Chess House

This article with videos highlights some areas of interest in the new Phoenix chess computing system, following its release in winter 2022. Yes, it's one of the most expensive computers on the market... but it's also the most sophisticated and useful for improvement and enjoyment of the game. I believe this advanced electronic chess system spans the gamut of interest from seasoned chess computing enthusiasts to newcomers. It's not just for adults either. As shown, young players with coach guidance can benefit greatly from the rapid setup of exercise positions along with the medium size chess board and intuitive on-board lights. Millennium, the company behind Mephisto Phoenix, launched this product after thousands of hours of testing. They built in many of the features based on extensive research. It's very exciting that there's more to come and they are actively listening to current users to prioritize the next upgrades. Here are some things we should see in the near future: - Active Game Saving- Improved PGN exports- LiChess online play and much more In fact we are already compiling the best suggestions from current users and bringing them to Millennium. Also, the videos on this page are the beginning. More advanced examples are being prepared. Phoenix is the first advanced upgradeable chess computing platform that's rich in features out of the box. During demonstrations alongside today's event, I connected the Mephisto to my Wifi phone hotspot and checked for Updates - very straightforward: An advanced platform with visual appeal My new acquaintance at this tournament, Ivan from Bulgaria, was supporting his son's relatively new fascination with chess - thus enterring his first chess tournament. With his CNC machining electronic controls experience, Ivan has a good grasp of the Pi platform and was fascinated by how the Pi and 7" touch screen had been beautifully applied to chess. Ivan first noticed the appealling aesthetics of the module with light-colored wood encompassing the touch screen. Instant Chess Position Evaluation With online chess computing, many players are already acustomed to instant computer evaluation of a chess position. This is made visual with Phoenix's chess Position Evaluation Bar. This bar shown in the video below helps you improve your chess skills by instantly and visually evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of any given position on the chessboard. It is shown as a Black and White vertical bar right next to the chess board. You can quickly analyze the value of pieces and assess the strategic potential of each move. The evaluation bar provides a visual representation of the position's strength, making it easy to understand and identify areas for improvement. Evaluation Scoring is also provided as a decimal in the details area. This is constantly being updated as the board position evolves. Your ideal opponent: Shredder adaptive with Elo Rating Shredder’s Adaptive Profile on the Mephisto Phoenix is a great chess training tool that adapts to your skill level. With this innovative tool, you can start a game and get a challenging opponent that's matched to your level. BACK: Rewind moves and play different lines The BACK option on screen starts taking back moves as shown in this video. You can press it again to stop it. (Note that to start take back you need to first let the computer complete its move). Entire Board/Piece Recognition: Starting a New Game To start a new game, setting up the pieces in their starting squares signals to Phoenix that a new game is desired. (There's no Resign or Draw option because the computer assesses the scoring of the final position automatically as to whether it's equal a win, or loss.) Fast Position Setup: for Game Review or Continued Play I tried out position setup with this young player to practice a Queen vs King endgame checkmate. It's so fast and intuitive. The efficiencies of hands on chess game review and learning will certainly accelerate learning. Watch this video: Thanks to fast sensing pieces, the board position is instantly shown on the screen in Position Setup mode. You have the full choice of how to train and improve your game. Select any chess position and place it on the board with just a couple button presses. You can start playing against a top-notch engine, analyze the position to uncover new strategies, or go head-to-head in a two-player game. The best part? You can switch between these modes anytime you want, making positional training easier and more convenient than ever before. With Position Setup you have the freedom and flexibility to train in the way that works best for you. Here's how: Select Mode / Position and put your chess position on the board. The piece recognition of the Mephisto Phoenix does the rest for you. Now select if you want to play against one of the top engines, against a friend or if you want to analyze this position. MOVE allows you anytime to hand over the other side to the engine, so that you can follow move by move the best way. Profiles in Mephisto Phoenix: Save user settings with profiles You can easily switch between different combinations of settings with just two clicks. The developers have pre-set 6 profiles for each of the three top-notch engines (Shredder, Hiarcs, and Komodo) to cover all player types, from absolute beginners to maximum engine performance. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned player, there's a profile that will fit. Phoenix also gives you the freedom to modify each profile to your personal needs. Whether you want to change the playing strength, time control, or any other setting, you can do so with ease, creating a customized chess experience that's tailored to your individual needs. How to Use the Phoenix: More videos and guidance Would you like to see certain features demonstrated? Make a request via our Contact page and we'll try our best to prioritize this and reply to you. Features we would like to see Here's an example of some areas where we would like to see improvement. 