The Chess Computer Review

With the news that Saitek are about to be bought out by another company interested only in their PC peripheral side - what is the future for their electronic chess computers which occupies over a third of the computer inventory of most chess retailers? It looks like the aquiring company is not interested in continuing their manufacture - so what does the horizon look like?

The probability is in increased sales for Novag and Excalibur. This is an excellent opportunity for both companies to really capitalize on sales in market that demands excellence in terms of quality. The opportunity exists to maintain and improve product ranges such that these two companies grasp strong leadership in the market and present hurdles to any potential entrant.


Saitek has rocked the niche market for chess computer purchases - it’s a blow - but it’s an opportunity for their competitors, particularly Novag - to take their products to a higher level.

The Novag Citrine (now back on track with their new cabinets and improved quality) is a great chess computer to be sure. But many users have suggested an improved set of pieces would be justified for this high level chess computer. So ChessBaron.co.uk have come out with an improved set of pieces re-engineered for the Citrine from their luxury chess set range. The set is this set of chess pieces and the complete chess computer product is here. The Citrine product is so improved that ChessBaron’s chess computer tester suggested that they should only sell the enhanced version. But they’re continuing to market both versions so that users can come back later and purchase the enhanced pieces. The company hope that the enhanced Novag Citrine will boost their Citrine sales over competitors who only have the standard set. With ChessBaron’s product - you get the standard pieces and the enhanced set too. The company say this enhanced set can be returned and if the original Citrine was bought from them the enhanced set can be bought later at the same price as the with-the-Citrine price. Innovation indeed. Our review of the product had everyone raving about it.

Improved Novag Citrine Chess Computers: Novag have released a new batch of Citrine cabinets that are much better quality externally and internally than in late 2007. There was a problem with the cabinet at that time, but this is now resolved. But the squeeky wheel gets the oil - ChessBaron - as the main reseller in the UK, USA and Canada have an agreement with Novag for heightened quality Novag Citrine machines and also have the superb enhanced Novag Citrine Senator!

The reason for the title of this blog - which has become widely linked - was the poor quality in 2007 - we now confirm that the problem is resolved due to the complaints raised in this missive and that there’s no further quality issues.

A new way of finding products such as chess pieces and chess computers or electronic chess has arisen through Google’s growing conquest of the online world - called Google Product Search. As a brief aside from the review of individual chess computer models, it’s worth looking at this excellent provision from a company that allows free listings in an online world dominated by companies that charge for listings. This excellent source of products is regularly checked and is completely free of artificial results. Any company can promote their products through the medium and the results are free - they can also be optimised through such companies as TurnerDow Search Engine Optimisation who specialise in RSS and Google Product Feed optimisation. The feed above also has chess computers as a substantial part of the company range and shows in various search phrases.

2nd July 2007.
The best in handheld chess computers, the Excalibur Talking Touch (404-D) is now de-listed by Excalibur Electronics,
… But look what’s taking it’s place!!!

Wow! What we always complained about with the Excalibur Talking Touch 404-D was…. the absence of a backlight. Bravo Excalibur - you now have the excellent ‘New York Times’ name along with the perfect handheld - improved graphics, an assumed high elo rating (2000+) and…. yes, and…., a backlight! Will anyone sell any more Saitek Maestros, any more Novag Rubys? Maybe on price, but for the sake of $30 or so, there appears to much gain. Software strength, the best graphics, a backlight. This new baby is going to take the cake, take the crown, take the awards. What else? It’s going to take the chess Christmas of 2007!

Well… once you get used to the graphics - it’s a great electronic chess machine. Oh, and the colour - you have to get used to playing something purple. Like the Maestro it has one single downside - poor graphics, but that downside is enough to make you want to buy…. want to buy…. the competing Excalibur Talking Touch chess computer - if you have good eyesight (which doesn’t have a backlight or contrast settings) - the only handheld that has overcome the poor graphics problem. But really, if you get used to the graphical representations of each piece, it’s a great machine. And when we say machine - we mean it, surely it has a V6 internal combustion engine - it’s built like a tank. The anodised metal case feels secure and robust, although we advise that you don’t test it by dropping it from a tall building. Even so - it might survive. Obviously compared to Saitek’s Maestro, it excels in the software strength (almost 2000 elo!), but detracts in the abscence of a backlight. One other important factor - the battery life is better than most hand helds.

