Chessnut Air Pro

Hello everyone, just joined, this is my first question...

--NOTE: I'm just now getting back into playing chess, long story but last I played "regularly" was late 70s-early 80s so yeah, it's been a while however I've always liked to have a nice chess set handy.

--After a month or two of research on youtube, I've decided that of all the electronic chess boards available; the Chessnut Air Pro is a pretty awesome, reasonably priced kit compared to some others, and this started me on a hobby/project to find a nice affordable set of chess men, and install those chess piece sensor chips that their company offers.

I really love the 1849-50 original Staunton/Cooke design, and found some really nice sets on RCM. Based on the square size of the Cessnut Air Pro of 55mm, ". I "think" I would be ok with a set which has a king which has a (3.9" - 4") height and a base of (1.6" -1.7") diameter. The Chessnut website doesn't say what size chessmen come with that pro board, only the square size. Should I go with a (4" king) size set from RCM. I'd be very grateful for any advice on this size thing.

ALSO, I have bought two nice sets from RCM, one is still being made. During this process, I posed this question to their sales person, and they replied with an email stating that they would install the sensors for me for a very reasonable fee which I will take them up on one that time comes.

Problem!

I have been trying to conduct NORMAL communications with the Chessnut crew using their website; just a few simple questions! The little chat bot is very aggravating to use and only sent me an email a day later saying continue chatting on the store page. Any question I posed kicked back an error of exceeding input characters... So now I'm waiting for the reply tomorrow.

No clear information on when the Chessnut pro will ship, this year 2023 or next year 2024! So I decided I'd go ahead and buy the Chessnut Air, and sell it when I'm able to get the PRO...

Each time I tried to process the payment, it kicked back the error (Enter a valid card expiry date), even tried a second card with the same error!

I see it on amazon for 66 dollars more but I'd like to get it from the chessnut website and have a little savings.....but it's not happening.

Can anyone help me understand exactly what is going on with this company? Is there any "secret" ways to actually communicate with them?

Has anyone contacted them and received any approximate ship dates for their second batch of PRO boards?

Based on my last 4 days of attempting to communicate with them for some simple answers---my internal instincts tell me that giving them 600 dollars could end up teaching me a good lesson...

Thanks guys for any advice.....or share your experience with doing business with them...

There is another post about this that I just bumped to the front. Those guys could probably help you. Do a search.

Hello,

I just made a fresh attempt today using chrome, i was able to purchase both the air and air pro, along with the sensor chips. I'll use the air until the pro is shipped, then sell it as used at a discounted price. I also received an email back from RCM, apparently there was a mis-communication; I thought the extra fee was to install the sensor chips for me on my chosen set of chessmen. I think the extra fee is to (not install the weights and felt pads) which kinda doesn't make sens but it is what it is, I'll still go for it. It's better than having to dig out the weights and be left with a larger than needed hole...

NOTE2 After receiving the conformation of the first purchace of the AIR and sensor chips, I see the shipping address isn't showing the street address!!!!! only the name. SO NOW I have to engage in messages and emails trying to correct this prior to it shipping!

I'm feeling some cosmic forces telling me I shouldn't be starting this project...

Thank you pcwindman for your attention and help...

Always fun ordering online. The Chessnut is 250 bucks on Amazon delivered. It's the first one I've seen that seems to actually work. I'm just wondering about the longevity.

So I guess you can drill holes in the wooden pieces and place sensors?

It's a perfect size for being portable.

It's a perfect size for being portable.

Updates on my endeavor;

NOTE 1;

After seeing the address error, I went back to that chat bot and explain how i placed two orders and the first one, which is the air and shipping possibly TODAY needed an address correction. I was shocked to receive an email stating, they have made the correction to the address, all is good to go... So maybe next week I'll be playing with the new toy and getting used to it getting my A #$%^ kicked online....

NOTE 2;

I have two (for me anyway) really nice chessmen, both are of the origionl Staunton/Cooke design, one is 4" and the just received is " and both are with Ebony/Boxwood. AND a third one on the way which is exactly as my recently received one only its natural Boxwood and not antiquated. This time I want something with some color, and I'm looking at a Bud Rosewood 4" Staunton/Cooke design which I will use for the chessnut air pro. I'm good at documenting so I will get some pictures of the project as it progresses. Right now, I'm going to measure out the square size of the Air Pro and make sure I get a perfect size that isn't too crowed on the board.

