Novag Star Beryl

The Novag Star Beryl is a sleekly designed chess computer, all of the buttons are waterproof, and a flush with the surface. The smallish dimensions of the chess computer (12 3/8"x10"x1") would suggest that it was made for travel. Although not great for during travel it packs well. It is not a super powerful unit, but it holds it's own against beginners, to intermediate players. I would suggest that the Novag Star Beryl is a good unit for youngsters that need a chess computer while on the move, it's durable, easily packed and affordable.

• ELO Rating: 1750128 Playing Levels
• Single Chip Microprocessor
• Sensory Board move input
• Random generator
• Receive hints with Hint Key
• Referee Mode
• Training mode
• 25 move takeback
• Setup position mode
• Solves most Mate in 6 moves
• Power: 6AA Batteries (or buy optional AC Adapter)
• Size: 12 3/8" x 10" x 1"

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Excalibur Phantom Force Review

I finally got my hands on the Excalibur Phantom Force chess computer. First thing I did was grab an AC power adapter and head over to a local coffee shop to test the unit out. I got several comments on the Phantom Force while I was there dinkin around with it, like when I made it set itself up for a game, this girl walked up, stared at it for a few minutes then said "that thing scares me!" then walked off. While I was there that chess computer started several conversations for me, people were very interested. I was a little disappointed however in 4 things, the Phantom Force cannot set itself up unless each piece is placed off to the side in it's own capture space. It cannot move more than one piece at once, so if you don't mind waiting over 5 minutes for it to set itself up then maybe you ought to do the setting up yourself! The unseen hand beneath the board surface makes a fair bit of noise. And last and most importantly, the Excalibur Phantom Force does not feature auto sensory, that may sound contradictory with the feature that it moves itself, but it actually doesn't recognise each piece's characteristics, this also means that like other chess computers you have to push on your piece on the square from where you are moving it and push on the square you move it to. So if you place the queen in rank with the pawns it will move like a pawn.
But I think the good outweighs the bad. All the above "bad things" I said about the Phantom Force are side effects in this computer because it is the only one of it's kind, and it is infinitely ahead of most chess computers. the one reason most people would rather use touch screen LCD units is because they move their own pieces, now you can play with a real board and real pieces without ever having to touch your opponents piece. The takeback move feature is simply awesome! it appears to me you can takeback a whole game of moves. Although I only tested it up to five moves. What makes this really cool is that it does all the work for you, and if you aren't taking notes you might forget 3 moves ago where you or the computer was, but the computer does it all for you. This is also great for re-working chess puzzles. The talking feature is about the same quality as the Ivan II I never really did care for the talking/noisy feature in chess computers but I did bear with it for this review. I can tell you straight off that most adults will shut off the sound. But it is a great coaching tool for beginners. It tells you when you are in checkmate, alerts you to dangerous positions (extremely annoying to advanced players) and illegal moves. To see the Phantom Force castle and open with it's knights is pretty cool, to open with knights it just moves the pawn in front of it out of the way, then it takes out the knight and puts back the pawn. Very similar for castling. In a nutshell the Excalibur Phantom Force chess computer is always going to be a joy to play against, because it does most of the work, it will amaze everyone watching and it will be an excellent analysis tools for working out chess problems.

Buy Excalibur Phantom Force

Any additional comments or news on this chess computer are welcome!

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NEW Excalibur Phantom Force Chess Computer

Excalibur Phantom Force chess computer is the newest technology in chess computers, it is simply incredible. The most remarkable feature is that the chess computer moves it's own chess pieces itself!!! The first time I heard of it I thought the person telling me about it was jerking my leg, and my first question I put to him was "so if I want to open with a knight then how will the computer handle that?" he promptly responded with the answer, "the computer just moves the pawn in front of the knight and out he comes!". But I never let it rest, I went out and found more information on the Excalibur Phantom Force and what I found gave me drop jaw syndrome!
The Excalibur Phantom Force is a talking chess computer with 3 languages! English, French, and Spanish. Excalibur Phantom Force also comes with everything that you can get with the older chess computers like coach modes, it will rate your games you play against it, a built in chess clock and so on. And folks this is a full size chess computer, it's the real McCoy! One of the coolest features, but perhaps worthless for advanced players is you can pitt the computer against itself, and you can just sit back and watch the computer play itself! This could be really useful for beginners to just watch and pick up solid playing style just by watching, I have yet to see though. For technological advancement the Excalibur Phantom Force computer completely puts to shame all of the portable chess computers that are available now! just take a look at the official list of features.

Order Excalibur Phantom Force chess computer.

