DGT Centaur Chess Computer

I decided to get reacquainted with chess after 50 years. I chose the DGT Centaur after much research and deliberation. It's a beautifully simple set and a perfect fit for me. I decided to purchase from Chess House because I was interested in maintaining the personal touch. Overall, it has been a very pleasant experience.

Received the DGT Centaur a few days ago! I am really impressed with the design of the board; especially how light it is. The computer suits me since you can only play chess with it; without having to deal with any external devices. This is my preference. I will continue to experiment with this computer but I like what I see so far. Once again, excellent customer service from the Chess House, whom I strongly recommend.
Thanks.
Dave Mamula

Lo mejor que he adquirido para mejorar mi nivel de juego.

Nice chess set I have been playing chess on and off for years and do to the pandemic was looking for a hands on chess computer so I could play like I was playing another person. It plays at your level and stronger if you want. The board and pieces are nice sized and the pieces are weighted. Over all top chess computer.

Chess House was there every step of the way when had some trouble with our initial order and delivery. We are greatly enjoying the use of the DGT Centaur to augment our chess practice.

The computer has different levels to increase the challenge. For right now we are in the first mode but having to really focus and think through the moves and strategies. We love having the Centaur!

Here is a fun game I just played on my DGT Centaur & enjoyed so much I thought it would make a great example of how the Centaur adapts to a players ability, gives them a great and a fair chance to win. There are not a lot of documented Centaur games so I took the time to hand copy the game off my Centaur. This game was really fun to play and has a little bit of everything in it and even a beginner will have fun playing thru it. Go grab your chess boards and take a seat behind the black pieces and enjoy "Chuck's New Years day game.
Centaur: White
Chuck: Black
Centaur set on "Friendly"

1. d4 Nc6
2. Nf3 g6
3. d5 Nb8
4. Nc3 c6
5. Rb1 Bh6
6. Bxh6 Nxh6
7. d6 exd6
8. Qxd6 Na6
9. Qe5+ Qe7
10. Qxe7+ Kxe7
11. b4 d6
12. Nd4 c5
13. a3 cxd4
14. Nd5+ Ke6
15. e4 Ng8
16. c3 dxc3
17. Bxa6 bxa6
18. Nc7+ Ke5
19.f4+ Kxe4
20. O-O Rb8
21. Rbc1 a5
22. Rxc3 axb4
23. axb4 Rxb4
24. Re1+ Kxf4
25. g3+ Kf5
26. Ne8 Nf6
27. Rf3+ Kg4
28. Rxf6 Rf8
29. Rf2 Bd7
30. h3+ Kxh3
31. Nf6 Bc6
32. Rc2 Rc8
33. Ne4 Bxe4
34. Rxc8 Bd3
35. Re7 Rb1+
36. Re1 Rxe1+
37. Kf2 Re2+
38. Kf3 f5
39. Rc7 h5
40. Rc3 Bb5
41. Rb3 Bc4
42. Rc3 Bb5
43. Rc1 Rg2
44. Kf4 Rxg3
45. Rh1+ Kg2
46. Rd1 Rf3+
47. Kg5 Ba4
48. Rxd6 a5
49. Rd2+ Rf2
50. Rd5 f4
51. Rc5 f3
52. Kh6 Rc2
53. Rxa5 f2
54. Kxg6 F1=Q
55. Kg5 Qc1+
56. Kf5 Bd7+
57. Kf6 Rc6+
58. Ke7 Qd2
59. Kf7 Qf4+
60. Kg7 Bf5
61. Ra2+ Kg3
62. Ra3+ Kg4
63. Re3 Qxe3
64. Kh8 Rh6+
65. Kg8 Qe8+
66. Kg7 Rg6+
67. Kh7 Qf7+
68. H8 Rh6#

Thank you Raphael very much for your help and making sure I got the board in time, really much appreciated. As for the new DGC Centaur board I can only say it is awesome. It is quite innovative yet it does feel like it is silently adjusting to your play in all modes: friendly, challenge and expert. I found expert as most challenging. You can actually feel it thinking. However, I cannot be 100% sure of the following statement but it does feel this way: you feel the cpu thinking as soon as your move is not in the books and the game takes different turn. I tried original as much as expected moves just for the fun of it.
The board is very fun and I make sure I allocate the time for this over the week end. Love it!
If you getting the board don't forget to get the bag. I think it is a must have especially if you do travel and want it to be with you which is my case. I am planning to order another one as a present for a friend.

Thank you all!

