Smart Chess Boards (2026): Chessnut, Millennium

The chess game ends be challenging, fun, and sometimes frustrating. Garry Kasparov called the game “mental torture.” I am almost infinite possibilitieschess offers unparalleled depth, and you can easily fill a library with books on how to play. The Internet has opened up a lot of people to compete with, and smart chess boards allow you to play anyone online or offline, not to mention different chess programs.

I’ve been experimenting with smart chess boards for the past month or so, with the help of my chess-mad boss, and these are my top picks.

My Favorite Smart Chess Boards

For my opening game, I recommend Chessnut Pro. With a classic wooden design, the Chessnut Pro feels like a regular board, but there are some tricks hidden inside. Beechwood pieces are very heavy, an important but often overlooked factor. They feel great in the hand, and this set includes additional Queens. This is a full game board (55 cm or 21.7 inches), so you will need space.

The board is very well designed, with bright red LEDs hidden in the corner of each square that light up to indicate movement. I like that it looks like a normal board when you’re not playing online. There are smart controls on one side with a USB-C port and Bluetooth connectivity to connect to your computer, laptop, or smartphone. There is no need to push down and move every time, because each piece has a sensor chip inside that detects it.

We used it Chessconnect Chrome browser extension playing matches Chess.com and Lichess.organd it was quick and easy to get up and running. The official Chessnut app has AI opponents, but they are a bit weak and lack color. It’s not great, but you don’t have to use it, and you can connect to various services on the Internet with just a little searching (see. Graham’s programs for other good options). Playing online can be difficult at times. Sometimes there was a slight delay, and we had to click to reconnect for each game. The battery life is very good (we have seven or eight hours), although it takes a while to recharge (best to leave it overnight).

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, that is Water Chessnut ($250) it’s the cheapest way. It is also made of wood but much smaller (33 cm or 13 inches), with light pieces and visible LEDs. The Air+ ($400) it’s the same size but with heavier wooden pieces and brighter LEDs on the board. Functionally, both give you the same performance as the Pro.