MILLENNIUM ChessLink App

Fundamentals
The ChessLink app is used to connect Millennium chessboards to servers. This allows you to make your moves directly on the chessboard instead of on a screen. The moves are displayed directly on the chessboard using the LEDs so that you can concentrate fully on your game.

Compatible devices
You can use the following devices with the ChessLink app:

• Exclusive boards with piece recognition, in conjunction with the ChessLink module
• Performance Board, in conjunction with the ChessLink module
• Supreme Tournament 55, in conjunction with the ChessLink module
• eONE
• We recommend using the boards from the Exclusive series, as the figure recognition offers significantly more options for comfortable play, and operating errors can be avoided more easily.

System requirements
For Android devices: Your device must be running at least Android 6.0 and support the BLE standard (Bluetooth Low Energy). You must also activate all location sharing on your device. Without activated location sharing, Bluetooth BLE will not work, and the connection to the board may not be possible.

Update: New functions in version 3.0

• We recommend using the boards from the Exclusive series, as the figure recognition offers significantly more options for comfortable pl, ay and operating errors can be avoided more easily.
• System requirements
• For Android devices: Your device must be running at least Android 6.0 and support the BLE standard (Bluetooth Low Energy). You must also activate all location sharing on your device. Without activated location sharing,
• Bluetooth BLE will not work, and the connection to the board may not be possible.
• Update: New functions in version 3.0
• Before starting the app
• Before starting the app, make sure that your mobile device is connected to the internet, either via Wi-Fi or a mobile network. You need an uninterrupted, stable connection to be able to play reliably. It is also best to create your
• Lichess Token now, as you will need it to set up the app for the first time.
• The first start
• The app automatically guides you through the setup process the first time you start it. This allows you to conveniently make your basic settings. For example, select the language and design, connect your Millennium Board, and set up your Lichess Token.
• Start screen
• You will find the following functions on the start screen:
  • Play on Lichess
  • 2-player mode
  • Millennium News
• The status display of the connection to the ChessLink module or the chessboard
• The settings
  • The Send feedback to the app function
    Status display of the board connection (not connected) or (connected)

Connect board

Tap on the status display at the top right of the board to connect to Millennium Boards.
Tap on “Search for board” to start the search for the chessboard or ChessLink module. Make sure beforehand that.

• Bluetooth is activated on your mobile device.
• The board or the ChessLinkise was switched on and connected by cable.

The ChessLink app uses the BLE standard. Your device must support this so that you can use the app.

 

As soon as the board or module has been found, it will appear here. Tap on “Connect” to establish the connection. The connection is then confirmed as shown.
The status display for the board connection changes to green, indicating that the board is successfully connected via Bluetooth.

Fig.: Once the board has been successfully connected, the app attempts to establish the Bluetooth connection automatically the next time it is started. The connection symbol is green.
If this does not work, connect the board shown in the list (as an example in the penultimate illustration) manually by tapping on it.
If the correct board or your ChessLink module is already displayed in the list, do not restart the search, but tap directly on it to connect it.

Create Lichess Token
Visit Lichess.org and log in to your account.

Click on your user name and select SETTINGS:

Click on API Access Tokens in the left-hand menu and then on the blue + symbol on the right-hand side:

Enter a name for the token and activate all options except “Play games with the bot API”:

Your token will be generated and only displayed once. Please copy it and save it.
If you need the token for your Mephisto Phoenix, please take your time when entering it and pay particular attention to the characters O & 0 (“oh” and “zero”) and l & I (“small l” and “capital i”), as these are very difficult to distinguish. If your token does not work (you cannot log in or the application does not work), there is most likely an input error – in such a case, simply generate a new token and enter it again.

Enter this token in the ChessLink app.
If you ever lose your token, simply create a new one and enter the new token in the ChessLink app.

Play on Lichess

Log in – Enter token

If you have not already entered your Lichess Token during the initial setup, please enter it here in this field. The token is required so that you can log in to your Lichess account.
Your token is automatically saved in the app, so you don’t have to enter it again next time.