• 136 Levels, with 120 for Play and 16 for Analysis
• Tournament time control levels and Action Chess time control levels
• Rates your chess skill
• Ratable Game Indicator
• Announces Mate In 5 moves
• Built in Dual Chess clock display
• Sensory chess board
• Watch the Phantom move its own piece
• Auto Play lets the Phantom take both sides to play or finish a game
• Voice Vocabulary For added play dimension
• Voice in three languages - English, French, and Spanish
• Announces all moves in algebraic notation
• Hints and Coaching, including “Are You Sure?” Coach Mode
• Take back mistakes
• Selectable opening lines for play and learning
• Teach Mode for beginners
• Off Key Saves Game in memory
• Adjustable Automatic Shutoff
• Adjustable LCD Contrast
• Includes built-in chess piece Storage compartment.
• Requires 6 C Batteries (not included), or AC Adapter (included)

As soon as I get my hands on one to test out myself I'll write another post on the Excalibur Phantom Force, but if you are as excited about this chess computer as I am it is available to Pre-order now From Chess House!

Order Excalibur Phantom Force talking chess computer

If you have any addition comments such as a good or bad experiance with the Phantom Force chess computer, orjut new news, PLEASE DROP A COMMENT!

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Novag Citrine Chess Computer

The Novag Citrine Electronic chess computer has beautiful hand carved chess pieces, Novag's Citrine looks more classy looking than all of the cheaper plastic chess computers, the wood board makes the Novag Citrine look just like a classic wooden chess board and for that reason it is the chess computer of choice for playing chess Player vs Player. One really cool feature that the Novag Citrine has, is the LCD screen. Unlike most chess computers the LCD screen on the Novag Citrine is built into a little box that is detatchable from the chess computer. This is good for two reasons. First of all the LCD screen is the easiest part of a chess computer to break, and secondly you can play with the Novag Citrine Player vs Player without the LCD screen in view, without the LCD screen the Novag Citrine looks just like a really high class, quality chess board. All this coupled with a strong playing level and auto sensory chess board/pieces, makes the Novag Citrine chess computer the only in its class!!!

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Saitek Micro Chess Computer

Saitek's most affordable hand held travel chess computer in their line of Mephisto chess computers! You get the most for what you pay for in the Saitek Micro chess computer, Take a look at some of these features!

1. 3650 opening moves guide you through the openings and ensures you'll encounter typical openings you will see in actual games.


2. Takeback your moves anytime to any point earlier in your game.


3. SETUP your own position to try out new positions and moves.


4. Hold your unfinished game in memory for next time you want to turn on and play the game.


5. Chess Clocks: It even features a built-in chess clock to time your play.

There are many other things besides all these great features, take a look at this extended description of the Micro Travel Chess Computer.

Touch Screen Chess Computers

It's easy, it's fun, and you cant beat using them for travel! Touch screen chess computers are a great way to play chess while traveling, there is no question about it! My favorites are the Maestro touch screen chess computer made by Saitek Mephisto and the Deluxe touch screen chess computer made by Excalibur. The main reason I like these two chess computers the best is because they have the best LCD screens I have ever seen, the chess pieces are so much more defined on these two touch screen chess computers than any other touch screen computers, that the difference is amazing. The Maestro also features a back-lit screen, for playing in the dark, or poor lighting conditions. Just take a look at the menu for touch screen chess computers, you will probably find something you like!



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Digital Chess Computer

The Digital Chess Computer fan club is growing ever more popular, and it's small wonder; digital chess computers are just more fun than traditional a traditional chess set. I like them best for travel, like those handheld digital chess units are great player vs player chess computers, and if there is no one willing to play you can play vs the computer. It's just really easy to pass the handheld unit back and forth when playing PVP.
And I especially like the bigger electronic chess computers for setting hard chess problems and letting the computer do the escape moves, that is loads of fun. I enjoy playing chess computers, that's that plain and simple, there are loads of models to choose from.

But a personal recommendation from me for a handheld unit, would be the Maestro Travel Chess Computer, It has cool features, and It's so easy to use that even I can use it to It's full capability's. The back-lit screen is the coolest feature, it enables you to play a good game of chess in any lighting conditions. What makes this unit even more special is the clarity of the chessmen on the LCD screen. I must confess that some of the cheaper models that are similar to this one have not near the quality that the Maestro, and as far as I know, this is the only one that has that back-lit screen. The pieces on the Maestro chess computer are moved about with a stylus, and the computer moves it's own piece.

For a full size chess computer I would recommend the Excalibur Grand Master digital chess computer. It has a full size 20" chessboard that really looks and feels great. There are two things that I really like about this chess computer. Firstly I like the arrangement of buttons, the way they are placed makes it super easy to set up custom positions for solving chess problems with the chess computer. Secondly, I love the auto sensory board. Auto sensory is a really neat feature found in the best quality chess computers. How it works is the pieces each have a micro chip in them that tells the board not only what powers they hold (king, queen, rook, bishop, knight, pawn) but also tells the board where you moved your piece! And so on and so forth. The only disadvantage is the large size of the computer, so if you are in a crunch for space at your place then a smaller computer would be better. For me though it's definitely an advantage, I always do better on a standard tournament size chess set, with standard sized chess pieces, and Grandmaster Chess Computer provides just that.

If you have any input on a personal experience with a chess computer or any other recommendations on other chess computers, please post a comment!

Electronic Chess on the run!

