Centaur - New Revolutionary Chess Computer - Digital Electronic Chess Set - Single Player - Ages 6 and Up

With its intuitive AI feature to play at, and a little above your current level of play, this e-board provides very intriguing games and provides fun and learning on all levels. I would recommend this board to anybody who wants to sit across the board from an equally matched opponent and match wits. An excellent learning tool. I learn even when I lose!

I really like the fact, you don't need to download or mess with a smart phone with this chess computer. Also can allow two players to play a game in analysis mode with hints if you want that feature. You can also set up chess problems too. It can beat most players with an estimated ELO rating of up to 3000! Another neat thing is you can use your own pieces, providing you use metalic silver stickers or aluminum foil on the bottom of each piece!! With a brand like DGT your getting exceptional quality chess computer!

The built-in display is too small and 'pale' for my eyes. Not recommended for old folks!

I've played this in nothing but expert mode. I noticed in one game it seemed to 'lose track' and wouldn't let me make a move that didn't put me in check. I just thought I messed up moving a piece or whatever. Didn't really know, just started over. Well, just moment ago it would not allow me to take a rook with a bishop. I was not in check with the move or before the move. The display did not indicate I was in check, and the pieces were where the display said they were. I take the rook, and with that move I basically have it beat but it would not let me take it. It would let me move my bishop anywhere else it could and accepted that, even taking it if it was moved to a place it was vulnerable. And out of probably 20 games that was the first time I most likely had it beaten. No dice. In fact, I ended up playing the game moving the bishop to a safe square then.... it CASTLED !!! And I literally LAUGHED OUT LOUD. I"m playing a computer that cheats !!! That of course, changed everything and I was mated in 4 moves !! And I was able to use that bishop in another move so clearly it knew that rook was where it was suppose to be AND the bishop was where it was suppose to be. So it had a hissy fit. It's a poor loser. Seriously, if it doesn't like your move it just .....doesn't allow it. BWHAAHAHAHAA !! Further, when you do the 'help' thing....I don't know about that 'feature'. I've hit it a few times and was like, 'you have to be kidding me'. My next step is to use the help feature for every move which SHOULD lead to a win with the white advantage. We shall see but this is twice now it would not let me perform a move that did not put me in check and I wasn't IN check prior to the move. More on this later....right now I'll assume I made some mistake in a previous move but it would catch that, wouldn't it. LIke I say,it let me move that bishop anywhere else but to take it's rook. For that I give it a rating of 'useless' until I learn otherwise and will change the rating. That may take a few games. I will try on the friendly and intermediate levels to see how it does. I have to admit I got a good laugh out of it though. A computer, that cheats. That's rich

This review is for the DGT Centaur electronic chess set. Over the years, I have had many electronic sets, but recent offerings have been poor -- my favourite being made by Fidelity. I have decided that the best device for me needs to have two features: 1) It must consistently beat me 2) It should do so quickly -- I get bored watching a machine think A lot of thought and engineering went into this product, and it fulfills these demands appropriately. The board is quite large. The plastic pieces are weighted. Extra Queens are provided for advancement! The software is so intuitive that one wonders how things are accomplished. For example, you wish to prematurely end a game and start a new one -- but there is no new game button. All you need to do is reset the board -- the machine knows! Let's say you wish to take back a move -- but there is no "back" button. All you need to do is move the piece back. Similarly, if you are studying an opening -- move the black piece back and move the correct piece for the opening you want! There is a nice bag you can purchase, but this does not look like rugged hardware. I would not suggest banging it about. This is an elegant product which I immediately enjoyed (and will continue to do so until they develop something "better")

Even though this is the "budget" in the DGT line, it's my favorite, not on price, but on features. I love the interface. Turn on and play by moving. No hookups, blue tooth, wires, usb, computer connections to worry about. That would be a problem if the built-in program was mediocre -- it's NOT. It's superior. It really is an algorithm that learns and emulates human play. I haven't played enough games yet to give a long-term view, (I'll update when I get there), but after a few games, it's just plain enjoyable. My level is only low intermediate. I play online, and I've dabled for decades, but I'm no expert. But I really enjoy playing this. I'd forgotten how enjoyable chess could be -- mostly because it's hard to get together with people now (due to the lockdowns) and online and bluetooth are counter-intuitive when you just want to sit down and play. I also love the minimalist design. I wasn't sure when I ordered if I would. I love the "light up squares" and the grey-white-black colours, but I'd heard it was all plastic. However, the pieces are weighted plastic and well molded, so they feel good in the hand. The board is very light, but stable on a good table, so no worries. It's light enough to lap-play, but I don't think I'd do that, or the pieces would slide everywhere. Superb, and I believe I'll get years of enjoyment from this. I have a wood and my father's antique boards too, but I might just use this board for OTB play anyway. Highly recommend, unless you're stuck on beautiful carved wood board pieces, in which case, for computer chess I'd recommend the tournament-quality DGT boards (but they require extra options to tie in to computers and they're not "plug and play). For the rest of us, Cenatur's the best, really. I thought I'd experiment with adapting nice wooden chess pieces later -- you see a lot of YouTubes on that. But now that I have it in hand, I think I like the ones that come with the board. They suit it, look like their crafted to be together. A word on the interface -- superb. It's e-ink -- I'm a big fan of e-ink. I could definitely see taking this outside to the garden in the spring/summer / fall (it has a long lasting battery! Bonus!) The e-ink is fully readable in sunlight, and the lighted board spaces are LED and bright (there's an outdoor setting). So, everything is well thought out. The interface requires NO instruction book. The only thing I had to look up was full shut down (otherwise it goes into neutral). Powerdown is hold the play button for three seconds. That's the only thing not intuitive. The options are great, and clearly simplified for FAST use. It's adaptive, so you don't need forty levels of play. There is NO way to record games onboard (although you can pause or walk away from a game and come back to it.) If you need that, you'd need the other DGT boards and a tie-in to online or your computer. I use ChessDrop app IOS for recording, very simple! I'd rather have the one button and play Centaur than have to cope with set up, etc. In all, my perfect chess companion until I can go back to OTB live play:-) Love it...............