Create token
If you don’t have a Lichess Token yet, you can find instructions on how to get one here.

Log in
Now click on “Log in to Lichess” to connect to the Lichess server. As soon as the connection is successful, you will be taken to the game screen, where you will see the chessboard. Your Lichess user name is displayed under the chessboard.

Status display of the server connection

• Green – The connection to the chess server is confirmed.
• Yellow – The connection to the chess server has been disconnected, and an attempt is being made to reconnect in the background.
• Red – Logged out, connection to the chess server has been disconnected.
• Start a new batch
  • To do this, press the “New game” button. A selection will appear as to whether you want to play with a random or special opponent (6 options in total).
  • Always applies to the following (6) selections:
  • The first number stands for the normal playing time, the second number for the increment (bonus), which is credited to you for each move.
  • Have you set up your figures in the basic position? Then press the desired selection to start searching for an opponent.

Quick selection
Here you can quickly select some standard time controls. There is a block of scored or unrated games. Your color is random, and Lichess will try to give you a matching opponent. If you want more control over the selection of your opponent, we recommend the other 5 modes.

Detail selection
You can define the parameters of “your game” yourself in the detailed selection:

• The start time (or the “normal” playing time)
• the incrementWouldd you like to play rated or unrated
• and your desired colorWouldd you like to play a standard game or a Chess960 game

Make sure that you use “typical” values that many players use, especially for start time and increment. Otherwise, you may not find an opponent! Please also note that Lichess specifies certain minimum times for the games on the board. If you fall below these, the app will warn you accordingly. Scored games must be completed with a minimum score of 5/5. If you play with the same color several times in a row, Lichess may no longer allow this. Simply play a few games with the other color so that the ban is lifted again. In this case, you can simply turn the board.

User
In this mode, you select your opponent by username. Write the name in the “Who” field. The icon next to the name shows you whether the opponent is currently online or not.

Friend
In this mode, you select one of your friends as your opponent. To do this, click on the arrow in the friends line. You can now select one of your friends. The online status is displayed with the color (red or green).

Engine
Here you can play against the Lichess chess program. Please select the playing strength (1-8).

Link
This mode serves as a social share option. Share the link with others. The first person to follow the link is your opponent. Now place your figures in the starting position and press “Create challenge” to find a partner.

The game
You are now on the game screen and can see the chessboard. The search for a game partner is in progress. If you are playing with the King Performance chess computer, please make sure you press the NEW button before you start playing.

As soon as an opponent has been found, the pieces appear on the board in their starting position.
Below the board, you will see the two chess clocks with the respective player’s name underneath. A green dot in front of the player’s name confirms that the player is connected to the server. A red dot indicates an interruption of the server connection on the side of the respective player.

The sequence of moves during the game appears under the chess clocks.

You now enter your moves via the board. With Exclusive boards, you move as normal; with Performance, you press the start and finish squares, just like when you play against the computer.
You will find the game options at the bottom of the screen in the middle. You have different options depending on your score:

• Request a take-back (you move or your opponent’s move and yours).
• Give your opponent 15 seconds (this can be used to realize unequal start times per player, for example)
• Give up the game (your opponent wins)
• Offer the opponent a draw
• Rotate the chessboard visually

If your opponent has left the game, you can also claim the win here. Tip: Please note that quitting a game can lead to Lichess blocking your account. Please be fair and sporting when playing against other players.

End of game
At the end of a match, a Lichess status message with the match result is displayed. The revenge button is also activated, which you can use to challenge your opponent to a rematch.

If you receive a challenge or rematch yourself, this will be displayed above the chessboard.
After 30 seconds, the revenge option is deactivated. You can then no longer select the corresponding button.