1. Game saving. A better approach to saving the active game so that when the computer is turned off it is possible to easily resume the game. 2. How tos. More clear training on how feature's work. We are producing various additional resources and videos to help you with this. For example, how does Adaptive really work and what do the ratings mean that are shown? 3. Alternate Moves. The computer sees many different lines of play. A suggestion came in that it is more straightforward to tell the computer to make a different move from it's array of potential ones. Instead of making the first move, activating Take Back move and then playing a different one, shorting the steps to a single Alternate Move. This helps users more easily try out different game continutations faster. Active Development and Updates We want to hear your questions and feature requests. This computer was launched with thousands of hours of testing. But we are gather feedback to help direct Millennium's development priorities. Let us know what features you would most like to see added to this device. To provide feedback, please Contact us through our Support form on this page.   Retro Engines OK, this is pretty cool. For those who have played chess computers from decades past, the Retro engines will bring back memories. I tried out the Mephisto Rebel (shown) and the TASC R30 (one of my favs). The Mephisto brand was resurrected by Millennium and now the Rebel computer can be played on the latest Mephisto computer, the modernized Phoenix! How to Purchase a Phoenix Module or Complete Set There are three ways to buy this computer. 1) Phoenix Module only if you already own a prior Exclusive or Supreme 55 board.2) Module with Medium board as shown in the article above3) Module with full-size Tournament board. Sold out Sold out Sold out

The most powerful chess computer of all time Phoenix comes in a modern glass touch screen design and offers both the newest computing technologies along with retro engines from decades past. Just how powerful is the Mephisto chess computer? It is designed to play beginner players (900 ELO rating), Chess Grandmasters (2800+ ELO), all the way up to 3400 ELO! Beautifully designed modern cabinet The new high-end chess device with state-of-the-art technology offers almost everthing you'd expect from the royal game. The modern cabinet comes with a large color touch screen made from real glass, matching its wooden board perfectly. With its clear and very responsive touch menu system, it is the perfect home station for chess enthusiasts of all ages, playing strengths, and experience levels. the Phoenix with a Rosewood Board Bundle Three ways to buy Mephisto Phoenix Sold out Sold out Sold out The Engines In cooperation with Ruud Martin, the owner of Phoenix Chess Systems in the Netherlands, a multi-engine system has been developed, adding great variety.With Shredder Neuronal and Stockfish 15 NNUE, you see the world's first dedicated chess computer using most modern neuronal engine technologies. The two high class commercial engines Hiarcs and Komodo are on board as well.See and feel how different modern engines behave! With the large informative screen, you'll observe easily what the engine thinks and how differently things are evaluated. Online Play Coming The ability to use the ChessLink App directly on the unit without the need of any additional device will be implemented as a free update in 2023. This allows you to play on LiChess directly from your Phoenix using internal WiFi. You can play with millions of people all over the globe. (Meanwhile, you can still connect ChessLink Module MIL822 to the board to accomplish this now). WiFi System Updates Updates come via WiFi directly on the unit. If you purchase additional software in ComputerChess.com webstore it is installed as easy as the press of a button. Powerful Hardware The Phoenix uses a 1.5G 64-Bit Quadcore processor with 4G Ram provided by a Raspberry Pi 4B. It's 7 inch TFT screen with 1024x600 resolution gives you great insights into chess computers thinking processes and makes it easy to control the countless functions. Powerful speakers bring you modern and clear sound effects fitting the systems look and feel perfectly. It's suitable for the 40cm (17.5") Exclusive and the 55cm (21.7") Supreme boards with Piece Recognition. The module has a size of approximately 18x13x9cm (7.1 x 5.1 x 3.5"). At more than 700 grams (1.5lbs), it's a device that feels sturdy.   It offers connection to Millennium Boards with piece recognition, USB Type A for updates via USB Drive or PGN downloads, 9V DC In and WiFi Connection. Brand New Board Construction The chess boards with full sets bring several advantages compared to current Exclusive and Supreme Millennium boards. They are made with MDF base construction with wooden veneer on the sides. They have a full protective dark rosewood and bright maple look. Everything is covered with transparent protective lacquer, bring more resistant to scratches and bumps as well as providing excellent protection against discoloration by sunlight. The LEDs are now fully flat integrated. The new boards feature a Mephisto badge matching the Phoenix. Phoenix T model above shows the 21.7" Tournament board in Rosewood and Maple Bright LEDs help you understand every piece movement and placement. Software Features The basic system is a UCI based multi-engine chess computer, expanded with classical chess computer emulations running at a remarkable high speed as well as the capability to play online on LiChess directly from the system. It comes with 4 different Top-Class Engines on Board: Shredder 13.5, Komodo 14.1, Hiarcs 14.2 and Stockfish 15 NNUE. More engines are coming Most powerful chess computer of all time Of the built-in chess programs, Stockfish and Komodo in particular offer an extremely high playing strength which not even the current world champion could overcome. Beginners on up Starting from a very simple level, which is also suitable for absolute beginners, the system can reach a maximum performance of over 3400 ELO. In fact, there are countless options to adjust the playing strength to your individual needs. The system covers the widest playing strength range ever provided by a chess computer.   