{"id":1924,"date":"2026-06-11T12:10:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T12:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=1924"},"modified":"2026-06-11T12:10:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T12:10:06","slug":"best-smart-chess-boards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=1924","title":{"rendered":"Best Smart Chess Boards (2026): Chessnut, Millennium"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Playing chess can<\/span> be challenging, fun, and at times frustrating. Garry Kasparov called the game \u201cmental torture.\u201d With virtually limitless possibilities<\/a>, chess offers unparalleled depth, and you could easily fill a library with books on how to play it. The internet has opened up a wealth of potential competitors, and smart chess boards enable you to play anyone online or off, not to mention dabble in a variety of chess programs.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been testing smart chess boards for the past month or so, with the help of my chess-mad eldest, and these are my top picks.<\/p>\n

The Smart Chess Boards I Recommend Most<\/h2>\n
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Chessnut<\/p>\n

Pro Electronic Chessboard<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For my opening gambit, I\u2019m recommending the Chessnut Pro. With a classic wooden design, the Chessnut Pro feels like a regular board, but there are smarts hidden within. The beechwood pieces are beautifully weighted, an important but often underestimated feature. They feel great in hand, and the set includes a pair of extra Queens. This is a full tournament-size board (55 cm or 21.7 inches), so you\u2019ll need space for it.<\/p>\n

The board is very nicely made, with subtle red LEDs hidden in the corner of each square that light up to show moves. I love that it looks like a regular board when you\u2019re not playing online. There are discreet controls on one side with a USB-C port and Bluetooth connectivity to hook it up to your computer, laptop, or smartphone. There\u2019s no need to press down with each move, as every piece has a sensor chip inside that\u2019s automatically detected.<\/p>\n

We used the Chessconnect Chrome browser extension<\/a> to play matches on Chess.com<\/a> and Lichess.org<\/a>, and it was quick and easy to get up and running. The official Chessnut app features AI opponents, but they’re a little weak and lack variety. It isn\u2019t great, but you don\u2019t have to use it, and you can link up to different online services with a bit of tinkering (check out Graham\u2019s Programs<\/a> for some better options). Online play was occasionally a little glitchy. Sometimes there\u2019s a slight lag, and we had to click to reconnect for every game. Battery life is quite good (we got seven to eight hours), though it takes a while to recharge (best to leave it overnight).<\/p>\n

If you understandably don\u2019t want to spend that much, the Chessnut Air ($250)<\/a> is a far more affordable option. It\u2019s also wooden but much smaller (33 cm or 13 inches), with lighter pieces and visible LEDs. The Air+ ($400)<\/a> is the same size but with superior weighted wooden pieces and subtle LEDs on the board. Functionally, both give you much the same experience as the Pro.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Playing chess can be challenging, fun, and at times frustrating. Garry Kasparov called the game \u201cmental torture.\u201d With virtually limitless possibilities, chess offers unparalleled depth, and you could easily fill a library with books on how to play it. The internet has opened up a wealth of potential competitors, and smart chess boards enable you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[700,56,699,42],"class_list":["post-1924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-gadgets","tag-board-games","tag-buying-guides","tag-chess","tag-shopping"],"yoast_head":"\nBest Smart Chess Boards (2026): Chessnut, Millennium - Silvybrand Lifestyle Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The best chess boards for beginners and masters to play online and in-person matches.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=1924\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Best Smart Chess Boards (2026): Chessnut, Millennium - 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