Smart Chessboard

Software flow

The system operates in a continuous loop, alternating between user and bot turns, with validation and feedback mechanisms at each step.

Here is the software execution flow:

1. Start - Initialize the system and check all sensors
2. Scan 8x8 hall sensor array - Continuously monitor the chess board for piece movements
3. Check if user moved a piece
   • If No: Return to step 2 (Keep monitoring the chessboard)
   • If Yes: Proceed to step 4
4. Validate if the move is legal
   • If No: Sound the buzzer and return to step 2
   • If Yes: Proceed to step 5
5. Check for end game condition after user move
   • If Yes: Sound the buzzer and stop the game
   • If No: Proceed to step 6
6. Light up LEDs to indicate the user move - Provide visual feedback
7. Pass the move to the chess engine - Calculate the bot’s response
8. Light up LEDs to indicate the bot move - Show the user the bot’s calculated move
9. Check for end game condition after bot move
   • If Yes: Sound the buzzer and stop the game
   • If No: Proceed to step 10
10. Check if user played the bot move correctly
    • If No: Return to step 10 (Wait for correct execution)
    • If Yes: Return to step 2 (Start next turn cycle)
11. Stop - End the game when end game condition is met

Hardware block diagram

Repository layout

|Directory|Description of contents| |–|–| |board|PCB design files| |code|Raspberry Pi Zero firmware| |docs|Design related documents| |enclosure|Enclosure design files| |gui|GUI application built using Python 3|

Ideas for further development

• Connect the chessboard via the internet to another computer
• A 2 axis linear guide setup using stepper motors to move chess pieces using an electromagnet
• RFID based chess piece identification. Scan achieved using an array of 8 RFID readers mounted on a linear guide

Made with lots of ⏱️, 📚 and ☕ by InputBlackBoxOutput