Automated Chess Board
Team Zero
Chess is a fun game, highly popular all over the world. Playing chess with our favorite chess buddy while sipping coffee/tea in the lazy evenings is also a favorite activity for many of us. But what if the two friends or the components are not able to meet in person regularly? Do the game need a pause? Do they need to play online? Will it give the vibe of playing in person? The answer is NO. It will be fun if we get the in person vibe, or imagine the thrill of spectating the Masters’ Matches like ARTISTIC Ding Liren Vs CLASSICAL Magnus Carlsen
on your own board.
Objective
Objective of this project is to build a chess board that provides the facilities to play against someone online but on the real chess board. Also, spectators can watch the match online or on their own board. So, this project can be subdivided into two segments.
-
Connecting the chess board to the online chess platforms.
-
Successfully moving chess pieces according to online opponent’s move without human labor.
Meet Team ZERO
Methodology
1.Connecting the board to online chess platforms
The board is connected to the online chess platforms like chess.com or lichess.com using a specific application. Using the Bluetooth module, the app will be sending signal to Arduino which is controlling the stepper motors to move chess pieces. Also, reed switches detects the movements on the board when a move is made, Arduino sends the signal to the application and thus to the online chess platform.
​
2.Successfully moving chess pieces
Two stepper motors are clamped with two screws; The leads of the screws are loaded with a bench and a electromagnet career. The kinematic motion of the two motors moves a chess piece from one point to the other.
Future Possibilities
-
RFID tag and RFID reader can be used, which will let each piece to have a unique ID and we do not have to place each chess pieces in their initial position to be identified by chess engine. So, it will allow us to analyze game in any position.
-
Raspberry Pi can be added, which will allow the powerful chess engine like Leela chess zero or stockfish to run, and it will make it possible to play without connecting to online chess platforms.
-
Also, LEDs and necessary components can be added to show legal moves of the piece, the player uphold from board.