The MultiPivot Mon Roi, PDA, Cell Phone Holder

The eNotate on a basic Pivot; notice the ease of readability

The Pivot without a device.

A Mon-Roi on a Multi Pivot

Side view of the Multi Pivot with Mon-Roi attached.


By now everyone has seen my "Rube Goldburg" contraptions to make viewing the electronic recording devices easier. As I was about to "invent and fabricate" a folding stand; I searched the net one last time and there it was! The Pivot. Every Mon Roi and e-Notate sold should come with one! I'll have mine with me at the Club meeting on 23 November for everyone to see. For more info click on the links provided; Henry at Tesa Tech made this my most enjoyable Internet buying experience to date! I rate this product 5 stars. As an added bonus the Pivots are made in the USA.

A Chess Computer With Connections

Have you ever drooled over the DGT electronic chessboard ads, only to discover that the price is a bit over you head? There may be an alternative offering some of the same benefits for a somewhat more palatable $300: the Novag Citrine. This is a wood electronic chess computer that also allows you to connect to your PC and transfer game scores recorded on the device or play aganst PC-based chess engines. This device has not been approved for tournament use for the recording of chess game scores by the USCF.

Look below the fold for a video review of the product:

No More Pen and Paper

Want to record your chess games electronically? Want to spend less than it costs to fly to the Caribbean? Your solution might be eNotate from the North American Chess Association. You can buy the software for $25, or the software with a PDA for $125. The software is approved by the USCF for use in rated tournaments. Read this blog post from a chess player who is using the $125 eNotate package now. Using eNotate with a Pocket PC lets you use Pocket Fritz from Chessbase when the eNotate software isn't running! If you buy the software only and then shop for your own Pocket PC you can buy a model with WIFI (not accessible when eNotate is running) and other extra features. You might try eBay to look for a deal.

Please note that I have not personally tested the products mentioned in this post. The information is based on manufacturer claims and offered here for the consideration of members of the Elizabethtown Chess Club. The only other devices known to be approved for tournament use by the USCF are the MonRoi used by several club players and DGT electronic chess boards.

Mouse Pad

USCFSales has a neat mouse pad in stock for $3. It is not in the printed catalog, you'll have to go on line and search under analysis sets. The pad is a green and white chess board with 13/16th of an inch squares. Algebraic square designation is on all 4 sides and the included chess pieces w/1.5 inch king fit well on the pad.

Not something you would order by it's self (shipping would cost more than the pad), but a great add on to your next equipment order.

Recommended. Those who use a computer at work may find this a good way to advertise that you play chess; unless the boss perceives it as "goofing off on the job".