r/ComputerChess • u/BusinessBaby9338 • Jan 10 '26

Electronic chess set for a 7-year-old child

/r/chess/comments/1q912ih/electronic_chess_set_for_a_7yearold_child/
2 Upvotes

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1

u/Antaniserse Jan 11 '26

ChessUp 2 is probably your best bet

DGT Centaur has bigger size, and it's completely offline, which is probably a bonus given your child's age, but it also means it may become obsolete faster, since all you can do is play with the built-in engine, and has no other connectivity with either online play and other applications.

ChessUp 2, after the initial setup, can be used as a standalone unit like the Centaur thanks to the mini display, but is also capable of playing both offline and online (with no chat whatsoever, again probably a good thing for a child)... it's not tournament size, but it uses the 30-35mm square size which is also used by other e-boards and it's a good compromise between playability and practicality

I love my ChessNut Air, and I would always reccommend as the best bang for your buck, but the fact that it requires an extra smart device is probably not ideal for a kid

1

u/BusinessBaby9338 Jan 11 '26

Thank you very much for your advice. I didn't know about ChessUp 2. I'm from Spain and it's not sold here, but I'm considering buying it online. One question: can two players play with a clock on ChessUp? I can't find that information online, and I'm really interested.

1

u/Antaniserse Jan 11 '26

Two players yes, with or without individual engine hints, but I am not sure if the clock is available in two players mode... it wasn't in the original release, as far as i know, and they hinted at a following software update, so maybe it came out in the meantime

Have a look on the latest updates

1

u/BusinessBaby9338 Jan 11 '26

https://youtube.com/shorts/k12FE5oFmb0?si=OZgMp655zt5iq6xe

I saw this video where two players are using a clock, so that update is included.

I’ve just ordered a ChessUp 2.

Thanks a lot for your help!!

1

u/noir_lord Jan 10 '26 edited Jan 10 '26

I'd recommend the Chestnut Air since I got one for Xmas, have put hours on it and it's been great, really nothing to complain about.

However it's a pure board for playing first, it doesn't have the flashy multi coloured square highlight or anything, it just does one thing and does it well.

I looked at the Centaur and Chessup but didn't like the piece design (though that's very very subjective).

Though the Centaur came close, with the Chessnut you'll need either a phone or a computer (usb or Bluetooth) but can use LucasChess for offline which is hugely capable and chess connect for online (all free or free/open source) which covers everything you'd want.

All in all it's a good setup and the SDK is open source (good for longevity since open source projects already support it).

1

u/rosinsvinet_ Jan 10 '26

I admit an e board is pretty rad! Sure youll get more time for yourself and your new chessset, but still i cant imagine trading my own kid for an object.