The large screen offers deep insights. Setting your strength To set the strength, you can take the easiest route and let the computer adjust to your playing strength on its own. Use Shredder's ELO levels to adjust the program to your needs or choose Komodo's skill levels as a natural but not unbeatable chess opponent. Or you use the speed limiter and fine-tune the engines without limiting them in an unnatural way. Whether you let a 6-year-old child playing against the computer or you always wanted to challenge a world chess champion, here you finally have the system to do it all. Get your own ELO Rating Shredder offers a highly interesting new function with its fully automatic self-adapting playing strength with ELO rating. In this way you can continuously monitor your progress and see how much you have improved through training with the computer. Komodo also contains an adaptive playing strength function which, in contrast to Shredder, adjusts itself while the game is in progress. Innovative neuronal engines Shredder and Stockfish can be used with their neuronal algorithms. MEPHISTO PHOENIX is the first chess computer to use this new technology. Experience how these powerful programs compare to classical engines. Easy Game Evaluation The evaluation bar beside the chess boards tells you at first glance how the engine is seeing the position. Any blunders are quickly noticed that way and you always have a feeling on how good you do.   Many different level settings: Here are the tournament time controls. Comfort Menu for Quick Access Starting with the unit is easy. The comfort menu gives you the choice out of 6 well balanced, predefined profiles for each commercial engine. The Mephisto Development Team has set them with great care to show you the variety of the software and invite you to try them out. There is one for each type of player for sure! Just switch it on and start playing! Of course: Welcome to modify the profiles per your needs. You like the game to be more aggressive? The ELO Limit a little lower? Just modify the values with the touch screen menu and save them in your profiles. You can create up to 18 different profiles this way! The Profile Selection makes it easy to try the different engines at various levels. UCI Engine Commands Made Easy Each UCI Engine comes with its own set of very special settings, giving you a huge choice of influencing its play. You'll see the most important ones in the general menu where you can always find them easily. However, if the special ones provided only by individual engines appeal to you, access them by a dynamically created engine options sub menu. This allows Millennium to add any UCI Engine in the future along with convenient access of the most special options. Great opening training per your needs The machine comes with various opening books. The standard one by Mark Uniacke provides you with more then 1,000,000 positions, all from master play. This is the biggest opening book ever provided by a dedicated chess computer. There is furthermore a "fun" book with more unusual openings and also three specially designed books playing typical openings from chess stars like Carlsen, Fischer and Kasparov. The system does not only allow you to limit the depth of book moves, but also you can advise the engine to use e.g. only the best 25% of moves. What if you dislike an opening or like to train a special one? Just take back the move made by the engine, press move and it will play the second best automatically. So you can "scroll" through the opening options for your position directly on the board. Powerful Analysis - Training Made Easy With more then 3100 ELO for example with Komodo, you can setup any position via the position mode and take a deep look into the engines analysis. Also here the Evaluation Bar shows you quickly how the engine thinks. Switch on all the display options to see all the evaluations even during the game itself. Emulate Classical Chess Computers from the 80s and 90s The system can provide you with 20 historical Chess Computer Emulations. The Programmers Richard Lang, Johan de Koning, Ed Schroeder as well as Elmar Henne & Thomas Nitsche gave their permission to use their world champion systems from the past in this new computer. Most remarkable is the “Mephisto Glasgow”, the legendary world championship program of 1984 - which runs on the Mephisto Phoenix system at a speed approximately 66 times faster than the original machine of the time. Imagine what these classics can do with the todays processing power. With the speed bar you easily control the emulation speed or set it to the speed of the original chess computer, button and display layout follows the originals. Get back to the 1980s to explore the rise of computer chess. Compared to the well know Revelation II chess computers, the Phoenix offers several advantages on its emulations: The higher speed is one aspect, the direct control of all functions with the touch buttons is another one. The highest focus however went into the new speed bar. It allows not only a seamless speed setting, but also to set the original speeds of the different chess computers available with the according program. Users can for example choose King 2.5 and toggle through Tasc R30 and Tasc R40 by simply pressing the middle of the emulation display. This way, each emulation provides access to a wider series of chess computers with different hardware. The Profile Selection makes it easy to try the different engines at various levels. Mephisto Glasgow is up to 66 times faster than the original computer back in 1984. the Mephisto Phoenix is right for you if you > wish to own the most powerful chess computer ever made, building a bridge between past glory days and todays modern style of playing chess off-and online, > are interested in modern engine technologies, e.g. NNUE Technology, > like to play with retro chess computers and see how these programs play on modern hardware, > plan to play online on LiChess directly from your board, without the hassle of any additional connections or distracting communication devices (2023 update), and that's just the beginning! Three ways to buy Mephisto Phoenix Sold out Sold out Sold out

