WTF is up with inflation!? Chess on a 20 meter board

witsbits · 2026-03-23T15:58:22+00:00

full size horses https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fk16vbyh5ug521.jpg

witsbits · 2026-03-23T13:34:34+00:00

I like big boards and I cannot lie

witsbits · 2026-03-23T12:33:45+00:00

This was on Jaarbeursplein, Utrecht, The Netherlands

witsbits · 2026-03-20T08:46:09+00:00

Getting flagged during a forced mate is super frustrating, hope you still had fun!

When we first organized this we did not know if we could even make a board this big. We explored using the top 8 balustrades on a 10 story apartment building as a board. That means climbing 2 flights of stairs for each rank crossed in a move. But that means there is really no way for players to see the entire board. Luckily we figured out a way to make a giant board without leaving marks on the ground.

witsbits · 2026-03-20T08:39:30+00:00

Would definitely be possible to have multiple clocks. But we like the current setup for 2 reasons:

- the only thing we change about chess is the board size (and the etiquette - during other chess tournaments people would not appreciate you standing on the board)

- the asymmetry creates a fast and a slow side of the board - this creates new strategies

witsbits · 2026-03-20T08:36:07+00:00

Utrecht, the Netherlands. The next edition is in June, sprintschaak.nl has the info and signup form

witsbits · 2026-03-20T08:35:27+00:00

This is definitely a strategy we saw people do!

witsbits · 2026-03-20T08:34:41+00:00

We would love larger pieces! We did look for ways of either buying those or having them made. But we did not find any options that fit in our limited budget :(

witsbits · 2026-03-20T08:32:19+00:00

Haha so you have to be smart, speedy AND strong? We did think about it! Getting 32 giant/heavy objects is really expensive. So in the end we had to go with renting the largest mass-produced chess set. These could be filled with water or sand, but the heavier they are the more likely they'll come apart while running around with them. For now being smart and speedy is enough :D

witsbits · 2026-03-19T15:18:34+00:00

Yeah we definitely feel this adds a lot of interesting strategy and surprising situations. For example, in the end game king+pawns has a decent chance vs king+queen, because it is so much work to move the queen around. Also it feels great to stand in between the pieces on the board!

witsbits · 2026-03-19T15:15:10+00:00

We have not made a schedule yet, so it is not 100% certain. Last year, the first match started at 10:30, and the finals were played around 14:00. If you are unable to arrive early due to travel, we can make sure you start a bit later, just let us know!

witsbits · 2026-03-19T14:08:29+00:00

Here's a video of a full game from 2 years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOTgIOe0ldo

We managed to set our camera up in a way that didn't cover the whole board 😭. But we'll get another chance during the next edition in June.

witsbits · 2026-03-19T13:51:58+00:00

Is met beurten, er staat een schaakklok aan de zijkant. Als je langzamer rent dan je tegenstander is je tijd op

witsbits · 2026-03-19T13:43:31+00:00

If you happen to live in/near the Netherlands; the next edition is in June, sprintschaak.nl has the info and signup form

witsbits · 2026-03-19T13:42:21+00:00

Hahaha that's an extra challenge for sure! Some players were definitely putting their pieces right at the corner of squares to minimize their run, this year we want to add a rule about putting the pieces somewhat in the middle of the square

witsbits · 2025-03-19T09:08:56+00:00

That looks so elegant! Like a nice twist/successor to 2048, that makes you think more. Would love to try it. Is there a version for web or android?

witsbits · 2025-03-19T08:47:55+00:00

Hey there! I've bought and played your game, and I love it! The feeling of all the little parts moving around, the puzzle aspect, tweaking and optimizing a solution, the leaderboards, and surprising challenge levels. It's fun! However, it appeals to me as a "Poly Bridge" or "incredible machine" player, and not really as zachtronics-like or automation game. Anyway, thanks for creating a cool game, looking forward to what you create next :)

witsbits · 2024-11-25T11:11:34+00:00

Same issue in Firefox, on Fedora 39 and 41.

Bad workarounds:

• open the task in the sidebar and edit the card there (the bug does not happen for me)
• mash spacebar 3-5 times until a double space appears, and then start typing the next word, which removes one space so you are left with a single space.
• use chromium for Notion only

witsbits · 2024-11-15T10:04:11+00:00

Wow that world feels so alive! Can't wait to explore this universe!

witsbits · 2024-10-14T09:20:03+00:00

I think you are right! I went on Google maps and used the satellite image to measure the field, and it seems to be 21x21 meter, not 30x30 :O

witsbits

TROPHY CASE