Developed by InfiVention Technologies, Square Off is an automated chess board uses a compact 2-axis robotic arm with a magnetic head beneath the box to move the magnetic chess pieces. The AtMega 2560 chip with Bluetooth BLE ensures smooth communication with a smartphone, taking care of decrypting and execution. The most important thing is that it is programmed in a way so that the chess pieces don't collide during automatic movements.
The MDF wooden board comes with a Rosewood finish and is offered in two sizes: Kingdom set which weighs 11 pounds and measures 486mm x 486mm x 75mm; and Grans Kingdom set which weighs 13 pounds and measures 621mm x 486mm x 75mm. Both sizes are equipped with a 2200mAh Li-ion battery good for about 50 games of chess.
Compatible with both Android and iOS (currently in beta) operating systems, Square Off is designed as a user-friendly app. It lets you interact with the board effortlessly; it just takes a click to begin the game.
But why an app? The idea is to keep the board button-free so that the users can enjoy the classic chess board experience. Be it selecting sides (black or white), difficulty levels, opening moves of computer, challenging friends, analyzing games, using the timer or chatting with the opponent (this feature is being worked upon), everything is controlled through the app.
Phone is connected to the board all the time via Bluetooth, allowing you to save an incomplete game. Also, it uses your phone’s Wi-Fi to connect to the internet and your phone’s processor to process the data and think of the next possible moves.
Currently, it works on Stockfish 7 which is one of the best open source chess engine and second engine is Cuckoo Chess, which is suitable for beginners. We plan to offer more chess engines in the future.
Additional features include: Play against 20 different difficulty levels; Select opening moves with ease; Load and save an incomplete game; Membrane sensing technology to detect the location of pieces; Receive audio feedback during check, promotion, checkmate and for invalid moves (invalid moves, strictly not allowed); Get all the instructions through the app, on your phone screen.