Arena or Swiss play
As of version 2.6.4, Arena or Swiss tournaments can be played via the ChessLink app. To do this, press the corresponding button and then enter the tournament link or ID:

Play arena
Join the arena and just copy the ID into the field. In the next step, you will be shown that the pairings are being assigned. As soon as this is done, the match begins.
After an arena game, please first set up the pieces on the board again and then click on Join arena again, confirm ID or link with OK, and wait for the next pairing, etc.

Play Swiss 

• Press the “Join Swiss” button in the app
• Enter the tournament link or ID for an arena tournament.
  • A countdown will then appear until the 1st round starts.
  • As soon as the countdown is over, the game starts automatically.
  • After finishing your own game in this round, you must wait until all other games in the current round have been completed.
  • If a break is provided between the individual rounds, a countdown starts after the end of the last game in this round, which displays the length of the remaining break, e.g., 1 minute.
  • The next round then starts, and the next player pairing is drawn.
  • 2-player mode
  • This mode is for two players who face each other “offline” directly at the board. The game is played and recorded by the app. The times are set and displayed, as with LiChess.
  • The symbols in the header are:Foror activating (green) or deactivating the board LEDs
    • Option to choose whether the chess clock is activated manually after a move or whether it is activated automatically when the piece is placed. Here: Deactivated
    • Connection symbol (green: board connected via Bluetooth), as with LiChess

Fig.: The “Press clock” buttons only appear when they are activated

The focus mode is selected here. This means that the chess clock is in focus, and the user can see the board position on the physical board.
The time setting options correspond to those of LiChess. There is no need to select an opponent, as you have a defined opponent. In this illustration, the clocks are set to 15 minutes positioned before the first move.

Next step:

• White makes his move, then presses “Press Clock”
• Note: Only after “Press Clock” is the move registered in the app, and the opponent’s time starts running.

Chess 960
The position of the pieces in the basic row is determined at random before the start of the game. It is therefore not possible to choose a specific formation.
The following illustration shows the starting position of a LiChess game. The pieces of the back rank are marked with circles. This means that the user still has to place them on the board according to the display.

Note: Due to the necessity of the display (also to distinguish simple king moves from castling moves), the above-mentioned focus mode is not possible here.

Settings

You can configure the app in the Settings menu.

System

• Language: Choose between German and English
• Background: The app offers 3 backgrounds (light, dark, and blue)
• Delay: HHerey,ou can set how long the app should wait for piece changes before the move is sent to Lichess. Please set a high value if you move (or drag) the pieces very slowly. If you are using Performance, please set this to “100ms” so that the app reacts faster.
• Sounds: switch on or off

Board
Board control: In the following example, the final position of a game is displayed before a new search for an opponent is started.

User

• Lichess Token: here you can save your Lichess Token.
• Check token: In new versions (from V2), the token is no longer displayed in plain text (similar to passwords). Here you can check whether the token is correct or which account it belongs to.
• Restore token: If you accidentally delete or overwrite the token, you can “restore” the token from the internal database using this button.

Service

• User manual: Click here to access this manual.
• Contact the Service Center: Here you will find the contact details of our Service Center. If you have any questions or problems, please contact our colleagues.
• Send feedback: Please let us know if you notice any malfunctions or have suggestions for further functions. The ChessLink app should continue to develop, and we would like to know what you miss.
• If you want to report an error or bug, please provide us with the following information: The version number of your app, on which device you are playing, which operating system you are using, and, most importantly, a screenshot of the error. Thank you!
• Tips and tricks
• Here are a few tips and tricks that we like to take to heart ourselves:
• Build upa  position first
• If you want to start a new game, always set up your basic position first! This makes playing much more relaxed.

