Adapted chessboard

An adapted chessboard lets a blind or visually impaired player read the position without relying on sight. Tournament models have slightly raised dark squares, a hole in every square, and a peg under each piece to hold it securely. The dark pieces also carry a tactile mark so the two colors can be distinguished.

What changes during play

A game between a visually impaired player and a sighted player may use two synchronized boards. Each move is announced clearly, repeated by the opponent, and played on the other board. The adapted procedure also defines when a piece counts as touched: on the tactile board, this occurs when it is removed from its securing hole under the applicable touch-move rule.

The term covers a family of accessible equipment rather than one product. Such boards do not necessarily contain Braille text, even though 'Braille chessboard' is a common name. They are not automatically an electronic chessboard either. Their essential purpose is to make squares and the pieces physically distinct and stable.