“After ordering two chess sets for my children in the initial kickstarter campaign I was initially very pleased with the sets (even though I'd had to wait a year longer than expected for them) so I decided to order another set for myself. As one of the original backers I was a bit disappointed not to be offered a substantial discount for purchasing a 3rd chess set and even more disappointed when I placed the order in January after your sales representative told me I needed to place the order immediately as the prices were going up by £100 per set, only to find they are basically still being sold at the price I paid. I was expecting to receive my chess set in April but actually didn't get it until the end of July, a 6 month wait! I had explicitly requested as walnut style set as the darker sets looked a bit plasticky and tacky, and again I was disappointed that you didn't send me the walnut set I had explicitly ordered. Furthermore, after only a week or so some of the plastic has started to bubble up. Overall I am pretty disappointed and additionally think that if you don't sort out your delivery logistics you are going to go out of business pretty quickly (which I don't want to see as then my chess sets will be unsupported).
Another big disappointment is that you don't seem to have made any significant improvements to the ChessUp App. You said that you would be adding connectivity to Chess.com but this still hasn't happened. Your videos also show some sort of automatic chess clock, which I can't find anywhere on the App (which would be really useful as I've already lost several games on Lichess due to running out of time). You also haven't added any other useful functionality like being able to set up the board in different positions and in order to switch between playing white and black you have to turn the whole board round. There also don't seem to be any advanced tutorials on the App, which I was expecting (things like different openings for example).
Overall ChessUp is a great concept but I've been pretty disappointed by the fact that nothing seems to have improved since the kickstarter campaign.”
“Service wise of keeping delivery promises. Several months late and several delays and I as buy needed to reach out for update. Product wise, great idea but need to work on the electronics since needed to amend and place the chess pieces again. You could expect more of quality feeling.”
“This chess set makes playing chess fun!
I just played another game on Lichess where I thought I would offer a draw to my opponent but the android app doesn't have a way of doing that. I also can't find a resign button when I'm loosing to the AI.
The app needs improvement but it's still an enjoyable game online 👍”
“Not new to chess but new to chess learning technology, I am very impressed by the clean look, easy steps of instructions, beautiful colorful display with ai assistance and even the quality feel of the board is very satisfying. Setting it up was a breeze, plus I don’t feel intimated by my worthy ai opponent in making mistakes while learning and most importantly having fun. Great product.”
“Have two other AI electronic boards and have enjoyed them very much, but I now have a new favorite in the ChessUp board by Bryght Labs. So easy to take right out of the box, get it set up, and start playing chess! You guys have hit a home run with this very unique board, and at a very affordable price too…….. Awesome!”
“My kids and I love this chess set. we have played every night since receiving it. The pieces feel great in your hand, and I love how it lights up your moves. I also like the way you can level up the AI. My only negative is the software for the phone as it sometimes goes to sleep while playing.”
Hi Todd! We are so happy that you and your kids love your ChessUp! To make your experience even better, Veronica is going to reach out to you from info@bryghtlabs.com so we can get to the bottom of your phone going to sleep, speak soon!
“Bryght Labs was very helpful and responsive in my communications with them. I was having some trouble getting in touch with Clyde, the company that sells the protection policy for the ChessUp chess board, so I eventually reached out to Bryght Labs and they were able to connect me with Clyde. The only complaint I might make about their service was the amount of time it took from the original purchase to the shipment delivery, which was about 4 months. To be fair, Bryght Labs was upfront about their production time from the beginning. They didn't do anything wrong it just took a while to send out their product. Great service overall.”
“I purchased 3 of the CHESSUP units for family members and myself. We all had some problems initially using the unit's software and the app. Once we all understood how the units and the app worked it was great. We are all at different levels and enjoy this great product. CHESSUP's teaching ability for beginners, openings, and defenses is great. I'm in my mid 70's and know that my word choices in this review are not what the computer generation/chess savvy individuals would choose. We all think CHESSUP is a great product and would recommend it for beginners to very skilled players, the software can kick your butt no matter your skill level!”
“Excellent product. Pieces and board look and feel great, and the AI plays very well. The packaging is absolutely stunning. The set comes with extra Queens. All pieces are touch-sensor wonders that enable light indicators across the board. Use the (optional) ChessUp App for additional levels, online play, game analysis, and more. Kudos to the brains behind the design of this chess masterpiece.”
“As an educator, I wish that there was a well-thought-out manual for this wonderful instrument. It is one of the cleverest designed hardware programs ever but, the user learning must be done by experimentation, not by explanation or guidance.
The many freezes, and re-starts are bothersome but might be part of my learning curve. I'm a fan, but any improvements are welcome.”