I have several friends that are college students that love the game of chess, but they never have time to actually play chess anymore. The say "Oh I don't have time to set up a chess board, play out a game of chess, then put it all away again!" And when they do have time to play chess chances are no one else can, or wants to. Here is the solution!

This is an electronic chess set, it is very portable and can be carried in a purse or on your hip in the leather case that comes with it. You can play against the computer or VS another human. And the back-lit screen makes this the ultimate hand held electronic chess set for people on the run, it enables you to play out a game of chess in an lighting conditions. The LCD screen that is Incorporated in this electronic chess computer make the chess pieces show up on the LCD screen with better detail than any other electronic chess computer!

Make this Electronic Chess Computer a present for your special person on the go, you won't be sorry and neither will they!

Play chess against a computer!

Playing chess against chess computers is fun, and educational. Chess is the mind stimulating choice for fun and education for thousands of people! And having fun with the game of chess has been completely been re-defined with portable chess computers. Now you can play chess against the computer, anytime, anywhere! And these chess computers come in all different sizes and forms, you can get big chess computers, small chess computers that fit in a duffel, purse or bag. You can get a really powerful chess computer or a cheap chess computer. But whatever you decide on, you can be sure of having fun!

Making the Choice:
Which chess computer to buy? That I will leave you to figure out, but I am going to provide you with a link to the best, most complete collection of available chess computers you can find on the web! I'm going to redirect you to a store that accurately describes each chess computer they sell, and you will find big brand name chess computers like DGT Electronics, Excalibur Chess Computers, and Saitek Mephisto Chess Computers. I leave the choice to your discretion. Have fun, and play chess against the computer!

Chess Computer Shop

Travel Chess Computer: Finding the right one

When you have a long road trip or flight ahead, there is nothing like a travel chess computer to whittle away the time. Regardless of road trips and flights, it can take a lot to occupy an active child's mind. It can take a lot to occupy an active child's mind, but the very best way to do that is to give children something that will educate them rather than dumb them down like a Nintendo Gameboy.
That's where travel chess computers fit the bill perfectly, face it, chess is a game that takes all the mental facilities, and chess really requires a lot of focus and concentration. Travel chess computers are the perfect substitution for the new Nintendo games that do nothing to improve your IQ, rather than improve I tend to think that they turn kids into vegetables!

So we know that Nintendo is a no go, and that travel chess computers are great to substitute for a Nintendo. But then a question quickly arises. Which travel chess computer should I buy?
A good question, I will do my best to advise you, And I have used each and every one of the chess computers I am going to mention.

First we need to find what your price range is for a travel chess computer. I will start with the cheaper chess computers and I will move on to the more expensive but better chess computer.

Chess Station Travel Chess Computer:
First of all this is the very cheapest chess computer I would ever recommend that you ever buy! The Chess Station travel chess computer is great because it offers versatility that other chess computers don't. The best part about this travel chess computer is that you get a handheld, portable chess computer unit, and you also get an electronic chess board as well! This enables you to carry the handheld chess unit anywhere you want without pieces and be able to play chess. But then if you want to play with a real chess board with real chess pieces, rather than the LCD screen that the handheld travel unit, you can just plug the handheld unit into the chess board. Then the Chess Station travel chess computer becomes an electronic chess set! Fairly powerful and easy to use, with many fun options, this travel chess computer is pretty nice and for a great deal. You are able to play VS the computer or another human. The LCD screen on this travel chess computer however is not as detailed as others. Chess Station travel chess computer is made by Excalibur Electronics.

Deluxe Talking Travel Chess Computer:
This Talking travel chess computer is an extremely nice chess computer, and great for kids to use. The talking feature of the Talking travel chess computer is very handy for kids and eliminates a lot of confusion that could ensue without it (the talking mode is optional). The Talking travel chess computer tells you when you are in check, if you are trying to make an illegal move, this travel chess unit makes a lot of sense. And the LCD screen is the second best I have seen on a LCD travel chess computer that I have seen in this price range. The Deluxe travel chess computer is operated with a stylus, this stylus makes the Deluxe travel chess computer super simple to operate the entire unit. This travel chess computer is also super simple to put on player VS player mode instead of player VS computer. Also there are several adjustable playing levels to this travel chess computer, and it can be turned up to an extremely high level and is far to hard for me to beat! New Feature! The Excalibur Deluxe talking Chess Computer now has a backlight screen for nocturnal play!

Maestro Travel Chess Computer:
The Maestro travel chess computer has the best LCD screen ever for it's class of chess computer, each chess piece is easily distinguished. As for playing power it is about the same as the Deluxe travel chess computer. It does not talk, but it offers anther feature that is just as nice, or nicer for adults. The LCD screen has an optional backlight, so you are able to play in any lighting, anytime! (watch out for kids playing in the dead of night!) You can set up chess puzzle positions with the Maestro travel chess computer as well. This is a great feature, it enables you to work through a chess puzzle book and let the computer play as the opposing side and make the forced mate in 3 moves for you! (the Deluxe travel chess computer can do this as well).