One of the beautiful things about chess is that the chess board takes so little space to play. At the same time, you can express your personal style through the artform of the board you own. How much space is needed for a chess board? At times the answer may seem obvious — but not always! Let's start with the dimensions: Chess boards are square and generally range in size from 16 to 20 inches (40.6 - 50.8 centimeters). Add extra space for the outside edge of the board.   For example, the chessboard below will fit comfortably for play in a variety of table surfaces in most homes. It also has a helpful design for storage when not in use. This Player’s Chessboard, at 21” square is a medium size chessboard most often paired with tournament size Staunton type piece as shown.     Chessboard Play The chessboard’s wooden perimeter provides visual balance. Your table ideally should have at least a few inches on either side for pieces that are not in play ...or even a timer. Plus, if you are sitting at the table, it can be helpful to have 2-3 inches in front of either player. Too much, however, and it’s quite a reach. For this 21” Square chessboard, a table surface at least 26” D x 30” W would be comfortable. The space in front of each player is less important than the width available next to the chessboard.   Chessboard Storage If need to set your beautiful chessboard aside for storage, rather than an awkward size, you simply close it like a book. As you can see, when you own a chessboard, it’s wise to plan ahead for not only where you will play, but how you will store or display it. You could even put your chessboard on display with a few pieces on guard.   About this Chessboard The Player’s folding chessboard is handcrafted in the USA with solid-block maple and walnut construction visible from both surfaces. Precision joined 2” squares, groove cuts, beveled edge, and engraved emblems make this one of the finest chessboards you could find for your home. This collection of fine, hardwood chessboards is enjoyed by Grandmaster Wesley So while he improves his game and World Champion Magnus Carlsen who has played them in some U.S. events. The folding board design uniquely featured in this article helps with storage. You can shop for the 21" Board in both classic and folding.   Where are photos of the hinge? More photos are coming when the first order of boards arrives. The actual board shown in video and photos has an invisible barrel hinge type design, the exact same design as the product you order now. The only difference is that this sample board shown has a wood block construction that would be visible with photos of the hinge area. That will be cleaned up on the actual production model for a very finished look along with the hinges.   Where can I buy one? This 21" Folding Player's Chessboard is exclusive to Chess House and is sometimes available. It’s made in limited quantity and is in stock occasionally.    

The seniors are honored and provided with an outlet to make a difference in these young people’s lives – or even learn chess from the youth already excelling at chess.

Beyond the wealth and corruption, beyond media attention, needy individuals by the masses fight for survival and hang on to a seed of hope. Among derelict, forgotten, even hellish prisons entrapping often innocent spouses, to the streets teaming with masses, is found an example of selfless love.On a tight budget, part of the year, Ruth's family raises just enough funds at home in the U.S. to then serve for months at a time in places of need. They become "one with these people" and immerse themselves in language and culture. Music, dance, and creative forms of entertainment bring laughs and joy to onlookers.Some time ago, Ruth reach out with the idea that chess sets would be a wonderful gift to leave with the people they meet.The message of hope and life is welcomed in the most unlikely places. Ruth shares,"At the center for at risk youth, the kids were so excited to get the chess boards. Most of them knew how to play and said they were going to set up a tournament. As we were talking, a boy came up and was sad as he told me he didn't know how to play. An older boy put his arm around him and said, "don't worry, I'll teach you", his face just lit up. It was really special. Some of the kids live here, some visit, and in one section it’s like a detention center for kids who have committed crimes. We had a really effective time teaching here and used chess as a platform about the battle of life and making choices that will help them "win". I wish you could have been there.In another place, they told us how the gift of this chess board has given them something to look forward to each day and helped them so much.They are serving long sentences in a prison in Southern Brazil. So many guys we talk to tell us the hardest thing they deal with is keeping their minds sane. The conditions are so horrible and unless they have money, they don't get a lawyer to fight for their case, so the hope of getting out is very little. These two guys wrote that getting a game of chess really helped them focus their time and minds.My dad and I went up to a top layer of a