LED and Piece Recognition Issues (Second Faulty Board)

ChessUp 2
1

Hi everyone!

Unfortunately, my ChessUp 2 has started experiencing problems with the LEDs and piece recognition, and I’m hoping someone here might be able to help or share a similar experience.

This is actually the second time I’ve experienced this issue, and what’s especially disappointing is that this board is already a replacement for my original unit, which I purchased in November 2024. I received this replacement on January 28, 2025.

Here’s what’s happening:

The LEDs and piece recognition start malfunctioning, causing the board editor to behave erratically and register pieces incorrectly.

Interestingly, I’ve noticed that if I apply firm pressure to a specific spot just below the screen, everything immediately returns to normal. However, as soon as I release that pressure, the problems come right back.

I’ve attached several photos showing the issue, and I also have a video demonstrating exactly what happens when I press and release that spot.

What’s particularly frustrating is that I’ve always taken excellent care of my board. I even purchased a dedicated table specifically for it, and I use it quite infrequently—sometimes only once every couple of weeks or even once every other month. It has never been dropped or mishandled.

I’m genuinely disappointed to be experiencing problems again, especially considering how much I enjoy the ChessUp 2 when it works properly.

I have already contacted ChessUp support, but in the meantime, I wanted to ask the community:

  • Has anyone experienced similar issues with the LEDs or piece recognition?
  • Could this be a known hardware issue, particularly given that applying pressure temporarily fixes it?
  • Has anyone found a solution, or had a similar experience with a replacement unit?

I apologize if this isn’t the right place to post this, but I’m really hoping to find some answers. I’m concerned about potentially ending up with two expensive boards that I can no longer use as intended.

I’d sincerely appreciate any advice, experiences, or suggestions you could share.

Thank you so much for your time and help!

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2

Just to clarify something important about the issue:

The spot I have to press is on the TOP surface of the board, directly below the screen, while the board is resting flat on a solid table.

I actually have to apply quite a bit of pressure with my finger for the LEDs and piece recognition to return to normal. As soon as I release that pressure, the problem immediately comes back.

This makes me suspect that there might be a loose internal connection, a faulty solder joint, or something wrong with the internal electronics rather than a software issue.

I haven’t opened, modified, dropped, or attempted to repair the board in any way.

Has anyone experienced this exact behavior? I’d really appreciate any guidance, especially from the ChessUp team.