Smart chess boards
Real pieces, online opponents.
Play Chess.com, Lichess or a built-in engine with real pieces in your hands. Smart boards come in three kinds: boards that light up the opponent’s move for you to make, chess computers with their own screen, and robotic boards that slide the pieces themselves.
- Picks
- 14
- Price range
- $179 to $719
- Prices checked
- November 2026
All smart chess boards
14 products
Best first smart boardSmart boardChessnut AirChessnutA compact board that recognises every piece and lights up your opponent’s moves. It is the board most people buy first.$249.99$150 to $400
Smart boardChessnut Air+ChessnutThe Chessnut Air rebuilt in wood: same size and the same technology, but an all-wooden board and wooden pieces.$399.99$150 to $400
Travel smart boardChessnut GoChessnutChessnut’s thinnest board: magnetic pieces, full piece recognition and a built-in engine, at about the size of a tablet.$179.99$150 to $400
Full-size smart boardChessnut ProChessnutChessnut’s piece recognition in a tournament-size solid-wood board, with regular or premium wooden pieces.From $699.99Over $400
Board with built-in screenChessnut EvoChessnutAn all-in-one board with its own colour touchscreen. It plays human-like Maia bots and connects online without a phone.$629.99Over $400- Best self-moving boardSelf-moving boardChessnut MoveChessnutA robotic board: magnets under the surface slide your opponent’s pieces, and it can reset every piece at once.From $719Over $400
Best for learningTeaching smart boardChessUp 2Bryght LabsA Wi-Fi board with a touchscreen that shows legal moves and rates your choices as you play. Chess.com supports it officially.$349.99$150 to $400
Smart boardGoChess AirParticulaA slim board with coloured lights for hints, threats and your opponent’s moves, and AI coaching through its app.$249.95$150 to $400
Full-size smart boardGoChess ProParticulaA tournament-size light-up board in a modern or classic design, with two extra queens and the GoChess app.From $299.95$150 to $400
Self-moving boardGoChess Wizard AliveParticulaAn officially licensed Harry Potter Wizard’s Chess board: say your move and watch your piece glide into place.$699Over $400
Smart boardDGT PegasusDGTA compact wooden Bluetooth board from DGT, the Dutch company whose e-boards broadcast elite tournaments.$559Over $400
Chess computerDGT CentaurDGTA standalone chess computer with an e-paper display and an engine that adapts to your strength, so games stay close.$395$150 to $400
Chess computerChessGenius ProMillenniumA sensor-board chess computer with a colour display, learning aids and many playing levels, running Richard Lang’s ChessGenius engine.$179$150 to $400
Chess computerChessGenius ExclusiveMillenniumA wooden board that identifies every piece by RFID, with the ChessGenius engine built in, from gentle beginner levels to strong club play.$399$150 to $400
At a glance
Side by side.
Online support changes with app updates, so confirm the site you play on before you buy.
| Product | Opponent’s move | Needs a phone | Plays online on | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chessnut AirChessnut | Lights show it | Yes | Chess.com, Lichess | $249.99$150 to $400 |
| Chessnut Air+Chessnut | Lights show it | Yes | Chess.com, Lichess | $399.99$150 to $400 |
| Chessnut GoChessnut | Lights show it | Yes | Chess.com, Lichess | $179.99$150 to $400 |
| Chessnut ProChessnut | Lights show it | Yes | Chess.com, Lichess | From $699.99Over $400 |
| Chessnut EvoChessnut | Lights show it | No | Chess.com, Lichess, ChessKid | $629.99Over $400 |
| Chessnut MoveChessnut | Moves itself | Yes | Chess.com, Lichess | From $719Over $400 |
| ChessUp 2Bryght Labs | Lights show it | No | Chess.com | $349.99$150 to $400 |
| GoChess AirParticula | Lights show it | Yes | Chess.com, Lichess | $249.95$150 to $400 |
| GoChess ProParticula | Lights show it | Yes | Chess.com, Lichess | From $299.95$150 to $400 |
| GoChess Wizard AliveParticula | Moves itself | Yes | Chess.com, Lichess | $699Over $400 |
| DGT PegasusDGT | Lights show it | Yes | Chess.com, Lichess | $559Over $400 |
| DGT CentaurDGT | Lights show it | No | Offline only | $395$150 to $400 |
| ChessGenius ProMillennium | Shown on screen | No | Offline only | $179$150 to $400 |
| ChessGenius ExclusiveMillennium | Lights show it | No | Offline only | $399$150 to $400 |
Questions
Asked often.
Can I play rated games on Chess.com with a smart board?
Yes, on boards that Chess.com supports, including ChessUp 2, DGT Pegasus and the Chessnut and GoChess boards. Games count exactly like games played on screen. Check the maker’s current compatibility list before you buy, because support changes with app updates.
Are self-moving boards worth it?
For slow games, solving and watching famous games replay, yes: nothing else feels like an invisible opponent. For bullet and blitz they are a poor fit, because the robot needs a second or two per move, and you pay two or three times the price of a board that simply lights up.
What is the best smart board for a beginner?
One that teaches. ChessUp 2 lights up legal moves and rates your choices while you play, and the Chessnut Evo has learning modes and human-like bots on its own screen. For a child, a board that needs no phone avoids a lot of arguments.
Can I use a smart board in a tournament?
Not as your own equipment. Over-the-board events supply their sets, and electronic devices are banned at the board. DGT e-boards are used by organisers to broadcast top games live, which is a different job.
Chosen because players widely use and recommend them, not because a maker paid to be listed. We don’t earn commissions from these links. Prices are what the linked store charged in November 2026, in US dollars. About this guide