We simulated a small case with my daughter at home, where she was warned with her own recorded voice about illegal moves by my phone. Fun starts at 18th second of the video.
I've been working on a computer vision project that turns a phone into a companion for over-the-board chess, and I'd love some feedback from the community.
The idea is simple: point your phone at the board (a tripod helps, but isn't required), and the app detects the pieces in real time, tracks the game, and can provide useful assistance like:
Everything runs on-device, so no internet is required.
The app is free, and you can find the iOS and Android download links here:
https://magicalchess.app/
I'm especially interested in feedback on accuracy and usability.
Current challenges:
I'd really appreciate any feedback, bug reports, or feature suggestions. Thanks!
Entering a chess position manually can be tedious, and smart chess boards that automate the process are often quite expensive.
To explore a more accessible alternative, I've been building a free mobile app that uses a phone camera to recognize positions from a physical chessboard. It can automatically run the chess clock, detect illegal moves, record notation, and provide a growing set of tools designed to make over-the-board chess more convenient.
One of the latest additions is a snapshot feature that works much like taking a regular photo, making it easier to use without a tripod or dedicated setup.
Short demo:
https://youtube.com/shorts/zc5DItFAyhk
The project is still a work in progress, and I'm actively improving detection accuracy and handling edge cases. If you'd like to test it and provide feedback, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
More details and other features like auto clock, illegal move detection:
https://magicalchess.app/