First a big thank you to Chess House for providing one of the best buying experiences I've ever had!! You guys rock!!! With the Centaur, DGT has took their very best technology currently implemented throughout all their products , and based on that, they went and thought up of a whole new type of user interface that was something completely new and unique to the entire chess computer industry, made it “Simple & Easy” and thus the Centaur was born.
My wife says that the Centaur is just beautiful to look at, and it really is. The Centaur’s light colored grey and white checkered chess board allows for excellent visualization of all the chess pieces, nice very nice. Next the play interface, it is very pleasing to the eye and clean and easy to use. The flashing circular lights and e-paper display make understanding and following the moves effortless, and the 3 brightness settings for the board move indicator lights makes even playing in direct sun light possible.
The bottom line is Centaur is an amazing concept in chess computers where “Simple” and “Easy” is the key to its amazing success. There are many fantastic and amazing feature rich chess computers out there, but the Centaur is the absolute best example of how wonderful it can be to just have the basics in the best possible configuration imaginable. Everybody loves easy and simple when it comes to technology, and the DGT Centaur is one of the finest examples I can personally think of that so elegantly represents that concept so well, and once again it is the secret to its incredible world-wide success. Whether you’re an advanced player, new to the game, an enthusiast, hobbyist, or collector, the DGT Centaur certainly offers something for everybody, and will provide timeless fun and enjoyment for years to come. The DGT Centaur is just plain fun to play and enjoy. Now I can finally retire my vintage and very rare 1988 Fidelity Designer 2100 model 6103 while its still fully fuctional

I love the idea behind this chess board/computer. It does deliver on my main motivation for buying it, which is to play OTB chess with the minimum of hassle and independent of any other devices. There is no need to look at any screens or notation to move the pieces which is brilliant. This will definitely help me get better at OTB play.

However, I am majorly disappointed in the construction. It is built with very light plastic and can easily break. Part of my rationale for buying it was to finally have a real chessboard I could leave out as part of the furniture, but this thing is so delicate I wouldn't dare. Having to handle it with kid gloves will lessen the playability for sure. I just assumed at that price that it would be of solid construction, hence my pre-order.

My only other wish is that there was some way to capture the PGN of a played game.

Love it!

I was very excited about this technology.
Definitely better than playing on phone or ipad.
However, technology is very glitchy.
Board is too sensitive or not responding at times.
Will be difficult for some seniors to operate. Can company fix the bugs please?

Very good board. Quality top to bottom. Service and packaging top notch. No internet required. Am playing challenge level. Plays like a human. Very happy with my purchase. Just move and play..

I love this chessboard, the simplicity, the design, everything works quite well. But why isn't it designed so that it can play beginner players? Since I believe it uses Stockfish it would have been the easiest thing in the world to simply have the AI adjust down to the level of a relative newcomer. My 7yo regularly checkmates me, knows a bunch of chess lingo and reads chess strategy books, but the AI on this thing wouldn't get down to his level. Why? Would have been so easy to program. Definitely buy this if you are a good chess player, but don't try to learn on it!

I just got my chess board in the mail today. I'm just loving it. The pieces are good size. I am very happy with it. and it's well worth the money. Thank you ChessHouse . I would recommend this game to anybody that wants to learn how to play

I have owned many other electronic chess sets but this is by far the best! Set up and moving through the options is simple, I am glad I purchased this set and highly recommend it.

Works good most of time, except it doesn’t accept a loss. If checkmate the king adopts queen’s movements to move several squares to get out of check. If you take an unguarded piece, sometimes it won’t accept your move and sometimes blinks the square of the piece it wants you to move. It can use “en passe”, but won’t allow you to use.

It’s all true; Great Service, Great set, Safe Packaging,
100% Satisfaction and right on time,
Awesome teaching and learning set!
Really impressed with the analyzing, hints, corrections and being able to play without being online or any other devices as if this set was designed with me in mind

Great product ! It arrived in a well packed box.

I’ve enjoyed playing it. I’ve just got back into playing chess and I think this will help improve my game.

It’s a fantastic chess computer, I really enjoy it.

I have only had my chess set for a few weeks. So far, so good.
Everything is working as promised but I am still learning the ins and outs of electronic chess. So far the set has beat me three times! Still, I am having fun and I am learning.

Overall, I love the game. I just retired and decide that I needed do something to keep my mind sharp. The game came ahead of schedule which was nice. The only issue I had was a couple of pawns wouldn't register on the board. After looking at the bottom of the pieces I realized that the tape wasn't pressed down evenly. After I smoothed the tape down everything worked. I still have to press the tape down on those 2 pawns ever now and then, but they work afterwards. Love the fart that you don't have to press down on the squares like a board I had years ago.

The centaur is a nice chess computer just seems a little strong even on the friendly level. Just wish it had more levels to choose from.