Particula, makers of the GoCube connected Rubik’s Cube-like device, is introducing a new robotic chess board today. Officially known as GoChess and looking to capitalize on the “growing popularity” of chess in the wake of the Covid pandemic, the new smart chess board is looking to “revolutionize the way chess is played and learned, be it face-to-face, online, or with AI.” Head below for a closer look, more details, and a chance at landing a pre-order with a solid discount.
Particula’s new smart a new robotic chess board – GoChess
Chess – an ancient board game that demands analytical thinking and strategy – has remained largely unchanged for something in the order of 1,500 years for a reason. And while Particula isn’t trying to rewrite the book here entirely, it is attempting to infuse the traditional experience with some high-tech features that can both aid novice players as well as make the experience a more interactive one.
Despite its popularity, players often face a range of challenges when trying to improve their gameplay. Novices struggle to find resources and partners, while experienced players lack feedback and coaching. Plus, playing offline demands time-consuming activities such as manually configuring the board and searching for real-life opponents who have comparable skill levels to play with, whereas online play doesn’t provide the tactile excitement of a physical board.
GoChess is looking to tackle many of these issues with the introduction of what is described as “an all-in-one solution” that brings together a fully-robotic chess board with self-moving pieces alongside color-coded coaching lights, “and a journey through time and space to connect players with AI and the online chess community at anytime.”
Hidden within the board is a patent-pending robotic mechanism to power the self-moving pieces that both enables quick board auto-setup as well as a series of automated settings to recreate historic games, among other things – it can “move and reflect the opponent’s steps (whether it’s an AI or your friend from far) on the board.”
This means you can play online with anyone from around the world (it can connect with Lichess and Chess.com players), offline at home, or against AI, alongside a smart color-coded learning system:
Colorful indication lights on the board provide real-time coaching, which includes suggestions of possible, best, and worst moves, enabling players to engage with opponents of any level and improve skills. The entire lighting and coaching system is user configurable (enable/disable, set the level of coaching etc.)
If all of this sounds like something you’re intersted in, it might be a good idea to jump in over on the Kickstarter campaign page. Now already hundreds of thousands of dollars beyond its pledge goal, and with a pair of successful campaigns already in the books for previous products, Particula is offering some notable early bird pricing on both the standard and Lite version of the new smart robotic chess board.
More details on the new robotic chess board:
- Proprietary app – Through the app, you can choose to play online, offline, or with an AI. Connect to world’s famous chess platforms, Lichess and Chess.com, to play against real people from around the world, recreate historical matches, and play puzzles. The app also keeps track of your games and provides insights and analytics about your games and progress, helping you improve chess skills.
- Slim design, pristine functionality – Despite being the thinnest automatic chessboard on the market, GoChess offers a fine-designed, full-sized playing area and an exterior made of premium materials. It comes with two style options: modern (black and white plastic board, plastic pieces, modern design) and classic (wooden-style plastic board and wooden pieces, classic design).
- Two versions for convenience – GoChess also offers a GoChess Lite version, a smart chess board with all the features and connectivity without the robotic features of self-moving pieces. It comes with a thinner design for ultimate prestige and convenience. The fully featured GoChess board is modular, and can be transformed into the Lite option at any time.
Pricing currently starts at $199, or 29% off the MSRP with delivery set for this time next year. Take a closer look for yourself right here.
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