Hope the built-in AI gets stronger over time. Still waiting for my checkers to ship.”
“It works better than expected. I'm excited for the app to update more to try out puzzles and the lessons. Only complaint which isn't that big of a deal is I like to leave my chess board out with the pieces already placed. Unfortunately with the board it doesn't calibrate when you turn it on like that have to be a clear board then place the pieced. Either way great board have been enjoying chess more than ever with it pieces and board feel solid and high quality all of my friends also ate really impressed by it and they don't play but the board is changing that. This is the future of chess”
“I love my ChessUp board! The app (Android) has some teething issues that I know the team will resolve in the coming months, but the quality of the board itself is outstanding and it functions so well. I look forward to many games of chess on my ChessUp board!”
“I absolutely love what Bryght Labs did with the chess board. I've been using it everyday since it arrived to my house. And I am rating it 5 stars because it's just an amazing way to spend my time practicing my chess in my own time by myself while I'm not using my computer or tablet to play online. Interface is so much fun to adjust my AI's level of difficulty whenever I want to play a nice chill game of chess after work, or when I just want to play more competively on other days by ramping up the AI difficulty. I Love the customizability on this board to adjust my assistance and the feature that the sqaures light up after picking up my pieces just makes this board 10x more fun than any other board I've ever owned or played on. Thank you Bryght Labs for making my chess experience much more fun to play on! This is alot of fun to use everyday. I'm rating it 5 stars because of that!”
“I must say I'm incredibly pleased with the chess board at the moment. It's still in its infancy, but I'm excited at prospective features like chess lessons from professional players, analyzing my games, and greater app-to-board integration for Android. Even just as is, without all the bells and whistles that first enticed me, I've really enjoyed playing family and students that aren't as familiar with chess or it's principles. It's been a blast so far))”
“Absolutely love it! Still learning all the functions the board is programmed with; however, I saw the twinkle in my kids eyes when I showed them a taste of what can be done. We waited a long time to have it delivered but it was worth the wait.”
“I love my ChessUp board! The experience is so unique, not quite like online play, not quite like playing on a typical board. Most of all, I think this board makes chess more feasible to play between people of different skill levels. I play chess a lot, so my friends who don't have a great knowledge of strategy or tactics would never want to play me in a normal setting, but having the ability to play on a pretty board with lights that stops them from losing right away makes it more fun and interesting for both of us!
I also love how responsive the Bryght Labs team is, and though the experience is not without is kinks, I have no doubt that the team will continue to work to improve the user experience.
All that being said, I have a few observations of areas for improvement:
(1) The syncing between the board and Android app is a bit rocky. I have played several games where the computer assistance has disconnected mid-game, either leaving me without an AI opponent, or leaving my poor unskilled friend to fend for themself. What makes this worse is that the only way to fix it seems to be to turn the board on and off, which loses the game being played, as I haven't been able to find a way to start from position.
(2) I wish there were a way to start a game from a position. The dream scenario for me is the be able to place the pieces on the board in the position I want to start, have the app automatically recognize the position, ask basic questions like "Whose turn is it?" and "Does either side have castling rights?" and then just go. This is vastly more preferable to entering a FEN into the app.
(3) For exploring branches of different lines, I wish there were an easier way to return to a separate anchor position other than the regular starting position. One solution might be the option to do multiple takebacks, perhaps having a back button on the app board and when you find the position you want to return to, click a button to return the board to that position. Another solution might be to have a separate analysis mode where you can set a temporary anchor position. For example, if I wanted to explore variations in the Stafford gambit, i could start the game normally, and once I get to move 4, I could tap a button that makes further moves as hypotheticals instead of adding it to the official game transcript, and when you're done exploring a line you can tap a button again to return the board to that anchor position. Another benefit of this would be the ability to analyze games on the board after they finish.
(4) I've noticed that the AI assistance recommends some strange moves, usually I'm positions that are already "lost" for one side. For example, I was playing with a friend on level 4 assistance, and they had several moves available, one that allowed checkmate in 1, and others that lost more slowly, and all moves lit up as green. This seems strange to me.
