Why Parents Are Swapping Screens for This “Smarter” Solution
"Nothing short of amazing. It's online chess manifested onto a real board."
“I received my board this week and it's great fun. My two boys immediately started playing, wanting to stay up late, and not watch TV! We are traveling for the holidays and they wanted to take it with us. Thank you so much for a great product that we will use every day for years. I love it!”
The Challenge Most Families Know Too Well
If you're a parent, you've probably faced some version of this:
- Kids are surrounded by screens that entertain but rarely enrich. Chess has always stood apart as a game that builds focus, patience, and problem-solving while still feeling fun.
- You want family time, but games are either too childish for you or too complicated for them.
- Siblings fight over turns or lose interest quickly. And when you are busy, you want something your child can do that feels rewarding instead of mindless.
It's not one problem. It's many small ones, all adding up to a bigger question: where's the activity that works for kids and parents alike?
A Classic, Reinvented for Today’s Family
Meet ChessUp 2
At first glance, it looks like a regular chess board. In reality, it's designed to meet families where they are:
- With Parents: The balance a match feature makes it possible for adults and kids to play together, even at different skill levels.
- With Other Kids: Siblings and friends can sit down and play without one being left behind thanks to customized coaching levels.
- On Their Own: When parents are busy, kids can practice against built in AI or play real matches online with Chess.com and Lichess, no phone required.
Instead of more screen time, kids get play that feels intelligent, competitive, and connective.
What Makes ChessUp Different?
1. Coaching That Keeps Everyone in the Game
- Lights guide each piece so beginners feel included right away.
- Move feedback shows the strength of every choice, giving kids encouragement as they go.
2. More Than Just Matches
- Practice against AI bots from beginner to grandmaster strength.
- Explore openings, famous games, and custom setups with the built-in board editor.
- Follow along with expert led lessons in the ChessUp app as the board lights up each move in real time.
Real Customers
Real Results
3 Unique Experiences
With ChessUp 2, play never feels one-note. We built it to grow with your family and your mood, offering different ways to connect, compete, and keep things fresh.
Face-to-Face or Across the Globe
Sit down for a classic two-player match in person, or connect to Chess.com and Lichess through built-in WiFi to play live opponents anywhere in the world.
Challenge the Bots
Test your skills against built in AI with customizable difficulty from beginner to grandmaster, or play your favorite Chess.com bots right on the board.
Switch It Up With Checkers
When the mood calls for something lighter, flip to checkers mode. The same smart coaching lights guide every move, giving kids and parents another timeless way to play together.
Officially Supported by Chess.com
As seen on Shark Tank, the ChessUp 2 Smart Chess Board combines the timeless experience of a real chess board with technology designed to help you play smarter and improve faster.
Play matches online with people around the world in real time through built-in Chess.com and Lichess integrations. With built-in Wi-Fi, there's no phone or computer required. Simply connect and play directly from the electronic chess board.
When you're sitting across the board from a friend or family member, ChessUp 2 helps create a more engaging game for both players. With Touch & Learn light guidance, simply touch a piece to see all legal moves and the strength of each option. Green highlights strong moves, blue shows playable alternatives, and red warns of blunders. Use Balance a Match to customize guidance independently for either player, helping beginners stay competitive while giving experienced players the challenge they want.
The built-in color touchscreen takes learning even further with optional Move Feedback, showing whether your move was excellent, inaccurate, a blunder, or the best move available, helping you build confidence and improve with every game.
More Ways to Improve
• Play built-in AI bots from beginner to grandmaster level (0-3000 Elo)
• Challenge the Chess.com bots you already know and love
• Use the Board Editor to set up openings, endgames, and famous games, then play them out against another player or AI
• Review your games with post-game analysis through Chess.com or the free ChessUp app
• Learn from expert-led lessons covering openings, endgames, tactics, and strategy
• Advanced piece recognition tracks every piece automatically
• Enhancements and new content are delivered through built-in Wi-Fi automatically
ChessUp 2 combines the guidance of a coach, the challenge of a worthy opponent, and the flexibility to play the way you want. Whether you're learning the game, getting back into chess, or working toward your next rating milestone, ChessUp 2 gives you the tools and confidence to improve faster and enjoy every game more.
*Includes ChessUp 2 digital chess board, full set of chess pieces, one spare white queen and one spare black queen for pawn promotion, and retail packaging.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the colored squares mean?
ChessUp’s patented AI assistance feature uses different colors to help you improve while you play. Each square can light up with 4 different colors: red, blue, green, and purple. What each color means depends on the level of AI assistance you’ve selected.
In general, red is a mistake or blunder, blue is an OK move and green are the best choices. Purple is used to highlight the selected piece.
Can I use any pieces with ChessUp 2?
No. ChessUp 2 has a lot going on under the hood. Everything down to the weighted pieces is part of our proprietary Touchsense technology. Only ChessUp 2 pieces will work with ChessUp 2.
Does ChessUp ship internationally?
Yes! ChessUp ships anywhere in the US, Canada, EU, Australia, and many other places around the world.
What are the battery and charging specifications?
ChessUp 2 includes a rechargeable Lithium polymer battery. It is 4000 mAh capacity and provides 6-8 hours of use. ChessUp 2 can be fully recharged in 2~3 hours as long as the charger used is of appropriate power.
We provide a 2 meter USB C - USB C cable in the product box. We do not provide the charging block ("brick") as these are unique by country. We recommend a 20 watt USB-C charging block.
The battery is replaceable with removal of the rear case. The battery is not proprietary and a drop in battery is easily sourced.
What is the ChessUp warranty?
ChessUp 2 comes with a 1 year warranty.
Are there any additional / subscription costs?
No! All game play features on the ChessUp 2 are completely free. The optional ChessUp app is also free!