prison way in the back. We talked to a large group of serious gang leaders and really "bad" tough guys (all the prisons here are divided by gangs and a lot of guys can't mix together so we have to go to them separately). We gave them two chess boards for their whole group and their response just blew me away. You just kind of think these tough guys might look down on a game or something, but they acted like we gave them a 1000 bucks! They were really touched and grateful and my dad took a second to explain to them how to set up a round robin type tournament and they wrote it all down and set up a bracket with their names and who would play who. It was really cool and just makes me happy thinking that they will start to put time into something so good. When we share so much with them about the love of Jesus, Gods profound forgiveness for them, how to change their mind, forget their past, engage their will and start to read the scriptures, then giving them the chess boards gives them a practical reminder of all we said so the words come back to them after we leave.In another place we noticed right away that something was wrong. All the guys were unbelievably thin, way more than any other prisons we had been too. They began to come up to us and ask us if we possibly had any food we could give them! It was just tragic. They explained they only got one meal a day and sometimes not even that. We could not figure everything out, but realized that there was some serious corruption going on between the gang leader, prison guards, and a huge (very evil) church. Anyway, long story short, it was getting late and was almost the hour when no one can go in our out, but we were able to leave, find a grocery store close by, and buy a lot of food to give them. We made it back and gave it directly to the guys so it could not get stolen. It’s tough because we can't really afford extra stuff like this, but in this case we just had to and we know the Lord always provides. We are going back to that same prison on Thursday, and I am going to try to see if I can get some food and fruit from the fruit market donated, as well as what we are going to bring.We had a beautiful time inside a women's prison the other day. It was pouring rain so we had to cram into a small space but we were able to really touch some precious women who were hurting. I am so grateful to the chess company that  donated some beautiful quality chess boards to us that we can give to those we meet.  It has been such a blessing and those that receive them are extremely grateful. It allows people in difficult situations to get lost in the game and focus their minds on something besides their pain.  We can learn so much from the game of chess. If we just take what life gives us and meet it move for move, we can be defeated. But a strategy  for victory requires that we go beyond ourselves and find the unexpected move. We have a flyer that we give out to prison guards, police and military with a chess piece on the front. We use the idea of chess to explain how, often we are put in positions that require us to make difficult decisions. But if we do not repay "evil for evil", but evil for good, we move ourselves into a place of victory and can break a cycle of hate.We also gave some chess boards out at a really cool event for poor children. I love giving them to like 10 and 11 year olds. It’s amazing here how many kids know how to play but don't have their own board. This one little girl named Isobel, I think she was 9, was so excited to take it home so she could play with her grandfather who taught her how to play on a piece of paper with coins as pieces!"Here's a photo of Ruth's family. They carry on with their service and we are happy to gift chess sets knowing the lives they are touching. Here are the small, lightweight chess sets that Ruth is giving away. If you know if a cause where these chess sets could make a significant life impact, don't hesitate to contact us.

Margaret claimed the first chess win in her family. She tells how in 1961, when she was in 7th grade in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada, she won her classroom tournament in "upset" fashion against the boys champion.

After a busy week, I arrived in the family room with a hot drink in hand, to explore the new King Competition chess computer. The boys next to me, watching USA vs Canada men's hockey, now and then gave their thoughts on the progress of the unboxing, appearance, and progress of games on this latest in the line of Millennium chess computers. It was perfect timing for a Friday evening to enjoy solo chess, yet still around my family - meanwhile the girls were sleeping. From the moment I picked it up at work, I noted the sleek, modern packing of the King Competition and hoped the computer design itself would similarly impress.   Being familiar with the many chess computers of the last 25 years, I have ample experience for first impressions and critique.   I lifted the cover and the thin protective foam layer, revealing the electronic chessboard that felt like it belongs in the 2020s. I set the chessboard on the soft gray ottoman in our living room of white and gray accents - where I ended up playing three games in a row at a leisurely 15 minutes apiece plus seconds per move. The King Competition (February 2022) follows right after the smaller eONE (January 2022). I'll save further comparisons for later. I was excited to hold and set up the chess pieces for the first time. Inside a protective box was a drawstring Millennium bag with the pieces. These feel heavier than I expected! I emptied the 34 pieces (extra Queens) onto the chessboard and began setting them up. Modernizing a Staunton design is a BOLD move. In my view, Millennium did this well. The pieces feel outstanding in the hand and have a significant base weight that makes them more stable than I expected. They have a thin, quality felt that provides just enough friction to keep them from slipping on the board while still making moves freely across square surfaces. But what I like most is the new piece style aesthetics that feel youthful and energetic. At this point, I was very pleased with the overall size of this electronic chess set as well as the square design - even with the buttons and display in the front.   