I have a DGT Centaur and I love it
How I bought a DGT board, and then sold it off, and why you should NOT buy one yet
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Feb 25, 2022
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#43
DGT Pegasus Club above expanded, now includes Centaur et al. Consider joining for helpful info.
https://www.chess.com/club/dgt-pegasus-centaur-e-board-users
FYI here's a board comparison I did recently, some folks like it:
Dec 5, 2022
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#44
I recently purchased chessnut air and it has the all three features. I didn't try DGT board before anyhow.
meetarnav wrote:
I wanted to buy an electronic chess board with three very simple requirements:
- It should be light and portable (I don't mind a power supply)
- It should have good connectivity with apps and software
- It should be possible for it to connect to third party servers like lichess and chess(dot)com
Based on these three simple requirements I bought a DGT USB Plastic Tournament Chess board. I opened it up with a lot of excitement and after connecting it with the computer found out that when playing on lichess or chess(dot)com:
- I need to install the DGT software and keep it running
- I need to open TWO browser windows where both need to be running to play
- If you pick up a piece and then try to correct the error it is not straightforward at all - best of luck resetting the whole game and starting again.
Given that there is a LOT OF OPEN FREE SOURCE CODE on GITHUB, all this functionality could be inbuilt into the board - but DGT choose NOT to do it. Why? Read on.
DGT is a company that has a full monopoly in the electronic chess market. They don't want to sell a board that does everything, otherwise who will buy the remaining half baked technology that they keep dishing out year on year? The DGT Centaur is a single play board with NO online connectivity. The upcoming DGT Pegasus is one with online connectivity. The DGT USB tournament board has connectivity for PC and Android but not iOS. The DGT Bluetooth board has connectivity to the iOS App.
There have been independent and excellent attempts to connect the DGT board to a mobile phone - the WHITEPAWN app, however on continued discussion with the developer even he can't write code for the missing hardware connectivity if it doesn't exist in the board.
The truth is that all electronic chess boards by DGT are half baked versions that do one thing or another but not three simple things that are essential for a good game of chess.
Their competitor Millennium is no better either. Consider the recent Tournament 55 board that they have come up with. Not only do you need the board to play, you need a power brick with it, a computer module that connects to it and if you want to connect to online services you need an ADDITIONAL hardware module for WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Could they build the WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity in the board itself - YES! But then how would they charge another $250 for it? Could they build a better battery pack in the board? YES! But then how would they charge another $100 for it? Could they give the option of upgrading the Stockfish Engine from version 8 to version 13? YES! But then how would they sell future "better" boards with upgraded Stockfish?
This is the bitter truth. Despite the fact that an electronic chess board needs just three basic principles for a great game, these companies will never (even when the open source code is available for free), include these small things in a board. They WANT you to buy one thing after another creating the perception that one board is for one market and another for a different market. Chess is Chess. It is universal. So should the boards be.
These are just corporations making money - they are not passionate about Chess.
I am back to a cardboard chess set and absolutely love it.
Dec 5, 2022
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#45
This reminds me of how Amazon doesn't improve it's Kindle reader because they don't have to. Barnes and Noble's Nook is better but Barnes and Noble could go out of business because of Amazon. Sometimes a struggling competitor will make a better product to try to survive. Here's hoping.
I posted this in another thread as an answer to the question, if DGT will release an eboard with LED:
If they (DGT) feel that Chessnut - and Millennium for that matter - are hurting their sales in the home user market, they might. If they still are experiening growth with their current product range... it would have to be a strategic decision to allocate development resources for that. For the use cases "analysis at home" and "offline play at home", they probably have very high market shares (and a good offering). For use case "play online at home", I am not sure... maybe Millennium has a higher share. If that is a very fast growing segment with high potential, this strategic decision would be wise to take. Because a competitors success in this segment might leak into the others.
As far as I know DGT had some problems with manufacturing (scrap), when producing the DGT Revelation II (AE) which is essentially a wooden DGT board with LED and an integrated computer. Also the price point was geared more towards collectors, not online players.
The DGT Revelation II AE can be used as a tournament sized online board, to answer your initial question :-) Not sure, if the current LiveChess drivers support the LED anymore.
May 3, 2024
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#47
JimmyCheng wrote:
I posted this in another thread as an answer to the question, if DGT will release an eboard with LED:
If they (DGT) feel that Chessnut - and Millennium for that matter - are hurting their sales in the home user market, they might. If they still are experiening growth with their current product range... it would have to be a strategic decision to allocate development resources for that. For the use cases "analysis at home" and "offline play at home", they probably have very high market shares (and a good offering). For use case "play online at home", I am not sure... maybe Millennium has a higher share. If that is a very fast growing segment with high potential, this strategic decision would be wise to take. Because a competitors success in this segment might leak into the others.
