A real game against artificial intelligence: your guest moves by hand on an ordinary board, and the SenseRobot answers on its own, picking up its piece with a mechanical arm
The price depends on the date, duration and address. Message our manager on Telegram and we'll send you a quote the same day. Minimum booking is 4 hours; delivery within Moscow, setup and an attendant are included.
It's a chess-playing robot with a mechanical arm that plays against a person on a physical board. The guest has ordinary pieces on an ordinary board, and the game goes exactly as it would between two people. There's just one difference: the opponent is an artificial intelligence, and it makes its own moves with its own hand.
Ours is a SenseRobot, made by the Chinese company SenseTime, which specializes in artificial intelligence and computer vision. The chess version was introduced in 2024. A camera above the board sees which move the person has made. A three-fingered gripper picks up a piece and places it on the right square, and the pieces are held on the board by magnets. Playing strength is adjustable: according to the manufacturer, there are 25 levels from Elo 200 to 2900 plus a separate mode at around 3200.
SenseRobot defeated Hou Yifan, four-time women's world champion
The chess SenseRobot made its world debut at the biggest consumer electronics show in Las Vegas
From Elo 200 to 2900, plus a mode at around 3200 for your strongest guests
This isn't a screen game or a simulator. The guest holds a real piece in their hand while a mechanical arm moves across the board from them, and that's why spectators gather around every game.
our manager prices it for your date, address and format
the minimum booking, a typical length for an exhibition day or an evening event
delivery within Moscow, setup, teardown and support are already in the price
A single evening, several days of an exhibition, a trip outside the MKAD ring road, or all of that combined with a tournament: we'll price it for your event. Send us the date, address, format and a rough number of guests.
The information on this page is for reference only and is not a public offer (Article 437 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). Please confirm pricing and rental terms with our manager.
The attendant asks how long it has been since they last played and offers them White or Black.
Difficulty is set on the built-in screen, anywhere from very gentle to maximum.
The attendant sets up the pieces before the game, and again afterwards for the next guest.
An ordinary piece on an ordinary board. No screens, no buttons.
A built-in camera spots what changed on the board and works out the move that was played.
The chess engine picks a move to match the selected level.
The gripper picks up its own piece, places it on the right square and removes any captured piece from the board.
Just like a game between two people: checkmate, stalemate, resignation or a draw. Then it's the next guest's turn.
The level is set before every game. The attendant asks the guest how they play and picks a difficulty that makes for an interesting game rather than a rout. A rough guide:
| Level | Who it's for | How it plays |
|---|---|---|
| Elo 200-800 | Beginners, kids, "I know the moves, I played as a child" | Makes mistakes and gives away pieces. Very beatable |
| Elo 1000-1400 | Casual players who sometimes play online | No longer blunders everything. An even game |
| Elo 1600-2000 | Strong club players | Punishes mistakes. The level to pick for a real challenge |
| Elo 2200-2900 | Candidate masters and above | Plays at master strength. Spectators love watching these games |
| Around 3200 | A test for the strongest guests | Maximum mode; it needs an internet connection at the venue |
What an Elo number means and how a casual player differs from a strong club player is explained in our article on the Elo rating.
The robot runs on mains power through an adapter, so the chess area needs a regular outlet or an extension cord nearby.
A level surface that doesn't wobble: the moving arm needs precision, and a shaky table throws it off.
The unit with the board has a footprint of about 57 × 47 cm and stands 38.5 cm tall. Add room for the player opposite and for spectators around it.
The robot watches the board through a camera, so an indoor room or a covered pavilion with even light works better than the open street.
Our attendant stands next to the robot and needs some space beside the table.
We bring everything else ourselves: the unit, the board, the pieces and everything needed to run it. Our team handles setup and teardown.
The robot draws a crowd to your stand: even people who don't play chess come over to watch the moving arm. That is exactly how it has worked for us, as a stand that pulls in attention.
An interactive feature in the tournament lobby: while games are on or between rounds, players and parents take on the robot. We have experience with events like these too.
Colleagues take turns at the board and compare who lasted longest. It pairs well with a tournament or a team-building session.
The robot is a vivid demonstration of how artificial intelligence interacts with people in the physical world.
A chess area as a standalone brand experience: a branded table, a host, and a prize draw for anyone who beats the robot.