After setting up the pieces, I plugged in the wall AC power and the Competition lighted up the squares and the display. The power and data ports are less visible in this design, being recessed under the right-hand middle side. I should mention that the "floating" design makes it look thinner than it is. Evan's first observation was, "that's a thin chessboard!". With the board powered up and the pieces ready, I played E4. The computer responded right away with a move shown by the lights and the display. The move input is made with a light press on the squares. Although I prefer the luxury of auto-sensory move inputs, I found that the weighted pieces and the light square press needed were pleasant through the entire 84 move game first game! I selected one of the easier levels, but it still played a good game. I was getting into the game with some tense moments that I still remember. In fact, the computer and I both queened pawns at the same time, but I had the half move advantage and was able to win this first game. Playing against the Competition immersed me in an exhilarating chess experience for a while. I tried out the two main menu options, Expert and Comfort settings. This changes the menu between all settings and common settings. In addition to many levels and styles of play settings, there are many other options available to you. You can save the game, get hints, change the level, take back, analyze it, verify the piece's positions against what's shown on the display, set up your position, change to 2-player mode, connect to ChessLink (optional available separately), and more. I changed the display contrast and brightness, lowered the LED brightness, and the sound level. After winning this first game against the Competition - without any hints or takebacks, I looked over at hockey - the USA leading Canada?? The boys are learning more about this sport as well. "Why do they call it icing?" "Why is there no goalie in the net right now?" With the success of King Competition Game One, it was time to plug in the ChessLink I brought along and play online against someone on LiChess. I plugged the power cable into ChessLink instead and then inserted the 4-pin cable between the ChessLink and the Competition. With ChessLink switched on, the chessboard came alive with power through this cable. I then checked that Bluetooth was active on my phone, opened my ChessLink app, clicked the connect board "link" icon and it recognized the ChessLink right away. The preview showed the starting position. Next, I clicked Play on LiChess. (I had reset my app, so I needed to get a new token from LiChess profile API access tokens to re-establish the connection - this is usually a one-time action by the way).     I then chose to play a rated game with a 15/10 time control. That way I have 15 minutes to play the game, with 10 seconds extra per move. Since I need to input the other players' moves on the chessboard as well as my own, I want 5-10 extra seconds for this action. Playing chess online with a chess computer is a relatively new phenomenon in the 2020s with various chess computers now ready for Internet play. Next to playing chess in person, I find the human element of Internet play to be very exciting. While I can't see him or her, I know that I am playing the board with someone who has a thoughtful response to every move and is similarly engaged by the possibilities of the changing battle! Here is the first game that I played as Black. White put on quite the attack on my Kingside which dissipated with defensive strategy and then put my pieces in such a strong position that Black resigned on move 38.   Right after this, I played another game as White. In this one, I barely survived a Queenside attack. He missed a tactic that could have resulted in a win, and then I again managed to defend and win material and move that to the endgame for another resignation.   After three games of chess won and the USA defeating Canada in that hockey game, it was quite an evening. (Canada, you win most often - this one is ours!) Joanna came and watched the chess game for a little while. It reminded her of the Centaur chess computer which we've had in our home as well. I pointed out that this one has a lot more options and could also play online with the Link device. The King Competition feels like a great fit for our home when we want to play chess alone, with someone, or online. Not only are the possibilities extensive, but the aesthetics also are neutral and balanced, the pieces look and feel great, and the size is just right. I played the board on a surface as well as on my lap and it was very stable. The board is 17" square which I find to be perfect for home unless a full-size board like the luxury Tournament 55 is in your budget. The pieces are just less than 3" tall. Now it's Saturday morning and my 7-year-old daughter saw the game for the first time. She asked to set up the pieces and play. She's very new to chess, but she set up all the pieces like this. Then she started a game and had a great time playing the computer on an Easy level. I am surprised by how well she is doing with this chess computer so far. A nerf war just started between the boys and one of the bases is near the ottoman. She is immersed in her own battle on the chessboard and seems un-phased by the bullets flying overhead. The chessboard is taking hits now and then but surprisingly the pieces are staying steady. I noticed during her game now that she sometimes presses the destination square first and then starting square last. It works just the same.   