This is one that I am leaning towards.

https://royalchessmall.com/collections/luxury-chess-pieces/products/4-sleek-staunton-luxury-chess-pieces-only-set-triple-weighted-bud-rose-wood?_pos=32&_fid=d1f66f3b2&_ss=c

Any comments or suggestions, thanks...

Haven't got that far yet. If I do get one I'll probably just stick to the pieces that come with it. They are plastic, but apparently pretty nice. 2.7" King. I think it said the squares were 35 mm by 35 mm which gives around an 8 or 8 and a 1/2 inch board. (?)

One fellow in the other post said that he'd been using it against the Bots. I'm thinking I want it when I start playing Rapid. It may not be practical for daily games, unless you don't wanna use it to mess around with all the time. He had been recording a bunch of PGNs with it, I think.

It's more like a 12" board.

11.2"

Now I am wondering how well it performs, if at all, in the practice, analyze, lessons, and play from position sections on here.

more updates....and clarifications...

So, my goal was to have the chessnut air pro with a "nice" set of chess men. I do know that the wooden set that comes with it are really nice, but when I start a project I get obsessed and on top of that I'm a perfectionist...

I was finally able to order the things I wanted from the chessnut website.

chessnut air pro (which is several months out for shipping of second batch)
chessnut air (to play with and get used to while waiting for the PRO board)
sensor chips (to be used for an awesome chess set when I get the PRO board) I wont mess with the air and its chessmen,,the plastic ones are just perfect for that board and will sell it at a discount price when i get the air PRO up and running.

My plan is, play with the  air, and draw out a board on paper that matches the square size of the air PRO board and start converting base size of the king of the sets im looking at to use with the chips. I don't want to order a nice set and find out its going to be crowded on the AIR pro board.

So while I'm waiting for the air PRO board, I'll be plying with the air and planing out which chessmen will fit nice on the PRO and order them from RCM.

I'm afraid I might have to go with a 3.75 inch king which will fit nice on the air pro, but RCM is limited on chess sets that I like and in price range with that size. I do want to order from RCM because the sales guy has been over the top nice to communicate with via email..and I want to give them my business, I'm very loyal to company's that treat their customers well...

I'll continue tweaking my plan and report my updates...It may not seem like and interesting topic for most in here but I can visualize a really cool board and chess set when Im done...and would like to share my journey...for anyone interested...

OMG.....

What I'm about to post here, is TOP SECRET!

I ordered both the AIR and the PRO assuming that since mine was a 2nd batch order I'd be waiting for a while--thus I also placed an order for the AIR which was at most 5 days out.

SHOCK....

I was following tracking of my AIR and sensor chips order to be delivered to my work place office......

SHOCK....

I received the PRO! I was so excited receiving the package that I had tunnel vision, wanted to just get the board on the charger so it would be ready when I got home.....

SHOCK.... lifting off the lid....im checking out the chessmen....and I'm thinking....HOLEY S %&* these are freaking awesome chess men, I must have said holey S %^&# 10 times.... then I finally realized.... wait, these are way to big to fit on the small AIR board. I then actually looked over at the box lid and it said PRO! I felt pretty stupid not realizing how big the box was, and it should have been an indicator! Tunnel vision broken...

I took out the board with intentions of charging then I thought better of it...I'll wait until I get home but I know you guys would love to have a glimpse..

I'm a serious OCD person, love perfection and I was planing on a nice 300 dollar Bud Rosewood Cooke set to install the sensor chips in..and I will do that in the future...but the chessmen that I'm looking at here with the PRO are so simple and awesome and love the GOLDEN ROSEWOOD.....love it! Ok I'll stop blabbing away...and hit the post button

More observation;

The board feels extremely solid! It has some solid weight to it but for it's size its pretty light, if that makes sense...????

Second OCD observation I noticed... the wood grain on the dark squares runs horizontal. I'm stupid picky and OCD about really stupid things or nonsensical things and this is something that for what ever reason annoyed me when the wood grain was vertical and most wood chess boards are this way--it's crazy, I don't know why it annoyed me. The wood grain on the PRO board is horizontal......mind blown... :-)

last pic...have to get back to work...

Excellent. Thanks for the update.

Does anyone know the approximate Elo rating for each level of the Chessnut Pro board?

My suggestion is not to use the Chessnut App for its bots.

If you want to play bots offline, use one of the third party apps (e.g., ChessDojo) which has a much wider range of bots. Or, just the Chessnut App and board to play the chess.com bots.

Can't wait to get my Chessnut air, ordered Friday and should be here Tomorrow or Friday, is coming from California to Florida last update in Arizona, so excited even though I know I'll kind of hate it when I blunder horribly.