How To Use An Electronic Chess Board To Prepare for Tournaments

Many chess players report a large difference in their performance when switching from online chess or an electronic chess board to a real-life, over-the-board chess.

For example, although they are adept at spotting tactics when playing chess on the computer. They are much worse when playing over-the-board. They fail to see basic winning moves in their over-the-board games. Which they never would have missed if the same motif had appeared online.

The same goes for avoiding blunders. They find themselves making silly mistakes in their real-life games. Which they would rarely (if ever) make in their online games.

Why might this be? 

It can be as simple as the fact the perspective is different in each chess format. 

• online chess is represented in two dimensions on a computer screen, whereas;
• over-the-board chess takes place in three dimensions in real life.

For many of us, the bulk of our chess experience now takes place online. We play games online, train tactics online, and do our opening preparation from in front of a computer screen too.

Chess learning is increasingly shifting to the screen as well. There is now a vast array of excellent chess DVDs and online courses which many players prefer to books. Video explanations can be easier to follow than those on the printed page. With video, the viewer can watch the pieces move, with highlights and arrows to aid understanding, while the instructor further explains what is going on. This rich experience is hard to replicate in a book.

Related: The Millennium King Competition Chess Computer.

Over The Board Is Different

When we come to play an over-the-board game, our whole perspective is suddenly forced to change. We have become accustomed to the top-down view seen on the computer. However over-the-board chess looks very different - with the game viewed from an angle. This change in perspective can mess up our ability to recognize patterns. Especially if we have not played over-the-board chess for a while.

Just observe how different chess appears online versus in real-life.

An online chess board, from lichess.org

A real-life chess board - available from the USCF store.

Is it really any wonder that when we shift our view from 2-D to 3-D our performance suffers?

However, one thing which hasn’t changed is that, for most of us, the results we care most about are the games played in real-life. A classical tournament game played against a human opponent sitting across the table carries far more importance than an online game against an anonymous opponent from the other side of the world.

Related: DGT Pegasus Chess Board.

The problem is clear. We are spending the majority of our chess training time in 2-D, but we care more about our performances in 3-D.

So then, what is the solution?

Electronic Chess Boards: The Best Of Both Worlds

A recent innovation has been the advent of electronic chess boards.

Electronic chess boards are a hybrid of real-life chess and computer chess. In a nutshell, they are a physical board, which comes with an in-built computer.

ChessUp - one of the leading brands of electronic chess boards.

Different brands have different features. But what they all have in common is their ability to combine some of the best aspects of computer chess, but represented on a real 3-D board.

Here’s how it works: 

• The user makes their move on the electronic chess board by moving the pieces as they normally would. The board transmits the move to your opponent by sensing the piece which has moved and the square it has arrived on. 
• The opponent’s moves are communicated to you by squares lighting up - indicating the piece the opponent moved, and the square it moved to. 
• The user then makes their opponent’s move on the electronic board, and the game continues from there.

The Millenium King Competition Chess Computer - demonstrating how the board indicates the opponent’s move by lighting up the squares.

All electronic chess boards allow the player to play against their in-built computer. Additionally, some of them (such as ChessUp) integrate with the major online chess platforms. So that the user can play online chess against a human opponent, but using a physical board to do so.

Related: Millennium Supreme Tournament 55 Electronic Chess Board.

Incorporating Electronic Chess Boards Into Your Chess Training

Here are three ways you can use an electronic chess board to help you prepare for your next chess tournament:

1. Play Games In 3-D

The most obvious way to use electronic chess boards to improve your tournament performance is to play on the electronic board instead of on the computer screen. This will be especially powerful if you can get one of the electronic chess boards which link with the online chess websites. This allows you to play games against human opponents of your own level.

This will get you used to the view of the game that comes with playing chess on a real physical board. That way, when you show up to the tournament hall, you will be playing with a perspective which has matched your training, thus mitigating the problems with the 2-D / 3-D divide discussed earlier.

Related: ChessUp Chess Computer.

2. Tactics Training

One of the best ways to improve your chess is making tactics training part of your routine. Becoming a tactical assassin is a critical part of becoming a strong chess player!

Apart from playing games on the electronic board, it will be very beneficial to your over-the-board tournament performance to do your tactics training there too. Some of the electronic boards even feature tactical positions which you can quickly load and train - so that you can better simulate the feeling of trying to find the winning move on a real physical board, just like you will need to do at your next tournament!

3. Drill Endgame Positions Against The Computer

Is there an endgame position you want to master? Maybe you have finally decided to learn the bishop-and-knight checkmate. Or, maybe you want to make sure you can hold a draw on the weak side of a tricky rook-and-pawn endgame.

As we have written about before, computers are particularly strong at the endgame. Set up the position you want to train on your electronic chess board and play it out against the computer on maximum strength. If you can succeed in the endgame against the chess computer, then your human opponents will not stand a chance!

Find The Right Electronic Chess Board For You!

The USCF store has a range of electronic chess boards to suit your level and your needs.

The Chess Champion Chess Computer.

Naturally, the technology contained in an electronic chess board tends to make them a bit more expensive than most wooden boards. However, for the serious chess player looking for an advantage over their competition, the payoff is well worth it!

With the aid of an electronic chess board you can:

• Play chess on a physical board - even at home by yourself.
• Solve tactics from set positions, and input your solution by moving the pieces - just like you would in a real game. 
• Become an endgame maestro by sparring with the engine anytime, day or night.

Discover the benefits of an electronic chess board today!

FAQ: Electronic Chess Boards

What Are Electronic Chess Boards?

Electronic chess boards are physical chess boards with an in-built computer. The computer offers a number of features which can make playing chess and training chess easier and more fun.

How Much Do Electronic Chess Boards Cost?

Prices of electronic chess boards vary depending on the strength of their in-built computer, quality of materials used, and other factors. An entry-level electronic chess board can retail for under US$100, while high-end boards made from luxury materials can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to around US$1,000.

Where To Buy An Electronic Chess Board?

Electronic chess boards can be purchased at the USCF online store.