Here’s a full spec list:

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Looking outside the conventional chess set and into electronic chess - which of the three are the best? Is there an outstanding manufacturer of chess computers? Well, it’s all in the eye of the beholder, but we’re calling in favour of Novag. Now, in case the engineers over at Novag are reading this - pleeeeease get the ridiculous price of the Citrine down, and work on the graphics of the Ruby. Other than that - the whole industry of chess computers (and we’re now declaring you the leader - so you have a responsibility) needs better quality components and better quality builds - chess computers are like cheap laptops made in cheap countries that don’t care about quality, they are comparitive crap compared to the build quality of a Dell or Gateway computer. However, It seems that Novag being a dedicated chess computer manufacturer has brought good results in their electronic chess computers.
Excalibur have some good models - notably the huge Grandmaster chess computer and the talking touch deluxe handheld chess computer, but the main problem with Excalibur is that the company itself has very poor customer service and makes itself very difficult to deal with. The main chess computer retailer in the UK would prefer to not deal with Excalibur at all and has stripped most models from his inventory. The two mentioned above are very good models and need to be stocked by any self respecting chess retailer, but the company are really so awful that any liaison with them is impeded by human obstacles. A chess computer retailer in Canada concurs with the difficulty and poor attitude of the company, as does the same chain in the USA. Come on Excalibur - care about your retailers a little.
Saitek are the third - the company has a very good model in the ‘Expert’ with the exception of cheap plastic pieces that bring the model down in quality perception. The Maestro is also fairly good. However the company has too many issues with build quality to be in the lead. Whilst they have some regard for the value of customer service, too many models fail through poor build quality for the company to be taken seriously - and to make it worse, rumours persist that their best model is being retired - the ‘Expert’. They seem to be on a death wish.
Keep the lead Novag - but please improve build quality, the Citrine is too expensive, and the ruby graphics are awful. Excalibur - you stink! Companies like you fail - we hope you don’t and hope you begin to care a little about your retailers. Saitek - quality, quality, quality - please create some reliability, some greater quality, some reduced failure liability. Improve the graphics on the Maestro. And don’t retire the Expert.

In our ‘warts and all’ tour of chess computers it’s difficult to find a wart with this model. And in general Novag have done very well with many of their computers. But with the Citrine’s price tag a little dizzying, the Ruby’s look and feel a little old fashioned (poor graphics being the largest negative), the Carnelian II is well priced and performs like GM Nigel Short in a fraction of the time. Initially this electronic chess machine is slightly dissapointing in the synthetic wood cabinet (the pieces are genuine sheesham wood) - but really we expect our programmed chess opponent to be a little less than ‘real’. The knowledge that the Novag cabinet contains highly complex electronics is reassuring and when it takes our pawn, bishops, rooks… and our King, at least we can taunt it for being just a piece of plastic and not being able to replicate the triumph in a duel of table tennis or white water rafting. The pieces in sheesham wood are lightly magnetised in order to operate the reed switches under the board surface (invisible). They could be a little better quality - more detail, more intrinsic or auxiliary weighting, but at least they are real wood, they’re good. The LED’s on the board’s x and y axis aid quicker recognition of where to move for the computer than reading an LCD algebraic reference, this is a significant improvement on cheaper press sensory models.

The list of specification from Novag (altered to avoid the obvious promotional language) is:

The Expert from Saitek is the strongest in computer chess the company makes, and has the build quality of a quality German car. The peg style machine is superbly crafted and has an ease of use that many other machines (including, sadly, some from the same company) could benefit from. The pegs insert into their female receptors (no sniggering at the back please) and lightly activate a sensor at the bottom to register the move. The machine is very strong at it’s highest setting and can of course be set ‘down’ for us mere mortals to be able to enjoy a reasonable game. The machine is considered a bridge between handheld chess computers and desktop chess computers - it does fit into a large pocket and is portable, but is generally happier on a table top.

Any weak aspects for the machine? Yes - one. Pleeeeease Saitek - listen and change this part of the machine to make it exceptional. The pieces come on a plastic strip that resembles the airfix kits of old - they are each torn off and used as individual pieces, Tacky. Cheap. And not befit for the rest of the excellent product. Metal ones would be superb, or if this isn’t possible, better quality synthetic material could be used. Otherwise - a great product. Generally customers are very happy with this product.

The Saitek website provides the following specification:

Ismenio’s chess computer collection doesn’t include this one yet - but it will in time. Sleek, like an expensive personal organising PDA- the Saitek Maestro leads the pack in handheld chess computers and handheld electronic chess with Saitek’s enlightened decision to include a backlight and contrast settings. They’ve done so well with the model that it’s a shame to rain on the parade by pointing out the single, obvious, universally agreed flaw. The quality of the graphics is not good. The light and contrast help - but only because the LCD graphics representing the individual pieces are not up to scratch. Come on Saitek - make something like a Mercedes rather than a Ford. On balance the electronic chess computer is very good - just the one flaw, and even so the backlight and contrast take it past it’s rivals.

Here’s the proof of it - in their instruction booklet they give a guide as to which pieces is which, ecouraging the user to ‘get to know the representations’ - this shouldn’t be needed. A few games are required before the user becomes familiar with the pieces - then it’s not really a problem - but a shame for the user to have to do this. The market is aching for a combination of good graphics, good strength and good lighting.