ChessGaze vs Chessnut

The Chessnut Air is one of the most popular electronic chess boards — a sensor board with on-board LED lights that recognises your moves and connects to online play, typically priced priced from ~$250 (official list is $249.99, and discounts are common). ChessGaze takes the opposite approach: it's a free app that turns the chess set you already own into a smart board using your phone's camera. Here's how they stack up.

Feature comparison

Feature	ChessGaze	Chessnut (Air)
Price	Free	from ~$250
Hardware you need	Your phone	Dedicated sensor board
Use the chess set you already own	✅	❌ (play on the Chessnut board)
How it reads the board	Phone camera + AI	In-board sensors
On-board LED move indication	❌	✅
Record moves & export PGN	✅	✅
Play against Stockfish	✅	✅
Live online play on the physical board	Records & exports after the game	✅ live
Charging / batteries	None (just your phone)	Rechargeable board
Works with any set (wood, plastic, themed)	✅	❌

Which should you choose?

Choose the Chessnut if you want the tactile feel of a dedicated board, on-board LED lights guiding moves, and seamless live online play against people directly from the physical board — and spending around $250 is fine.

Choose ChessGaze if you'd rather pay nothing, keep the board you already love, and still record every game, export PGN to Lichess or Chess.com, and play Stockfish — just by pointing your phone. It's the natural free alternative to a Chessnut board, especially for recording over-the-board games.

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