Anyone know how to fix an DGT e-piece?

[JohnW]

I have a DGT Bluetooth chessboard and one of my white Bishops no longer registers. Anyone know if there is a way to fix it?
I sent an email to DGT but they are slow to answer.

Thank you,

John

[mvanthoor]

DGT sells chips that can be put into the pieces. An entire set costs €125 (for all pieces; intended to modify normal unweighted pieces to become DGT pieces). Maybe they also sell those chips one by one.

If your board is not too old, you could buy a single piece from them, but even then, you always run the risk of getting a piece that doesn't match. I just sold my old DGT USB-board from 2007 (with a Hirose USB connector) and replaced it with the current USB-board. Both were walnut boards with timeless pieces, but the colors were VERY different. (And to be honest, I liked the older colors better; more reddish brown instead of chocolate brown. But you can't expect DGT to keep producing from the same tree for 15 years...)

[JohnW]

Thanks. I was able to buy a replacement piece from ChessHouse.com for $15. I would love to know why it would just stop working.

[mvanthoor]

Normally it wouldn't; it's just a chip that reacts to electric/magnetic fields. Normally it would only stop working if it breaks; aka, if you drop the piece too hard or too often. It's the one thing that have to be taken in mind with DGT-pieces (at least, the older ones): don't drop them, or slam them on the board. For the rest they can be handled like normal chess pieces.