Captured pieces are being placed on the outer rim of the board which works nicely with this square design with a decent-size perimeter. They have a good home when out of play. By the way, I chose an easy level for her with ELO of about 1150. With a few suggestions, the game looks quite equal so far. The computer just gave up a pawn and she took advantage of that on her own. The pressure sensor move input is natural to her. It might even be better at her age since the auto sensors could pick up some of her playing around with pieces between actual moves. After all, she has two knights still in front of her King, and the King likes to play with the knights sometimes when they are waiting for others to move. Joanna is watching her play again and says, I really like these pieces. They are smooth and sleek. It's clear to me this computer belongs in our home. And I'll be playing it again soon! I think the King Competition is for anyone who wants a modern chess-playing device with great configurations for solo play. It's not limited there, however, since Online Play is ready simply by adding the ChessLink module. Also, if you want to roam free from the wall outlet, add the ChessVolt powerpack for many hours of play on battery power.   King Competition Compared to Other Millennium Chess Computers Where does the King Competition fit in the family of chess computers by Millennium? As I mentioned, it follows on the eONE which arrived in January 2022. The main differences are that the eONE is smaller and has no onboard chess-playing engine. It's intended for app and online play only. The eONE has auto-sensing move input though. This means you simply move the pieces and they are detected by the board. Also, the eONE has Bluetooth built-in already. Thus, the ChessLink is not needed. King COMPETITION is essentially a modernized version of the King PERFORMANCE which has been a fan favorite for a couple of years already. If you're familiar with the Performance, you already know what to expect features-wise. If you're looking for a more familiar look in wood with wooden pieces, then the Performance might be a better choice for you! Furthermore, I consider the King COMPETITION to be in the mid-range of computers, above the entry-level, powerful classic range of "Genius" models, but just below the Luxury line of Exclusives. If you can afford $400-500, the King Competition is the ideal computer for you.   Where to Buy your King Competition Computer Chess House gives you the peace of mind you need to receive yours quickly and easily with 90 days guarantee to change your mind, and then a full warranty and personal help beyond that. If you happen to lose a piece in the future, Chess House is known for getting another one to you with no hassle. Get your King Competition today! We're honored to deliver you the best in chess so you can enjoy it in your home or wherever you play.

Here's a look at the Centaur chess computer that plays at your level so you'll always have a suitable playing partner as your skills grow. It auto-senses the moves for a completely natural chess experience.

DGT celebrates its 25th anniversary with a very special version of the wireless e-Board. The Limited Edition DGT Bluetooth e-Board is covered in leather and is made by a master craftsman in Milan, Italy. The modern chess pieces are handmade by the best woodcarvers in India. The DGT3000 chess clock that completes the set is customized in a matching black and red color design. Only 50 of these sets are made! Each board is completely unique with its own serial number and Certificate of Authenticity. The DGT electronic chessboards have connected events and audiences, players and computers for decades. From the world championships to personal home use, DGT boards have enhanced chess play and study with real chess boards connected to powerful chess computing. Now, celebrating 25 years, this eye-catching, completely unique, limited edition board is available to chess connoisseurs and collectors. Buy the DGT Limited Edition 25th Anniversary ChessBoard

For entertainment during their mission, astronauts often pack games in a personal locker. Astronaut Greg Chamitoff packed this chess set with added fabric fasteners so the pieces wouldn't float away. During his rest time, he played with flight controllers around the world. (photo credit NASA International Space Station) Eventually a "Space vs. Earth" chess match was set up in which Chamitoff in space faced off against the third grade U.S. national chess championship team on Earth. People voted online on possible moves the team posted. Earth won. You can view Chamitoff's chess set up close if you make a visit to the Space Center Houston in Texas. This chess set was once speeding at five miles per second, 210 miles above the Earth, on shuttle mission STS-124. Chamitoff added Velcro to the chess pieces to keep them from floating away in weightlessness. He played long-distance chess during his mission in his off time with station control centers around the world.  Chamitoff was undefeated until he played a down-to-earth meeting with his opponents in Bellevue, WA. Ten students from Stevenson Elementary had recently achieved high rankings at the National Scholastic Chess tournament. The students would select 4 possible moves together, and put them out to the public for vote, the process facilitated by the US Chess Federation. Eventually Earth won. Although, Chamitoff did not know the students personally, but they became friends over video. Six months and 21 days after the match began, they finally met in person. “Oh boy, you guys are amazing,” Chamitoff said after he strode into a small ballroom to greet his opponents, from Stevenson Elementary School in Bellevue. Their elevated chess play was largely thanks to Chess4Life which enabled the kids to not only excel at the game but train and develop key life skills.