*New* Mon Roi chess computer:
The Mon Roi chess computer is the ultimate of all travel chess computer. It is a personal chess computer that can even be password protected. You can automatically save all your chess games in it's database, and later upload them to a computer for further analysis using a USB cable! This new little chess gadget is the most high tech piece of chess equipment available! Mon Roi chess tournaments are hosted and all the games from these tournaments are veiwable online. These tournaments are hosted, and the players games are all picked up by a wireless gadget and are automatically able to be seen online! This new chess technology is available to buy, but it is expensive, and I would only recommend it to the most avid of chess players!

Mon Roi Review

Mon Roi is a personal chess manager that is able to do amazing things with your chess game. I'll name a few of the great features that the Mon Rio Chess Manager offers.

The Mon Roi Chess Computer is portable:
That's right, the Mon Roi portable chess managing unit is small enough to fit in a purse, and it's super simple to just put in a cargo pocket. And the Mon Roi chess computer is battery operated, with premium re-chargeable batteries. Carrying your own personal chess manager around in a cargo pocket sounds weird but with all the cool new technology... Why not?!

Mon Roi Is Your Own Personal Database:
Your Mon Roi Electronic Chess Unit can annotate your chess games flawlessly, and even wirelessly! You can have the Mon Roi chess manager set up to annotate all your games, and save them for review later; Especially useful for going over with a coach or chess teacher.

Mon Roi Is Easy To Use!
You might be thinking "oh this new fangled technology... It's all so confusing, this Ron Moi thing is probably impossible for me to use." hold it right there! This personal chess manger is made for you to! Mon Roi is super simple to use. The Mon Roi Chess Computer is operated with a stylus (that's like a pen) and you just use that stylus to navigate through all the features by clicking on what you see. Once you get learn the menu and the basics you will be able to breeze through it. And Mon Roi Doesn't just dump you once you buy the chess manager unit, it comes with complete instructions on how it should be properly used.

Mon Roi Is Personal:
Password protected, Mon Roi is tamper proof, and it's also copyrighted, that means that no other cheap chess computer company is going to come out with one.

Mon Roi is Compatible with Computers:
Mon Roi is USB compatible, you can download off your desktop or laptop all your chess games, and you can put your photos on the Mon Roi chess manager.


This is the ultimate chess gadget! But I would advise that only the most enthusiastic of chess players buy this personal chess manager, you will appreciate it that much more!

Cheap Touch Chess Computer

This cheap touch LCD screen travel chess computer has got to be the cheapest travel chess computer available. At only $16.95 this LCD screen touch screen chess computer is even pretty strong. It has an average rating of about 1600, not bad for a cheap travel chess computer. One of the reasons it is so cheap is probably because all the newer travel chess computers are all operated with a stylus that looks like a pen. Instead this small travel chess unit is operated using buttons on the front panel. And you don't have to play against just the computer, you can play VS real people taking turns passing the unit back and forth.

Electronic Chess Computer

The Saitek Mephisto Master Chess Computer is one of the most powerful electronic chess computers available to own. The Master chess computer has an average ranking of about 2200! There are 256 strength levels for the Saitek Mephisto Master electronic chess computer. For play against the electronic chess computer there is an LCD screen that shows the electronic chess computers move, you can also play VS real people. There is also a coaching mode on the master electronic chess computer, so it's not just great fun you will be getting; you will get that of course, but you will actually be improving your game of chess with the Master Electronic chess computer. The master Electronic chess computer also has learning modes and positional setup. So you can take a book of chess problems and sit down with your master electronic chess computer and work out chess problems with your computer, and the electronic chess computer will make the moves that normally your opponent would move. The Master electronic chess computer comes with an AC power adapter as well.

This Master electronic chess computer is really impressive, in fact former world champion chess player Garry Kasparov thought so well of Saitek Mephisto chess computers, that he consented to sponsor their electronic chess computers. And for your peace of mind, the Master electronic chess computer comes with a manufacturers 2 year warranty! Saitek Mephisto really has confidence in it's products, they really believe that they provide you with the best quality electronic chess computers.

And folks, all the people that write a review about the Master electronic chess computer give it a 5 star review! one fellow matched his Electronic Master chess computer VS his Novag Star Diamond chess computer. The Master electronic chess computer completely destroyed the Novag. For playing strength definitely go with the Saitek Mephisto Electronic Chess Computer!

