It’s alive… kind of.
I’m staring at the SquareOff Grand Kingdom set chessboard, tucked away in a tiny booth near the rear of the Sands Convention Center, part of the Tech West side of CES 2019. The physical chessboard set is smart enough to move the pieces by itself, and I watched with wonder as it automatically followed my moves.
In a show known for massive televisions and flashy press conferences, this was one of the most subtly fascinating demonstrations of technology. The chessboard can run on its own artificial intelligence with 20 difficulty levels. But it can also connect to other human opponents, who can play with you remotely through an app or online.
The player on the other end can make a move on the website, and you’ll see the move replicated on your board. This can help connect family members from remote distances or allow players with physical disabilities who can’t move the pieces but can swipe a smartphone touchscreen to participate in a full-fledged, physical game of chess.
While the board seems haunted, underneath it is a robotic arm with a magnetic that pilots the wooden pieces, which each have their own magnet too. To play, you need to press down on a piece, which elicits a quiet beep, make your move and press down a second time to confirm the position. When you put your arms around the board, you can feel the rumbling of the arm as it moves the chess pieces around.