Do you enjoy chess? If so, you'll love these 32 interesting chess facts! These facts will impress your friends and make you seem like a chess expert. Did you know that... - chess is the most popular board game in the world? - chess was invented in India? - there are over 700 million chess players in the world? Learn more about this fascinating game with these amazing facts! #1 Initially, the Queen could only move one square at a time, diagonally. Later, she could move two squares at a time, diagonally. It wasn't until Reconquista Spain, with its powerful queen Isabella, that the Queen became the strongest piece on the board. #2 The number of possibilities of a Knight's tour is over 122 million. #3 A computer called DeepThought became the first computer to beat an international grandmaster in November 1988, Long Beach, California. #4 The word "Checkmate" in Chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat," which means "the King is dead". #5 The longest chess game theoretically possible is 5,949 moves. #6 If you put one grain of wheat on the first square of the chessboard, two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth, and so on, how many grains of wheat do you need to put on the 64th square? The answer is 9,223,372,036,8 54,775,808(approximately 9.22x10^18) grains of wheat. #7 The new pawn move, where pawns were allowed to advance two squares on their first move instead of one, was first introduced in Spain in 1280. #8 The longest chess game ever was I.Nikolic - Arsovic, Belgrade 1989, which ended in 269 moves. The game was a draw. #9 According to America's Foundation for Chess, there are 169,518,829,100,544,000,000,000,000,000 (approximately 1.70x10^29) ways to play the first 10 moves of a game of chess. #10 There are 400 different possible positions after one move each, 72,084 different possible positions after two moves each, and over 9 million different possible positions after three moves each... 318 billion different possible positions after four moves each. #11 Chess clocks were first used in 1883, and the first world chess championship was held in 1886 #12 The first printed chess book was completed three years after Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas - in 1495. #13 Chess was invented around 550 AD in Northwestern India. Its early form was called chaturaṅga, literally "four divisions of the military" - infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and chariotry. These forms are represented by pieces that would become the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook. #14 600 AD is the first clear reference to chess, in a Persian manuscript that describes chess coming to Persia (Iran) from India. #15 From the starting position, there are eight different ways to Mate in two moves and 355 different ways to Mate in three moves. #16 Dr. Emanuel Lasker from Germany retained the World Chess Champion title for more time than any other player ever: 26 years and 337 days. #17 In 1985, the Soviet player Garry Kasparov became the youngest World Chess Champion ever at the age of 22 years and 210 days. Magnus Carlsen nearly beat this record at 22 years 11 months 24 days November 23, 2013. #18 The first Chessboard with alternating light and dark squares appears in Europe in 1090. #19 Albert Einstein was a good friend of World Chess Champion Emanuel Lasker. In an interview with the New York Times in 1936 Albert said, "I do not play any games. There is no time for it. When I get through work I don't want anything which requires the working of the mind." He did take up Chess in his later life. #20 Rookies, or players in their first year, are named after the Rook in Chess. Rooks generally are the last pieces to be moved into action and the same goes for Rookies. #21 Blindfold chess is an impressive skill that many stronger chess players develop. It requires a keen ability to visualize the board clearly. National Master Elliott Neff played 12 games blindfolded simultaneously, winning 11 of them. #22 There are well over 1,000 different openings, including variations within larger openings/defenses that one can learn. #23 Chess sets normally have 32 pieces. But it has become popular to include 2 extra queens making it 34. The two spare queens can be used in pawn promotion. #24 Notable American mathematician Claude Shannon calculated the number of sensible chess games to be around 1040 games. For comparison, the number of atoms in the observable universe is roughly estimated to be 1080. That may be the reason it's the most timeless game #25 Though affected by several factors including time allotted, it has been calculated that the average number of moves in a tournament game with professional players is roughly 40. #26 The term "zugzwang," describes a situation in chess where a player would prefer not to move at all when it's his turn because moving any piece would worsen his current position. A player who is forced to make a move in this situation is said to be "in zugzwang". #27 While playing a game of chess in France, Benjamin Franklin reportedly took his opponent's King after she inadvertently put it in check. When she said, "Ah, we don't take kings so" Franklin replied, "We do in America." #28 In 1770, a man invented a machine that could play a strong game of chess against a human opponent. This mysterious player was nicknamed The Turk (as was the machine itself). It wasn't until 1857 that it was revealed to be a hoax (a chess master was hiding in the machine). #29 The word “gambit” is specifically a chess term, now generalized to mean a "sacrifice for advantage". #30 In 1999, chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov played The World in a game of chess that lasted over four months. Over 50,000 people from more than 75 countries participated in the game with moves being decided by majority vote. Garry ended up winning on turn 62 when 51% of The World decided to resign. #31 Before 1600, a game of chess could be won by capturing all of the opponent’s pieces, leaving a bare king; a style of play known as "annihilation". In Medieval times, players considered it nobler to win by checkmate, so annihilation became a half-win for a while until it was abandoned. #32 The longest recorded tournament chess match lasted 20 hours and 15 minutes and resulted in a draw.