Travel Chess Computers

In the last 3 years, travel chess computers have advanced from toys, to powerful gaming and tutor systems. The Processors of the latest travel chess computers are highly developed, to give you the stiffest competition ever seen in travel chess computers. Travel chess computers like the Maestro travel chess computer, made by (Saitek Mephisto) and the Deluxe Talking travel chess computer, (by Excalibur) have not only improved their game of chess, but they also offer more features. These features have made these two computers outshine their competition by a mile! I have operated both chess computers, I like the Maestro travel chess computer the best, but both the Maestro and the Deluxe Talking travel chess computers have undeniable features.
The reason I like the Maestro travel chess computer the best is because it has a great backlit screen, so there is never a problem playing it, ever! I have played many LCD screen chess computers, it is really annoying when you can't quite see the pieces because of bad lighting. The backlight LCD screen really is a great new feature. It sucks more juice out of the batteries of course, but it is an optional feature, so you only use it in poor lighting condition. Read All Maestro Features.
The Deluxe Talking travel chess computer has good features to. The sound element involved in the game, makes you more aware of what is going on in the game. I cranked up this chess computer to the max level and got creamed! I eventually was able to beat the Deluxe Talking travel chess computer after I turned down the level to about 1100. I really like how detailed each individual piece was, each piece looked like a Staunton chess set should. Read All Deluxe Talking travel chess computer features.

Both of these handheld travel chess computers are the top of the line, the very best of their class. They are in fact very similar to each other, they are both about the same strength, in a post in the near future I am going to pit one against the other in a chess game and see which one wins. I will write an article on the results of both travel chess computers.

Talking Chess Computers

Talking chess computers can be one of the best chess improvement tools for kids. Most kids don't have a chess battle buddy that they can play chess with anytime they want; a talking chess computer provides them with a chess partner every time they turn it on. And talking chess computers are the best because they provide the audible part of chess that a normal chess buddy would. Talking chess computers generally help young people understand what's going on, talking chess computers were designed with the idea in mind that they would help coach you in chess. And like I said before a talking chess computer makes a good substitute for a human player, at least for a while. Playing chess on a talking chess computer might not seem at first to be as much fun, but with the built in coaching modes talking chess computers feature, you can't help but improve your chess game.

Deluxe Talking Chess Computer:
This talking chess computer is a handheld, LCD touch screen talking chess computer. It's like a little palm pilot. You control this talking chess computer with a stylus, that's like a little pen. This handheld talking chess computer has the best LCD screen available, the pieces are designed so as to give you the best representation of chessmen I have seen yet on an LCD screen. The playing level on the Deluxe talking chess computer can be adjusted to suit you best, playing chess at just your level usually is best for learning and improving your chess game, and it's a good confidence builder if you win at least 50% of the time. Great for traveling, and you can play the deluxe talking chess computer against a human player as well as the computer itself. New Feature! The Excalibur Deluxe Talking Chess Computer now has a backlight screen!!! Buy Deluxe Talking Chess Computer!

Talking Chess Trainer:
The talking chess trainer is a good starting computer, it's more affordable than the others and it still has great features. It has real chess pieces and a fairly large board. The pieces are plastic and slightly magnetic to the board. the playing strength of the talking chess trainer is not as high as the more expensive chess computers, but you get what you pay for right? It's a good computer to start out with for more reasons than that to, the talking chess trainer, even though it's playing strength is lower has good coaching modes, a hint button, and a take-back-move feature. Buy Talking Chess Trainer!


Talking Chess Academy:
Made by Saitek Mephisto, the talking chess academy is the mother of all talking chess computers. The talking chess academy has the largest board, the highest playing strength (can be adjusted) and the best coaching methods! This is for serious chess players; the talking chess academy is a highly developed chess computer that can be a powerful analysis tool and a great way to improve your chess game. The academy has the latest state of the art technology, it has a sensory chess board, that sensory system makes it so the chess computer can recognize each individual chess piece on the board, and does so effeciantly and error free. One of the analysis features includes a setup mode. The setup mode is a feature that allows you to set up the chess computer in a puzzle position, then when you start playing the puzzle the computer makes the move for your opponent, the take-back-move button comes in really handy for puzzles to.
Comes with a 2 year manufactures warranty and an AC power adapter. The Talking Chess Academy really is the mother of all talking chess computers!
Buy Talking Chess Academy!

DGT Chess Set

The DGT Chess Set is the all time best chess set on the face of the earth! I'll just fill you in a little on the amazing features of the DGT chess set. First of all each individual DGT chess piece is electronically equipped to communicate with the DGT chess board, also each square on the DGT chess board is equipped to communicate with each DGT chess piece.

The DGT chess set allows you to connect from the chess board to a computer through a USB port. It allows you to broadcast games online. This is just another of the great features of the DGT chess set! It is compatible with ICC (a play chess online domain) and has many other online chess functions.

The DGT chess set is made from real, solid wood! so it isn't just great features it has, it looks spectacular! And you can get the DGT chess set with several different styles of DGT chess pieces to choose from. You can even get it in many different board colors. The most popular DGT board color is rosewood though

You can have the computer analyze games while playing a human opponent. The DGT chess board can automatically store chess games in it's memory system that is integrated inside the board; while you are playing it stores the information and you can transfer the games as PGN later.

There is also a DGT Chess Clock specially designed to operate with the DGT chess board, it connects to the chess board and provides you with a hands off chess clock that switches the time from side to side as you move pieces.

And lastly of all, a good DGT Chess Bag has been made for the safe transport of the DGT chess set, it has all the room you would need to carry a DGT board, DGT chess pieces, DGT chess clock and all the cords/cables required to operate the DGT chess set.

