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ChessStream India 🇮🇳♟️

Low-cost electronic chess boards for tournament streaming in India

Overview

ChessStream India is an open-source project to manufacture affordable electronic chess boards (<₹2,000) for live tournament streaming. We aim to democratize chess broadcasting in India by providing tournament organizers with a cost-effective alternative to expensive DGT boards (₹36,000+).

Why This Project?

• 570+ FIDE-rated tournaments happen in India every year
• DGT boards cost ₹36,000+ — prohibitive for most organizers
• DGT's core patent (US6168158B1) expired in 2013 — no legal barriers
• Open-source designs exist (ChessTrace, LiBoard) — we can build on them

Target Specifications

Project Structure

├── hardware/           # PCB designs, schematics, enclosure CAD
│   ├── pcb/           # KiCad project files
│   ├── enclosure/     # 3D printable / laser-cut designs
│   └── bom/           # Bill of Materials
├── firmware/          # ESP32 firmware (Arduino/PlatformIO)
│   ├── src/           # Main source code
│   └── lib/           # Libraries
├── software/          # Desktop/web streaming software
│   ├── server/        # Local relay server
│   └── web/           # Web dashboard
├── docs/              # Documentation
│   ├── assembly/      # Assembly instructions
│   ├── api/           # API documentation
│   └── guides/        # User guides
└── RESEARCH_REPORT.md # Market research

Hardware Design

Sensing Technology: Reed Switches

We use reed switches (simplest, cheapest method):

• 64 reed switches (one per square)
• 32 neodymium magnets (one per piece)
• Binary detection: occupied/empty
• Software infers piece type from game state

Core Components

Schematic Overview

                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │     ESP32       │
                    │   (WiFi MCU)    │
                    └────────┬────────┘
                             │
         ┌───────────────────┼───────────────────┐
         │                   │                   │
    ┌────┴────┐        ┌────┴────┐        ┌────┴────┐
    │  MUX 1  │        │  MUX 2  │   ...  │  MUX 4  │
    │(16 ch)  │        │(16 ch)  │        │(16 ch)  │
    └────┬────┘        └────┬────┘        └────┬────┘
         │                   │                   │
    ┌────┴────┐        ┌────┴────┐        ┌────┴────┐
    │ Reed    │        │ Reed    │        │ Reed    │
    │Switches │        │Switches │        │Switches │
    │ (a1-h2) │        │ (a3-h4) │        │ (a7-h8) │
    └─────────┘        └─────────┘        └─────────┘

Firmware

The ESP32 firmware:

1. Scans all 64 reed switches via multiplexers
2. Detects piece movements (lift/place events)
3. Maintains board state
4. Broadcasts moves via WebSocket/MQTT
5. Supports LiveChess protocol for compatibility

Key Features

• Debouncing: Handles noisy reed switch signals
• Move validation: Basic chess rule validation
• Offline buffer: Stores moves if WiFi drops
• OTA updates: Over-the-air firmware updates

Software

Streaming Server

• Local relay server (Python/Node.js)
• Connects to multiple boards
• Broadcasts to Chess.com/Lichess/custom platforms
• PGN export and game archival

Web Dashboard

• Real-time board visualization
• Tournament management
• Multi-board monitoring
• Player/game metadata entry

Digital twin

The browser twin loads the enclosure and piece STL files and speaks the same WebSocket events as the ESP32 firmware (lift, place, move with UCI).

cd software/digital-twin
python -m http.server 8765

Open http://127.0.0.1:8765 and drag a piece. The 8×8 grid is the reed-matrix view (occupied or empty). Connect ws://<board-ip>:81 to follow a real board, or ws://127.0.0.1:8080/ws to follow the Python relay.

KiCad, FreeCAD, Gerber, and LTspice sources are under hardware/. See hardware/README.md.

Digital Twin

The browser twin loads the enclosure and piece STL files and speaks the same WebSocket events as the ESP32 firmware (lift, place, move with UCI).

cd software/digital-twin
python -m http.server 8765

Open http://127.0.0.1:8765 and drag a piece. The 8×8 grid is the reed-matrix view (occupied or empty). Connect ws://<board-ip>:81 to follow a real board, or ws://127.0.0.1:8080/ws to follow the Python relay.

KiCad, FreeCAD, Gerber, and LTspice sources are under hardware/. See hardware/README.md.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• ESP32 development board (for prototyping)
• Arduino IDE or PlatformIO
• Basic soldering equipment
• 3D printer or laser cutter (for enclosure)

Quick Start

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/monara-ventures/chessstream-india.git
cd chessstream-india

# Install PlatformIO (if not installed)
pip install platformio

# Build and upload firmware
cd firmware
pio run -t upload

# Start the streaming server
cd ../software/server
pip install -r requirements.txt
python server.py

Roadmap

Phase 1: Prototype (Current)

• Finalize PCB schematic
• Order prototype PCBs from JLCPCB
• Design 3D-printable enclosure
• Basic ESP32 firmware
• Simple WebSocket streaming

Phase 2: Software

• LiveChess protocol implementation
• Lichess Board API integration
• Web dashboard MVP
• Multi-board support

Phase 3: Production

• Optimize BOM for cost
• Design injection-molded enclosure
• Reliability testing
• Documentation

Phase 4: Pilot

• Partner with TNSCA/MCA for pilot tournament
• Gather feedback
• Iterate on design

Contributing

We welcome contributions! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Areas We Need Help

• Hardware: PCB design, enclosure design
• Firmware: ESP32 programming, protocol implementation
• Software: Web development, streaming integrations
• Testing: Tournament organizers willing to pilot

References

• ChessTrace - Open-source ESP32 chess board
• LiBoard - Lichess-compatible board
• DGT Patent (Expired)
• Lichess Board API

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Contact

Monara Ventures
Poorav Kadiyan
Email: poorav.pepi@gmail.com

Made with ♟️ in India