GoChess Smart board?

Do you think this Go Chess smart board is a gimmick?

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gochess-most-powerful-chess-board-ever-invented?utm_medium=email&utm_content=receipt-campaign_link&utm_source=lifecycle&utm_campaign=contribution_receipt#/updates/all

No. It not a gimmick. I have a Chessnut Air and I really enjoy it. I know you can play a game and mimics the board to the computer screen, but I really enjoy playing chess and not having to look at a screen. It works really well too.

I’ve done some research on this and other crowdfunding projects. I’ve seen some suspicious claims and posts on these forums as well.

1) the product has not delivered

2) the product is still unproven

It seems gimmicky to me but I’ll let you decide once it delivers.

please see my advisory about crowdfunding. https://www.chess.com/blog/chesslover0003/beware-of-chess-related-crowdfunding-projects

So, is GoChess a scam or not?
I was about to place an order, but I saw some negative reviews on the forum, and now I'm not sure what to do.

Can someone provide an objective opinion and let me know what legal options I have to get my money back if I never receive the chessboard (aside from filing a lawsuit, which wouldn't be worth the trouble)?

I think there's a lot of red flags for the project.

To me, a scam would be creating a campaign to intentionally deceive members with no intention of delivering a project. This would include creating deceptive images, videos or updates to mislead on the progress or product. Are they guilty of this? Were demos smoke and mirrors to show a working product (I sometimes confuse projects so I can't recall for GoChess without looking at my past notes).

Is it a scam to create a project with every intention of delivering a product but eventually fail to do that? I do not think this is a scam and it can be hard to prove otherwise. It's hard for some projects to admit failure, however, continuing to solicit donations when you know you can't or won't deliver is a scam.

This is a crowdfunding project... you did not purchase the board. You funded the project with the expectation that the project may never deliver or meet your expectations (you read the terms and conditions for the crowdfunding site right?). I'm sorry if this is harsh... the project has no obligation to refund your money.

Okay, in that case, if I don't get my money back after purchasing a chessboard that isn't delivered, I would call that a scam.

Thank you for setting things straight.

I'll pass for now, too bad.

Is it possible to buy an electronic chessboard that moves pieces automatically in a reliable manner?

The Square Off Swap chessboard seems to be out of service; I'm looking for a similar model to enjoy playing chess. If anyone has any suggestions.

It isn't a scam. They have already delivered gochess lite. The 1xr and 4xr are in development with shipping planned for April. They have had some delays. I purchased the 4xr with extra pieces and the warranty. I can't wait to get it. They have already successfully created godice, gocube, and a motion board with crowd funding.

"GoChess" not to be mixed up with "Chessnut Go"...

I think GoChess is intending to deliver a smart board with robotic movement. I'm not convinced in the technology.

It's nice to see GoChess Lite as people can see what the software experience might be. I think this is a good MVP for any project to achieve e before doing more complex robotic movements.

I don't think mini "Roomba"-like devices inside the board will deliver a good experience.

The Chessnut Move is on pre-order now too and Chessnut have a good track record with eBoards. Remember that the hardware is only half of the product, the other half being the connectivity and software support. I have no idea what the GoChess app is like, but Chessnut is widely supported on many platforms with established software. I think I'll be getting my prototype in late January or early February so I can start writing my driver for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3oF9S0ZNX4

I think it'll work. They have prototypes that work. I did purchase the extended warranty in case of issues though. I honestly can't wait to get mine. I'm excited for it to help me improve. I started in the 400 range and am up to 800 elo. I want to get into the 2000 range or atleast 1500 but i know I have my work cut out for me.

I bought myself the Gochess lite for christmas and it works fine. I've played it paired with chess.com and had no problems. No glitches in numerous games. The only annoying thing with the app is it doesn't remember your difficulty settings so you have to re- select them every game. It only takes a second so not really that much of an issue.

I've never used chessnut so I can't compare, but I liked the look of the gochess board so went for that one. Seems to work fine for me! 😊👍

Is it possible to turn off the LED lights on the board? 
How does it work paired with Chess.com?