But don't just take my word for it that the DGT chess set is the finest chess set on the face of the earth, just read these testimonies of very satisfied people.


Quotes about the DGT e-board

Mit meinem DGT-Brett / seriell, HP iPAQ Pocket PC H5550 mit Grandmaster bin ichsehr zufrieden.(With my DGT Board (Serial), HP iPAC Pocket PC H5550 running Grandmaster, I am very satisfied.)> F.W. Februari 2004

"I got my DGT board last weekend and I am very glad to report that it definitely meets all the high expectations I had. The board and the pieces are really nice and more importantly it works like a charm!"> G. Februari. 2004

"The inclusion of FTP load adjusting is really fantastic! By reducing FTP transfers when errors occur, and making FTP more active when there is capacity, TOMA is now much more reliable with its file transfers and is even more efficient in its use of available network bandwidth.Together with the ability to automatically upload PGN files, to facilitate ICC relays, you have really come up with something special.Fantastic work!"> G.B. Januari 2003

"Ik heb een DGT schaakbod gekocht, en dat was allesbehalve een miskoop."(I bought a DGT chess board and it was all but a bad bargain.")> J.H. Januari 2003

"I must again give you my blessings and my deepest appreciation for all you have done. Your creation of the dgt board has given legally blind people, like myself, the ability to play chess against a computer, or against anyone else on the internet.My deepest regards,"> A.G. februari 2003

"In general I can only say the DGT board gives you the most realistic feeling of playing chess, I don't want to play on screen anymore."> M.C. October 2003

"The greatest christmas-gift i got this year, was the DGT-Board. Whow!"> M.G. December 2002

Quotes from: http://www.dgtprojects.com/eboard_love.htm

Hand Held Chess Computer

The Chess Station Chess Computer is a great hand held chess computer it has awesome features that can't be ignored if you are interested in purchasing the ultimate travel handheld chess computer. It is a small palm sized Hand held chess computer with an LCD screen. It's really cool, the handheld unit can be played like other handheld chess computers, in you hand! But then it plugs into a chess board and plays old school chess with real pieces!
One of the features is a teaching mode and a hint mode, designed to improve your game of chess. The only thing this hand held chess computer lacks is a stylus, you controll the pieces with buttons on the computer. Its just one less piece you have to worry about losing. The Chess Station has a processor chess rating of about 1750.

If you prefer a hand held unit that has a stylus or higher playing strength the Maestro Travel Chess Computer or the Deluxe Talking Chess Computer are the best of their kind.

Excalibur AC Power Adapter

Excalibur has made a 6v 100mah power adapter specifally designed to fit and power Excalibur Chess Computers. This Excalibur AC Power Adapter works well with the Excalibur Grandmaster, Electronic Glass Chess, Invan II, & Kingmaster III.

Travel Chess Computer

So what's the best Travel Chess Computer you ask? well first of all lets narrow down the category. What are you really looking for and expecting out of a travel chess computer. I will run down a list of the most popular chess computers, i'll give you all the facts on the advantages and disadvantages of the leading travel chess computers.

Maestro Travel Chess Computer: More Statistics.
The maestro travel chess computer is designed to use in all lighting conditions, whether you lighting is good or whether its bad, I can still be able to play a game of chess with a friend or against the computer itself. I'm able to do this because the maestro travel chess computer has the coolest backlight feature, it wont matter if its pitch dark you can still manage to play chess with it. Just a warning to parents, if you buy this travel chess computer for a child, you might want to peep in on him/her at night, just so they get some sleep! It isn't shockproof, and it sure isn't waterproof! It also comes with a leather carry-case. Maestro travel chess computer can play a tough game of chess, and you can tone down the level if its to hard.

Deluxe Talking Travel Chess Computer: More Statistics.
supposedly the worlds best chess computer, the Deluxe Talking travel chess computer has a great estimated chess rating of 2000! I don't think its quite as user friendly as the Maestro but it whups it at a tough game of chess, it doesn't have the backlight feature though. But there isn't called Deluxe Talking chess trainer for nothing! Yep this travel chess computer really does talk, it's great for people who cant see as well. Another great feature is the LCD screen on this travel chess computer has more detailed chess pieces than any other LCD screen chess computer so once again its great for people that cant see as well. This travel chess computer comes with a leather carry-case as well. Newly added feature! The Deluxe Talking Chess Computer now has a back light screen for nocturnal play!

Mephisto Expert Travel Chess Computer: More Statistics.
With this travel chess computer I never have to puzzle over which piece is which. it comes with 3D peg style pieces, The only disadvantage with this is the pieces can get lost. I lost some but phoned Saitek and got the replacements so that worked out fine. The 3D chess pieces fit snugly into place on the holey chess board if it gets a little bumped around, say in the car or plane, they will stay in place and only if it is jarred pretty badly will they ever come out. Another great feature of the Expert travel chess computer is the great lid design; the lid is designed to be placed over a game of chess while the pieces are still in place! So a game is easily stored and saved. The designers of this chess computer knew people would be worried about losing their chess pieces, but they wanted a travel chess computer with real in-your-hand chess pieces, so they conveniently made 30 little holes off the actual chess board. So whenever I capture an opponents piece, i place it in one of the little holes off the board. You might be thinking why 30? there are 32 pieces! well, the kings never come off the board!

