“I've had my Chessup 2 board for about a month now and I've enjoyed every second pf it with only very minor problems.
Pros:
- Judging by pictures prior to purchase, I expected the board to feel a little cheap but this is not the case. It feels premium and thats great.
- Setup, lessons, built-in AI. These are all flawless and work great. The assistance is great for playing a chess novice to create the feeling of an even playing field, although balance is hard to find.
- Chess.com and Lichess integration work well and playing OTB with someone online is fantastic but this does lead to my one minor con.
Cons:
-Occassionally, on starting a game on Chess.com or Lichess (both bots and humans) the board will hang on "Starting Soon". This is very easily solved by switching off and on again and takes about 20 seconds, so a fairly minor gripe.
Overall still a 9.5/10 purchase and doubled down with buying the extra promotion pieces later too.”
“A+++ customer service. I love my board. It's great to get off my phone chess app and play on a real board. It works really well, and my friends love playing it as well.”
“I love the board, the bots, and the ability to play with other "humans". I love accessing the Chess.com website. However, coaching is missing on the ChessUp 2 board when using Chess.com. I still want to be coached from time to time.
The iPad version needs to be upgraded to the full screen, not a copy of the iPhone. Come on, developers. Do not be lazy.”
“Here is my review, translated from French by Gemini :
Aesthetics
• Although inferior to standards (5 cm minimum), the size of the chessboard is sufficient: 3.8 cm side square for each square.
• The black pieces are not very visible on black squares.
• The king and queen are difficult to distinguish (no crown on the queen).
• Battery charging is indicated by a flashing red light if OK, and a solid red light if KO (not OK): this is somewhat contrary to what is usually seen.
Robustness
• Detection problems with the pieces during first use, which require calibration to be performed.
• The system is not perfect, and it is sometimes necessary to redo the movement of a piece for the game to take it into account.
• Particularly around the H4 square. When this fails, you can use the save/resume game option.
• More rarely, there may be a total blockage, in which case you have to perform a power off/on.
• The pieces are specific; the game must be used separately from a classic set to avoid mixing them, as classic pieces will not work on it.
Attractiveness
• The game attracts young people, both experienced and novices.
• The most experienced players find an opponent that responds quickly.
• Beginners find a tool that guides them.
Online Play
• On Chess.com as well as on Lichess, guest connection is not possible.
• It is only possible to start a new game on these platforms, not to start an exercise or resume a deferred game.
• On Chess.com as well as on Lichess, it is possible to view the game simultaneously on the computer.
• Failing on time is easier than when playing on the computer: The time counting starts as soon as the opponent has played, without waiting:
o for the transfer time from the site to the board (sometimes several seconds)
o for the movement of your pieces that you perform on the board.
Play with the Application
• With the phone application used jointly, it is possible:
o To specify a type of opening used for playing against the machine: however, the movements are not necessarily followed.
o To follow lessons (in English) synchronized with the movements on the board.
Exercises
• Possible to load a position and start the game from there: OK.”
“My board was broken and i sent it back to them to get it fixed. It was free of charge and they got it back to me very fast. Thanks for the board and all the help Bryght Labs!”
“Excellent chess computer. So much fun, and the whole family loves it. Occasionally (every 10th game), when you start a game with a human or a bot via Chess.com, the game gets stuck forever (mostly at the very beginning), and you need to restart the computer. But I guess it will be fixed in one of the future versions.”
“I returned my board because it wasn't working but I received a call from A nice lady informing me they would get my board working or send me a new one. I will write another Review after receiving my second board and see how it works.”
“Amazing shopping expecience! Great product! Super fasr shipping (3 days international delivery to South Africa. Very fast support responses.
I wish I could buy chess sets every day!”
“I surprised my dad with this ChessUp board as a gift. He used to play chess professionally but hadn’t played in years. The moment he saw it, he couldn’t stop smiling.
I’ve never been good at chess, but we’ve had so much fun playing together. The lights showing possible moves make it super easy to learn, and it just feels way more special than playing online. The board is solid and beautifully made, making the game even more enjoyable.
Highly recommended for any chess lover!”
“Awesome board and having a lot of fun playing my oldest son. One of the more notable features (for me) is playing and being able to save the game (for example when my youngest decides he wants to play with the pieces - Photo).
Have played a number of games online, vs bots, vs bots with specific openings and two player with and without assistance.
My eldest son plays on it too though he doesn't like me taking too long so he's prone to setting the time to 3-5 minutes without increment 😓”
“The ChessUp2 board definitely out classes all its rivals. The fact that it's wireless alone is very special. Hours of gameplay without recharging and with the App ,the ability to analyse your game and see what each move meant . The evaluation bar is another great innovation.
The box came perfectly packaged from Europe, with no extra taxes or customs . I already had my plug ready for the USB. The most unique feature are the lights on the board that evaluate the strength of your moves for each piece.
Great back up team support for any questions. So far I have only been playing the board's AI opponents , but will move to Chess.com eventually . But as a teaching tool it is perfect for my young nieces. I can't recommend this Chess board enough. With updates and info from the team, things can only get better . Thank you for a wonderful experience !”
“10 out of 10 this company is amazing. To start off the product is amazing. It works so well. I bought it for my daughter's 11th birthday and she's learning so much and we play together almost daily, and then mom plays after she goes to bed lol The peice recognition is phenomenal, the indicator lights are perfect, and the ease of use is everything I would want it to be. We got the full bundle, which came with the case and that makes it even easier for set-up & storage.
Additionally, their customer service is just as amazing. I'd originally planned to purchase it on Amazon so planned to order Monday & receive Wednesday. However after seeing the value of the bundle along with a discount code, it was a deal I couldn't pass up. However when I went to order there were no options for paid expedited shipping, only free shipping (which is wonderful itself) but it caused me concern that it wouldn't be in in time for her birthday. I emailed customer service and within hours they'd contacted their warehouse, made sure the order was shipped immediately, and shared tracking info with expected delivery of Thursday morning. They were so efficient and helpful and kind, as someone in the hospitality industry I was trully appreciative of what that kind of customer care they've implemented to make that so seamless.
I'm overall very impressed with the company and their products and cannot stop raving about this purchasem. The quality time, improvement to our skill level with chess, and just pure fun it provides makes it the best gift ive ever given her or myself. I can't wait to see what further updates and/or products Bryght Labs dreams up!
Thank you! -Regina”
