Do you love playing chess? It's quite a lovely, strategic exercise for the brain and if you happen to share our opinion, Square Off by InfiVention, a Mumbai based tech start-up, might be just the thing to warm you up during the upcoming winter evenings.

Normally, we love to play chess on a real, physical board with actual figures - and with the oponent sitting across the table. However, developers thought it would be cool in the modern days of technology to make a step further - they created a cross platform tangible board, which makes it possible for the player to play against a fellow chess enthusiast from anywhere in the world. Every move that is made on the board is reflected in real time and the fun part is, the opponent doesn't actually need a board to play with you! 

The luxurious board with Rosewood finish and chess pieces is handcrafted out of Rosewood and Maple wood to offer a classic chess experience for those who love a traditional game. It comes equipped with a 2200 mAh Lipo battery that supports 10 long games (which is to equal 40 automated moves in each game). How to play? It's easy! As explained by the developers, the board connects to any smart phone with an installed Square Off app (using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi)and is compatible with Android and iOS operating systems. The app allows the player to choose the black or white side, set the difficulty levels and decide on the opening moves of the computer. It also analyses games, operates timer and controls chatting with the opponent. 

Square Off launched its Kickstarter campaign on 11th October, 2016 and with 15 days to go and 490 backers (currently), it has already gathered £106,656 out of the initial £40,000 goal. Backers can pre-order Square Off at a special early bird price of €179 (plus shipping of €30).

Chess is hot right now!