There are several other styles of travel chess computers but the ones I have chosen to post on are in my opinion the best travel chess computers made. I have had the opportunity to play and operate each individual chess computer, and have been using them for years. The travel chess computers I have posted on have excellent feedback not by just me but by many other satisfied people. But thats not to say those are your only options there are several other travel chess computers.

Siatek Challenger Chess Computer

Siatek has produced yet another computer, I have heard nothing but praises for the functionality of the Siatek Challenger chess computer. It works efficiently, well, and I personally know that the Saitek Challenger chess computer is designed for easy use, for all ages. It's easy to use, but don't think that it wont have the features you would expect out of a top dollar chess computer, just to name a few; Siatek Challenger comes with 64 playing levels, coach mode, and puzzle mode. The puzzle mode is great! you set up the pieces on the computer in the puzzles position and the computer plays the opposite side for you! makes figuring out chess puzzles a blast! This chess computer and 5334 Chess Problems, Combinations & Games are the perfect combination.
Siatek even includes an AC power adapter with the Challenger! The Challenger chess computer also has a very useful power down function, while using batteries the chess challenger will shut itself down if nothing is happening; in order to conserve on batteries. Siatek Challenger chess computer also comes with the auto sensory board, no matter what anyone says, the auto sensory chess board is the best technology available and this is the cheapest chess computer available with that function. It would take a long time to explain all the features of the Challenger comes with. So I'll take for granted you know somthing about chess computers "This computer has more modes, functions, and features than some electronic chess computers that are selling for more money at this very minute!" The only thing it lacks is a display screen; a screen that shows all 64 squares of the chess board, this screen shows you the computers move rather than using algebraic notation. And it does not include a talking mode. For these features see the Ivan II made by Excalibur.

Glass Electronic Chess Computer

The Glass Electronic Chess Computer is a very stylish looking electronic chess computer, and its not just good looking, the glass electronic chess computer has an official USCF rating of 2000, that's a high rating by most peoples standards! the glass electronic chess computer offers several different playing modes and levels including analysis modes and other handy features. The chess pieces that accompany the glass electronic chess computer are finely crafted from glass, the light pieces are clear glass and the dark pieces are transparent blue. Each square on the glass electronic chess computer has a red LED light integrated just under the surface of the board, when a piece makes its move the LED lights, light up the path its going to travel on to reach its destination, so lets say a rook is going to move from a1 to a8, a string of red LED lights will light up the pathway all the way to a8. This is very handy because you don't need to reference an LCD screen to find out where the computer wants to move. This glass electronic chess computer is strong enough to handle mate in 8 positions, you have the option of playing against the computer or against a friend, while playing with a friend the computer acts as a referee making sure all the rules are being followed. In a nutshell I'd say this could be a great analysis and training tool, but also a great looking electronic chess computer, one that wouldant be all that out of place in a sitting room set up, ready for a game.

Computer Chess Game Fritz 9 & Chess Genius

Fritz 9 is a powerful Computer Chess Game and chess computer analyzing tool, it is the best chess training software available, with this powerful computer chess game software you can view and play chess games online at www.playchess.com the chessbase chess playing server, the Fritz 9 computer chess game software also allows you to view multiple chess games on one screen. You can chat with your opponents, and this computer chess game software has a filter in it that blocks insults. Fritz 9 will also allow you to watch the best chess game going on online, this is a great way to learn better chess, by watching Grandmasters play on the playchess.com server. This chess server is the most widely used and is used by the most Grandmasters, there is a map online showing you where the online title holders are from using red flags. Fritz 9 will give you access to www.playchess.com and is the most recommended chess computer game software with the most options and functions available. With the Fritz 9 computer game software you will be able to play a game VS the computer instead of playing against other people online, after you play your chess game VS the computer, you will have the ability and option to review and anylize your chess game. Fritz 9 is the very best chess computer game for whatever your level is, whatever level chess player you are it is impossible to use the Fritz 9 computer chess game software without improving your chess game.

Chess Genius Classic is another computer chess game, this computer chess game was made famous for beating Gary Kasparov at the Intel World Chess Grand Prix tournament in London. While not as good for learning and improving at chess as Fritz 9, the Chess Genius computer chess game is very popular for its playing strength, Chess Genius was created by Richard Lang, a ten time computer chess world champion. With this computer chess game software you will be able to play vs a friend, VS the computer, or you can match the computer against itself. It is easily downloaded and all updates made to the software are free.

