Electronic chessboard

An electronic chessboard preserves the experience of moving physical pieces while adding technology that recognizes which piece occupies each square. The system interprets changes in the position, stores the game, and can send moves and clock times to a computer or live broadcast.

How it works in competition

Approved models must recognize pieces correctly on every square, retain positions and moves after power loss, recover from errors, and connect to recording software. That software commonly produces a game file and lets an arbiter correct data when a detection does not match what happened on the board.

An electronic board is not the same as a chess engine, which calculates and evaluates moves. It is also more than a demonstration board for spectators. It may work with either, but its basic job is to capture and transport information about physical play. Technology can flag an inconsistency, yet whether something is a legal move still depends on the rules and, in tournament play, the arbiter.