Kids are every bit as fascinated as adults. We set a gentle level, and the attendant helps with the rules.
A single game against a machine is a moment. A contest turns it into a story that guests talk about for the rest of the evening and keep coming back to at an exhibition.
Every guest plays at the same level, and the attendant records how many moves they survive before mate. At the end of the evening there's a leaderboard and a prize.
The level is announced in advance. Anyone who wins or draws gets a prize from the brand or the organizer.
Win at one level and you move up to the next. Works well at exhibitions, where people keep coming back to the stand.
Alongside the robot, guests play a tournament among themselves: our app handles the pairings, the standings and the big screen for the room.
How a tournament works with a big screen for the room, a results sheet and standings after every round is covered in our guide to the Swiss-system tournament.
The robot is never left alone at your venue. Our attendant greets guests, picks the level, sets up the pieces between games, explains the rules to anyone who hasn't played in a while and keeps an eye on the equipment. You don't need to assign anyone from your staff.
This matters for another reason too: SenseRobot's voice prompts are currently available in English, German and French, but not Russian. Everything a guest needs to hear comes from a person. And if there are strong players among your guests, the attendant can talk chess with them: we're a chess club, not an equipment rental shop.
Moscow Vibe Chess Club runs chess evenings and tournaments in Moscow and other cities. That means you can book the robot on its own or as one zone of a bigger event: while some guests play the robot, others play a tournament among themselves, with the standings updating on screen.
A tournament for your staff with a host, pairings, prizes and live standings on screen.
Team formats where the best-coordinated team wins, not the strongest player.
Regular evenings and one-off events in cafes, restaurants and bars.
Tournament boards and clocks for any number of guests, delivered.
One strong player takes on the whole room at once: a show your guests can join.
A tournament right in your office, between meetings or after work.
All our formats in Moscow are on the Moscow club page.
Tell us the date and time, the venue address, the format of your event and how many guests you expect. We'll confirm whether the robot is free on your date and send you a quote. If you need more than one zone, we'll suggest a tournament or team building around it.
Yes. The guest moves an ordinary piece on the board, SenseRobot sees the new position through its built-in camera, and its mechanical arm with a gripper moves its own piece and takes any captured piece off the board.
The price depends on the date, duration, address and format of your event. Message our manager on Telegram and they'll send you a quote. The minimum booking is 4 hours. The price includes delivery within Moscow, setup and teardown, an attendant for the entire booking and technical support.
The level is set for each guest: according to the manufacturer, there are 25 levels from Elo 200 to 2900 plus a separate mode at around 3200. On a low level the robot makes mistakes and loses; on a high one it will beat almost any amateur. In 2024 SenseRobot defeated Hou Yifan, four-time women's world champion.
No. Beginners get the gentlest level, and the attendant will show them how the pieces move. Kids come to play, and so do adults who haven't touched a chessboard since school.
It depends on how fast your guests play: quick games between beginners are over in a few minutes, stubborn ones take longer. Over four hours a good share of your guests usually get a game, and spectators gather around every single one.
Not for regular play: everything works offline. Internet is only needed for the strongest mode, around Elo 3200.
A 220 V outlet, a sturdy table and some space around it: the unit with the board takes up about 57 × 47 cm. Indoors or a covered pavilion is best, since the robot uses a camera and needs even light.
Our attendant, for the entire booking. They choose the level for each guest, set up the pieces, explain the rules and keep an eye on the equipment. SenseRobot's voice prompts don't support Russian yet, so a person does all the explaining.
The attendant fixes the position. The robot can find fallen pieces and put them back itself, but at an event it's quicker when a person does it.
The arm is small and moves gently, and according to the manufacturer it has more than 30 safety sensors. An attendant is always next to it, making sure no hands get in the gripper's way.
Yes: "who lasts longest", "beat the machine at an announced level", a level ladder. The attendant keeps track of the rules and the results table.
Yes, we organize turnkey chess events: a hosted tournament, team building, an evening at a restaurant. The chess robot becomes one of the zones, while guests play the tournament among themselves.
Regular boards and clocks for your event: chess set rental in Moscow. A tournament for your staff: corporate tournaments. A team format: chess team building. An evening at your venue: chess for restaurants.
The information on this page is for reference only and is not a public offer (Article 437 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). Please confirm pricing and rental terms with our manager.