DGT Electronic Chess Board & Pieces

I seriously believe this DGT Electronic Chess Board is the greatest analysis tool invented yet, it provides you with a full size chess board on which to play, the squares on the board are the standard FIDE size, ( 2 1/8 inches) the DGT chess board dimensions are 21 X 21 X 1/4. The DGT board has the highest grade auto sensory technology made. The pieces that accompany the DGT electronic chess board correspond electronically with the DGT chess board, for each piece the programming is pre-set what color will appear on the computer screen, the DGT chess board has an internal memory system that saves your moves with a limit of 500 moves. It comes with the software needed to run the DGT electronic chess set alongside your computer. Connects to your computer through a USB cable (included) and there is a jack in the chess board that is specially designed for the DGT Chess Clock, the DGT chess clock connects to the board and all the time on the chess clock is transferred through the DGT chess board to the computer. Another great feature of the DGT chess set is that it is compatible with several different chess programs for even greater and more powerful analysis abilities. These are the compatible programs, Chessmaster, Chessbase, Chess Assistant, Shredder, Junior, Fritz, Hiarcs, and many more! The DGT electronic chess board and DGT chess pieces are available in many different styles/colors for you to choose from. For those of you who are on the run and want your DGT chess board and equipment to tag along DGT has come out with a very handy DGT Chess Bag that will house not only the DGT board but the DGT clock, DGT pieces, you name it, it's got it. If you have the cash, the DGT electronic chessboard is the very best way to improve your chess, and if you can't get any better, (coughs, clears throught) this chess board sure is fun!

Excalibur Chess Clock Game Timer II Digital

The Excalibur Digital Chess Clock II is a good clock for those of you who need a cheaper efficient digital chess clock. This Excalibur game chess clock is loaded with features, including delay, programmable time, and much more. The Excalibur digital chess clock II has a compact design, the body is all plastic and the screen has large easy to read text. The Excalibur digital chess clock is the only chess clock endorsed by the Unites States Chess Federation. Having been made in china hasn't affected the popularity of the Excalibur chess clock a bit, it is by far the most popular of all the cheaper chess clocks and the most often seen.
The downside of the Excalibur chess clock II is the durability (or I should say lack of it) the most susceptible part of this chess clock is the plastic plungers, I have heard horror stories of this clock breaking in mid-game leaving the players without a chess clock. Excalibur Electronics has been creating electronic chess computers and electroic chess clocks for a long time, it is rare that Excalibur chess clocks and computers ever have glitch's or defects.

If you are looking for a durable chess clock with every feature and then some, then the Chronos Digital Chess Clock is the one to go with. The Chronos digital chess clock is the very best chess clock on the market, while it isn't very handsome it has more features than any one chess clock, there is anther thing that adds to this clocks value, the fact that the chronos chess clock is nearly as indestructible as an M1 Abrams (a modern day tank) the outer shell is composed entirely of solid steel makes this chess clock the all time favorite. The chronos chess clock is built for a lifetime of use; I ordered the chronos chess clock online once, and on the way over to my place UPS had jammed a really heavy box onto my package, well when I opened my box I found a chronos chess clock that had been nearly flattened! well I picked that clock up and fired it up, it actually worked! I obviously didn't want a mutilated chess clock so I returned it and got a new one. No other chess clock would have still been working in that condition, so don't get drop jaw syndrome over the price, this clock is worth every penny.

Saitek Mephisto Chess Computers

Saitek Mephisto Chess Computers are endorsed by Garry Kasparov and are well known for their strong play. They come in a variety of sizes prices and playing strengths. But there is one thing they all have in common, Quality!

The Saitek Mephisto Master Travel Chess Computer is the highest ranked portable chess computer made. Matched against the Novag Star Diamond Chess Computers the Saitek Mephisto Master chess computer wins 75% of the time. This portable chess computer boasts the highest playing level ranked at 2400 and has the most playing features and options. This Mephisto Saitek travel chess computer has in internal chess clock, coach mode, hint button, and tons of playing modes. In addition this Saitek Mephisto master chess computer comes with an AC adapter and a vinyl carry case.

This Saitek Mephisto Talking Chess Academy is a great chess computer and has the highest rank of all talking chess computers; it gives you the benefit of visual and vocal instruction. The training features in this talking chess computer are the reason it is in such demand, and with a ranking of 2200 this talking chess computer has the right to teach! This Saitek Mephisto talking chess computer has auto sensory technology for easy and casual play, auto sensory senses the piece you pick up and where you put it down, pushing or button punching required.

The Saitek Mephisto Maestro Travel Chess Computer has the best reputation of all hand held travel chess computers and is the most highly recommended. This hand held chess computer features an approximate playing strength of 1800. The most winning aspect of this hand held chess computer is the incredible LCD screen graphics; the pieces are operated with a stylus and are the most clearly defined and detailed of any other LCD screen hand held chess computer. And that’s not all! The LCD screen has a backlight so no matter what the light conditions you will be playing in are like; you will always be able to distinguish your chess pieces, even in pitch dark! this is the only hand held chess computer available with a backlight. In addition this hand held chess computer comes with a quality leather case.