As far as I know DGT had some problems with manufacturing (scrap), when producing the DGT Revelation II (AE) which is essentially a wooden DGT board with LED and an integrated computer. Also the price point was geared more towards collectors, not online players.
The DGT Revelation II AE can be used as a tournament sized online board, to answer your initial question :-) Not sure, if the current LiveChess drivers support the LED anymore.
Regarding the Revelation II partnership, that ship has sailed off to the Millennium port. The Revelation II will likely be a one-off of their signature DGT board with LEDs all over the edges of the squares. its price point was a non-starter for most people.
Two paths that I see is a version 2.0 of their Pegasus model. That’s their entry into the online player market with ambitions to earn offical USCF/FIDE ratings through OTB tournaments. Alternatively, DGT could also upgrade their Smartboard model to have LEDs and it would still be affordable.
And what about their OEM software?
But as long as FIDE keeps DGT as the official manufacturer for their hardware, DGT would remain comfortable and won’t have any reason to compete in the market of the ChessUps, ChessNuts, Millenniums and Certabos.
@chessroboto
I really like your idea of using the DGT USB-C board as a basis for producing a LED board. That is way easier than using a wooden board. The holes for the LEDs can be put in fully automated with perfect spacing. As far as I know DGT produced lots of scrap, when trying the same with wooden boards (Revelation II).
You should pitch your idea to DGT.
Who would be your target consumer group? Where would it sit in the market price-wise compared to Chessnut Pro, Millennium Supreme 55 and Certabo Fazio/Nicole?
Would you go for an integrated battery pack and bluetooth chip set?
May 7, 2024
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#49
JimmyCheng wrote:
@chessroboto
I really like your idea of using the DGT USB-C board as a basis for producing a LED board. That is way easier than using a wooden board. The holes for the LEDs can be put in fully automated with perfect spacing. As far as I know DGT produced lots of scrap, when trying the same with wooden boards (Revelation II).
You should pitch your idea to DGT.
Who would be your target consumer group? Where would it sit in the market price-wise compared to Chessnut Pro, Millennium Supreme 55 and Certabo Fazio/Nicole?
Would you go for an integrated battery pack and bluetooth chip set?
The first order of business is for DGT’s software and driver team to put out software/apps/drivers for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android drivers for all their existing products, and to keep them up to date so that they work 100% with chess.com live plays, especially their online tournaments. With proper software, people will ALWAYS use the eboard that chess.com allows and does not block/ban.
The following is just a “want list” aka “nice to have”:
With the LED Smartnoard, the immediate market will be the people who wanted or have already purchased the full sized wooden boards such as the Millennium Tournament 55 or the Certabo 55mm boards because DGT wooden boards did not have LEDs.
Having Built-in Bluetooth and internal batteries are nice, but even Certabo and Millennium opted for external BT modules (for replaceability and future-proofing compatibility) and no internal non-replaceable batteries. Using external power either separately or through USB-C (whichever works better through stress testing) should suffice since the large board is not meant for portability in the first place.
I have found DGT support to be quite slow to respond. Moreover their electronic products seem to be facing quite some competition from new age companies like chessnut and square off. Gone are their days of monopolistic hold.
Millennium Exclusive and Supreme T 55 boards work really well with the Android app.
To offer something similar, DGT wooden bluetooth boards would also need to connect to the Chess.com app, sync time and show moves on the DGT3000. The familiar "beep" would indicate the ooponents move.
I think that the DGT interface of the tournament boards is neither open nor very clean... because it probably was done quick and dirty maybe in 1998 and evolved from there.
"Sam's Chess Board" (hereafter "SCB") is internet chess software individuals, groups, and chess clubs. "SCB" supports fast client-server TCP internet play and more "peace-of-ming" automated, peer-to-peer automated email.
"SCB Electro", an internet-enabled, electronic chess board will soon be available . "SCB Electro" is a wireless chess board with ASCII hardware (like a regular keyboard) and does not require additional connectivity software or add-on modules. And, yes "SCB Electro" will support sliding pieces across the board.
"SCB Electro" will support both versions of "SCB" software and Licess.org. Support for Chess.com is coming.
Initially, "SCB Electro" will be available in two sizes. 13" and FIDE tournament size. Both board sizes will come in a board of our choosing and offer a custom option*.
The custom option...
You supply the board and we will custom make it into a "SCB Electro" board.
You will be a member of the board creation team and have several options for the final look.
This work is done entirely by hand.
A travel version is planned for Fall 2025. This "SCB Electro" mini-board will use advanced electronics (Hall effect sensors) and a very fast proprietary communications interfacel. 8" and 10" versions are in the works.
I need testers and three investors+ (more if you ask). All testers who stay will the project until its Match 1, 2025 release date will receive a "forever" license to use the software and deep discounts for the "SCB Electro" chess board.
BTW, if Chess.com allows this, send me your email address in a message to me here and/or to my FB user name "delphiguru". Sam
I bought a Square Off Pro instead and I love it. Thanks.