Taking revenge

• If you offer a rematch or receive an offer of a rematch,youu only have a few seconds to accept it. In most cases, you won’t manage to set up your pieces in this time, because your opponent doesn’t know that you are using the comfort of a real chessboard. Therefore, make your first move directly on the display in the app! Then you have enough time to set up your pieces.
  With King Performance, you can rotate the board in the menu of the chess computer, so you don’t need to physically turn the device.
• Special features of playing with The King

Performance

• When playing with The King Performance, always remember to switch to ChessLink mode before connecting to the app. The display will then show the small rotating square.
• When playing with the King Performance, please press the NEW button on the device before each new game. This resets the device to the default setting.
• When you make a pawn promotion, don’t forget to select and confirm the piece type on the chess computer display.
• Use the “Rotate board” function in the Performance men. Iff you are playing with black, for example, you don’t need to physically rotate the board.
• If you have made a mistake when entering your move and, for example, have executed your opponent’s move incorrectly, then use the King Performance move retraction button to synchronize the position between the chess computer and the app again. Please use the app’s move list as a guide when retracting moves and enter the moves in the correct order “backwards” on the King Performance. We recommend that you always take back the last 2 half-moves, execute them in the correct order,a nd then play forwards again.
• Set the response delay to the lowest possible value!

Typical playing times

• When configuring an individual game, make sure to use typical game times so that you can find an opponent.
• Keep Lichess open in parallel.
• You can also have Lichess open on another device at the same time as using the ChessLink app. For example, you can use Lichess functions that are not yet possible with the ChessLink app:
• You can analyze games played immediately afterwards.
• If the app crashes, it is always possible to exit the game properly in the original app or the web browser.
• But: If you play via the web in addition to the app, please make sure that these games are finished before you start the app.
• For example, game variants such as Bullet, and certain flash time settings are not supported by the Lichess Board connection.

Chess960

• This mode is fully supported by the new ChessLink app versions (>2.9).
• If you want to castle on the display, please click on the king and your rook as if you were capturing the rook with the king.
• In some starting positions, where the king can move one square to the side and castling is also possible, the application cannot decide whether you just want to move the king or castle, e.g., Kd1, Tb1. If you now move the king from
• D1 to C1, this can mean a king move or castling. In such cases, please play your move (once) on the display and then correct the board position. In most Chess960 positions, this is clear, so you can castle on the board as usual.

FAQ

MILLENNIUM Che

I cannot connect to the ChessLink / Board.

• Check whether your Bluetooth is switched on. *• Make sure that your mobile device supports the BLE standard. Make sure that you have activated all location sharing on your mobile device. *• If necessary, restart the app and perform a new search for the ChessLink / Board *If you were already connected to the ChessLink, you only need to tap it in the list of devices found and do not need to perform a new search*If you play with several ChessLink modules, restart the app before changing the module and perform a new search.*Make sure that the green LED on the ChessLink indicates an active connection. Pay attention to the status symbol (top right) for the ChessLink connection in the app.*• Use the board position check function in the app (settings) to check that the connection is correct. *Check whether you have already connected another end device to the board or ChessLink module. It is best to always usethe same end device to connect to the board.

My connection to ChessLink / the board is active, but my moves are not being transferred

• Make sure that the data cable between the board and the ChessLink module is correctly and firmly connected. *• Make sure that the data cable between the board and the ChessLink module is correctly and firmly connected. *• Use the function to check the board position in the app (settings) to check whether the connection is working correctly. *Make sure that your Lichess connection is active. Make sure that your online connection is stable*Make sure that you can access the Lichess server. Perhaps your Lichess account has been blocked by the server, and you cannot access the Lichess website?

My Lichess connection is no longer active

Try to reconnect to Lichess manually.*• Disconnect and restart the app if necessary. Log in to the Lichess server again. *• Check whether you can log in to the Lichess website. Could your account have been blocked by the server? *• If your mobile device was in idle mode (yellow symbol), reconnect manually via the server symbol. *• If manual reconnection does not work, exit the app and restart it. Log in to the server again. *Check the Lichess website to see if you are shown as online.

see blue rings on the chessboard on the app.

Blue rings on the chessboard of the app indicate that the board position between the board and the app (= Lichess server) is not synchronized. Please check that the position on the board matches the server position.

ssLink App

 

Documents / Resources

MILLENNIUM ChessLink App [pdf] User Manual Exclusive series, ChessLink App, ChessLink, App

References

• User Manual