We are almost at the end of the year and therefore at the beginning of 2026, where we will all make good intentions that we will fulfill 100%. But this also means that I no longer have time to fulfill my good intentions for 2025. Luckily, I have a gadget that can help me and if you read this story the day it is published, you can get it at a discounted price.
My goal was to reach 1,000 ELO. Chess.com. I’m stuck with the 900s, but now I practice with a GoChess smartboard and so can you. The cheapest option was ($249.95). The other models are also available at a discount of $50 each from the official GoChess store as part of the ongoing Cyber Monday sale.
On these boards you can play against another player or against an AI. If you do, you can optionally activate AI assistance to help you find and learn the best moves, or simply highlight mistakes so you don’t make them and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. You can also set it up to play with other players remotely in online battles and sync it with apps like Chess.com.
Why am I reviewing a chess game for a tech website? As I said in the introduction, this is a smart chess game that will help me reach my goal of reaching 1000 ELO. Chess.com (A criticism I only get if I can continue my winning streak and lose less).
In general, failures are more likely to be lost than won. What I mean by this is that even if white has a slight advantage, experts believe that if the games are played perfectly, they will always end in a draw. However, this does not happen when a player makes a mistake and his opponent takes advantage of it. Then the game is lost for the player who made the last mistake.
My problem is that I keep making that last mistake which ultimately leads to defeat.
I trained with the board’s AI to catch mistakes during practice games, so I hope not to repeat them in real games against players (I never use AI or other tools against real people, that’s called cheating and what does cheating do to achieve my goal?).
I set up the board, choose the difficulty of the bot I want to play against, and adjust the amount of support I get based on what I want out of the game. Do I want full support in learning how to deal with a confusing game environment where I’ve made mistakes before (“error” means “wrong” in chess)? Do I just want error messages to remind me why I should leave my horse where it is instead of carelessly moving it, or don’t want help when playing a full training game?
In that sense, the GoChess board is very useful and while I’ve found that the error detection isn’t always the most advanced, it’s very effective at catching mistakes that I would normally make as a beginner. Professionals who want to avoid this type of mistake, which goes unnoticed for several rounds, may conclude that AI does not meet their needs.
I also like that there is something physical about the table. I normally play digital chess and the 3D view makes it much easier to visualize the arrangement of the pieces.
However, all this does not mean that the GoChess boards are perfect.
The pieces are equipped with magnets so that the board can track them as they move, but each piece uses the same magnets, so if you place a knight in the starting position of the bishop, the board cannot correct you. From what I’ve heard, coin recognition can be spotty on some boards, so it’s not the end of the world.
It can sometimes be difficult to track pieces accurately when you capture if you move things too quickly, forcing you to reset things to reset the move before it’s done. In timed games (I play quick games where each player only has a total of 10 minutes to complete all moves) this can cost valuable time.
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Another disappointment, although manageable, is that Chessbot’s AI is shown in the settings as strength levels 1 to 32 instead of the estimated ELO. After completing the game, the app shows the bot’s estimated ELO and a help menu indicates that level 1 is about 400 and level 32 is about 3000, but I would appreciate it if I could adjust the AI strength to the required level without trial and error.
Finally, GoChess boards are quite expensive. Yes, they have very useful technology, but I know it’s hard for many people to justify a $250-$350 chess set when you can buy a regular chess set for about a tenth of the price.
Fortunately, the current Cyber Monday discounts have solved this last problem, as all GoChess cards on the official website cost $50, making them the cheapest. If you’re looking for a gift for yourself or someone who loves chess, this is a great option to consider while it’s still on sale.
See more Cyber Monday deals
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- Weaknesses:
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