Smart Chess Board
Handcrafted wooden board — 64 analog Hall sensors, 152 hidden LEDs, Lichess online sync, and screen-free Stockfish AI.
Playing chess is one of my favorite hobbies, but I've always preferred playing on a real physical board better than online on a screen.
Therefore, I built a smart chessboard that connects to Lichess (a popular chess website) and allows me to play games on my physical board directly against online opponents worldwide.
The piece detection happens magnetically with sensors underneath the board, keeping the classic wooden surface completely clean. An integrated LED array allows the board to showcase different gameplay elements—such as highlighting legal moves—but most importantly, illuminating what the opponent played directly on the squares in real time.
Connects to Lichess to play real-time matches against online opponents on real wood.
Sensors underneath the board detect pieces without any cameras or tags.
Lights up what the opponent played, guides legal moves, and enables screen-free play.
How I Built It (V0 → V2 Prototype Timeline)
Failed IR prototype → 2000 Hz FFT filtering → V1 (4×4 PCB) → V2 (8×8 analog matrix).
Live Game Play & Sub-50ms Move Sync
4× speed physical game — magnetic piece tracking, mid-air capture buffering, live web sync.
Sub-50ms sensing → live webapp sync, clock update, LED move trail.
Pawn-lift sequence → standalone on-board AI analysis, zero buttons or screen.
Edge LEDs for live Stockfish evaluation & player clock status.
Webapp & Analysis Interface
React 19 single-page application connected to the board via WebSockets
Interactive evaluation curve, move accuracy breakdown, and Multi-PV candidate lines.
Live 64-square ADC voltage heatmap, per-square threshold sliders, and auto-zero baseline.
Custom blunder drills from past games + Grandmaster "Guess-the-Move" mode with LED hints.
Technical Subsystems
4 Core SubsystemsScreen-Free Board Gestures
Pawn-lift sequences (armed via is_setup_ready) launch Stockfish review, rematches, or purple-LED alternative line exploration.
64-Square Analog Hall Matrix
64 linear Hall sensors via 2× CD74HC4067 multiplexers — sub-50ms scan, mid-air capture buffering, 921,600 baud CRC-8 serial.
152-LED Matrix & Current Limiting
2 concealed WS2812B LEDs per square + perimeter eval/clock bar — green/cyan/amber/red move feedback, 256-entry gamma LUT.
Lichess API & Stockfish 17.1
Real-time HTTP/2 NDJSON online match streaming, fair-play hint lock during rated games, and async Multi-PV engine analysis.
Interested in discussing this project?
I would love to walk through the hardware prototype, software architecture, or codebase in detail.