Excellent jeu & partenaire d’échecs Mode amical permettant de le battre, si besoin en suivant ses conseils 😉 de coups à jouer Mode normal efficace, évidemment alors moins facile à vaincre Très content de cette belle acquisition, qui permet de s’amuser et de progresser 🌻

update: For the fun of it I thought a Harry Potter Wizard Chess Set would be nice but the chess pieces are made of cheap plastic mold with a hollow base. With a hollow base I couldn't even sticker a metal circle to the bottom and after contemplating a solution I found that had some almost dried out dry wall filler that were putty-like so I ended up filling up all the hollow bottoms chess pieces with dry-wall filler. After the plaster hardened I tested them out on the chess computer board and they worked without the need for any metal disc. It seems as long as you have a flat bottom chess pieces the board seems to recognize it. Which really means that almost any chess piece that you have a liking to will probably work as long as you can create a flat bottom on the chess piece. I like the Harry Potter Wizard Chess set and I bought two of them so I could have extra queens. update: I am into lego too so on black friday I bought a few sets of the lego chess set and made some modifications to each of the initial lego chess piece design; bigger base, all one colour like all black instead of black and blue and all white instead of red and white. It took two chess sets to make the modifications i.e. to get all the all white and all black lego pieces. Once that was done, I sticker a metallic like disc to the bottom of each of the lego chess piece. The lego chess pieces works wonderfully. update: Bought a chess table 18"x18" and fits the DGT Centaur perfectly (see last photo). What a wonderful standalone computer chess board! I am using Marble chess pieces straight out of the box without having to paste metal disc on the bottom. It has been several decades since I have played against a computer chess as the old chess algorithms were so predictable that it always trades but not Stockfish as I watch it skips the straight trade into trapping me instead! I am wonderfully surprised as I didn't expect it because I didn't realize that the engines have advance quite a bit in 3 decades (duh!) Yes I've been behind the times. The board is wonderfully light and very intuitive to use. Just set up all the pieces and start playing. If you decide to resign or reset, just move all the pieces back to their original position and the computer will reset. If you want to take back a move, just take back a move; no need to push any buttons. In fact I haven't even press on any buttons since I got the board except the power button to turn it off. There are so many computer chess boards out in the market and it is confusing as straight e-boards needs a computer and then there are smaller computer chess boards that doesn't look like it would play anyway near the level of DGT Centaur running Stockfish at 1ghz. I bought the version that comes with a Bag and trust me that this is all you need for the next decade.Forget expandability, upgradeability and all the complexity of online play. If you want all those other features use your iPhone but for a game of chess between just you and the computer near a fireplace this board is good enoug and the marble pieces looks wonderful on this board.

Yes, I only gave it 4 stars instead of 5, but be aware why.... I took away 1 star merely for appearance - it does (as mentioned in other reviews) have a very flimsy appearance and not really a proper bottom either. But, if you can live with that, it seems short term (I've only had it a little while) to be a great game. I have played with a computer before and the computer just does not simulate playing with a real person. The Centaur does and part of it could be that it's tangible and you have to actually physically move the pieces, but I really think it's more than that. As they claim it matches your playing skill somehow and makes for really great games. It does feel like playing a human opponent, except you don't have to wait 10 minutes for them to move. Also, for my first game I plugged it in and let it charge, but I've played "I think" 7 more games cordless and it hasn't yet needed a recharge, so that's handy too. One small flaw (at least as far as I can tell) is, there's no meter or gauge though to tell you when it needs a recharge, which would be nice, just so you don't get part way through a good game & maybe the battery dies. Anyhow, since it's relatively new for me, I can't judge for longevity but overall, if you don't mind the price, I would recommend it, the games are really good.

I absolutely love everything about this purchase. I’ve been playing chess my whole life and this is my first chess computer. I researched for a while first and I find all the good positive reviews are true. Had it for a week and I’ve charged it once, usually play five or so games a night, very good, challenging play that truly has that human opponent feel to it. Anything above friendly match I get beat I got one stalemate once, in friendly I have two victories a couple draws and the rest is got beat, I do feel my game is improving and that I am learning so that’s good. The bag is great and mine didn’t have a chemical smell as stated in other reviews. My charger came with adapters for converting to other electric outlets. It’s thin and light and you want to be careful with it but it’s not gonna break if you just use a little care moving it. I’m in Canada and it came from Slovenia took a total of five days. If you’re on the fence because of the price I totally have zero regrets and find my self smiling I’m so happy with it, even caught myself at work dreaming about getting home and playing lol.