(5) I'm not sure if this just a me problem, or an android problem, or a known problem, but I've had some trouble with the lichess integration in that it seems to not work at all. I select all the attributes of the game I want to search for, and it doesn't seem to search once I click search. Not sure what the issue is. I also wish I could just navigate through the lichess app instead and say that I'm using an external board.
(6) I wish there were options to connect to a computer instead of a phone.
Overall though, I am very happy with the board and can't wait for new features to evolve and continue to enrich this wonderful investment!”
“ChessUp is amazing. It is exactly as I pictured it would be when I backed it initially. It is great for new chess players and experts. I am patiently waiting for the Chess.com integration to be released.”
“The chessboard has been used non-stop by all of my family members. The old can play with the new, and it’s engaging. The only time it’s not being used is when we need to recharge it. I have highly recommended this to several friends. Quality craftsmanship and design.”
“Hello Jeff and ChessUp Team,
I love my ChessUp! I know I have asked way too many questions, but you have answered all of them promptly and efficiently, and I am grateful for that! I think with future updates it will be unmatched in the world of electronic chess computers.
It is my humble opinion from extensive research that your only competition at the moment is the Chessnut Air. It has some features that are currently lacking in ChessUp, i.e. position set up, pgn export, analysis of games, chess 960, and piece recognition. Now I know your team is actively engaged in updating the ChessUp app with these improvements except for piece recognition. I don't think you can do anything about that, and that's alright. But, in order to stay ahead of the competition, updating as quickly as possible is paramount to increase sales with the holidays just around the corner.
However, there are features that are present in ChessUp that don't exist in Chessnut Air. Most notably, the assistance given by the lighting up of the moves. Also, ChessUp will be prove to be a great learning tool by the learn function found in the app. I'm sure the GMs are providing inciteful instruction for that.
I had not heard of ChessUp before and it was by accident I came across it from a YouTube video. And, if I may be so bold as to suggest, to get your brand out there in a huge way, I recommend a wonderful third party retailer in Chesshouse.com. I have used them in the past and think they are a marvelous company.
I have played chess for around 50 years, bought computer chess sets when they were terrible in the 1970s. They have fortunately evolved to where they are today, thank goodness!
I purchased a Square Off Pro before I heard of ChessUp. Sadly, it became defective 4 months after the purchase. Fortunately, I bought it from Chesshouse.com and they gave me a store credit. I am confident I won't have the same issue with ChessUp.
I sincerely believe in your company. I want you not only to survive but thrive. I humbly offer these comments as possible considerations for your review. I have been around chess for many years and I believe I have a little knowledge and expertise in this area.
I truly wish you the very best and continued success in what I think could quite possibly be the finest chess computer we will see! Sorry, this wasn't too short. Best regards, Jim Karras”
“The Bryght Labs team has put together the best chess board on the market today. Their customer service is second to none, and the communication the team displays to the Chessup community on a daily basis is fantastic. The team at Bryght Labs has been open and transparent every step of the process with their Chessup board from kickstart to getting their product in the hands of their customers. They have earned a life time customer from me, and I’m excited to see what the future brings for their company. Cheers, Bryght Labs! and thank you for a wonderful product.”
“I love the board and pieces!!!! I think that the software is a good start and I know that you are working to improve it and get the bugs out asap. I’ve never played chess otb having learned online, and I love the physical aspect that your product allows. Keep up the development!”
“The ChessUp board from Bryght Labs is beautiful, intuitive to use, and incredibly helpful for teaching Chess. My students love the varying levels of support that it offers. The built-in AI is as powerful as most of us on the team could need, but the option to integrate with the app to access additional features and review our games makes this one of the best tools for learning and playing Chess out there. So happy with this product!”
“I love the board and how responsive it is. However, I am hoping that the app will have additional features, including the ability to choose an opponent, a pop up mentioning that an opponent has resigned or disconnected, and the ability to see the rating level of an opponent. I would also love the ability to set up a custom position on the board and have the app recognize it for the purpose of puzzle solving.”
