DGT Centaur Review: Playing Strength and Everyday Use

Updated on 18 October 2026 · Written by Brunoy Échecs · Specifications checked on the manufacturers’ websites

DGT Centaur: Specifications

DGT, a Dutch company based in Enschede, is best known for its official clocks and its tournament broadcast boards. The Centaur, launched in 2019 according to the timeline published by the manufacturer, is its first consumer chess computer designed for playing alone at home.

Source: the official DGT Centaur page (digitalgametechnology.com), checked on 18 October 2026. A carry case exists, but it is sold separately as an accessory.

The DGT Centaur’s Playing Strength and Adaptive Mode

The DGT Centaur’s promise comes down to one sentence: it automatically adapts its strength to the player’s. Instead of scrolling through a list of numbered levels, you start a game and the device adjusts its play. For a player who is improving, this is comfortable: the machine remains a credible opponent whether you are a beginner or a club player.

Retailers describe several ways to play: a friendly mode, a more demanding mode that remains adaptive, and an expert mode at full power. DGT does not publish an Elo range or the name of the engine on its official page. We therefore do not repeat the figures that circulate: what matters in practice is that expert mode plays far above club-player level, and that adaptive mode avoids games lost in twenty moves.

The DGT Centaur in Everyday Use

Setup

The Centaur is placed on a table, switched on and played. There is no app to install, no account to create and no Bluetooth pairing. For many buyers this is the deciding argument: you want to play chess, not configure a device.

Reading the moves

When the machine plays, circular lights come on at the starting square and the destination square; you move the piece into place. The electronic-ink (e-paper) screen, built into the board, displays the menus and game information. This type of screen stays legible in bright light and uses little power.

Battery life

The internal battery recharges via a USB cable. The Centaur can therefore be used on a sofa, on a terrace or on holiday, with no cable running across the room. Its 40 cm width and its weight make it a living-room device rather than a travel board: for travelling, DGT offers the DGT Pegasus, which is more compact and connected.

Our Verdict on the DGT Centaur

On online play, let us be precise: the Centaur is a closed device. A British retailer states that it connects neither to a computer nor to gaming sites. A community modification (an open-source project published on GitHub) makes it possible to link it to Lichess, but it involves replacing an internal board and voids the warranty: it is not a solution to recommend to an ordinary buyer. If you want to play online on a real board, see our page on connected boards compatible with Lichess and Chess.com instead.

Who Is the DGT Centaur For?

The Centaur meets a specific need: playing real games, on a real board, against an opponent of your own level, without ever touching a screen. Three types of player get the most out of it.

• The adult returning to chess after years without playing. They do not know their level; the adaptive mode finds it for them.
• The player who avoids screens. Many play online for lack of an opponent but dislike the smartphone. The Centaur brings the evening game back to the board.
• The family, where several players of different levels share the same device: each gets a close game without having to set anything up.

It suits the competitive player less, if they want to prepare openings, analyse their games on a computer or train against a precise Elo level: for them, a DGT connected board linked to software, or a Millennium with Elo levels, will be more useful.

Tips for Use and Care

• Recharge regularly, even if the device is rarely used: a lithium battery left empty for a long time ages faster.
• Place the pieces squarely in the centre of the squares: the sensors detect the movement, and a piece set down straddling two squares can cause confusion.
• Store it flat, away from heat and damp, ideally in its box or in the case offered as an accessory.
• Keep all the pieces and the USB cable with the device: a lost piece or cable makes both use and resale harder.

DGT Centaur or King Performance?

This is the comparison we are asked about most. Both devices target the same buyer: an adult who wants a strong tabletop opponent without a computer screen. Yet they do not make the same choices.

Choose the Centaur if you want a device that sets itself, runs on a battery and demands no technical decisions. Choose The King Performance if you prefer to control the opponent’s level, play Chess960 or later link your board to Lichess and Chess.com. Our detailed page on The King Performance develops this head-to-head.

DGT Centaur Price and the Second-Hand Market

In October 2026, we observed the DGT Centaur at between about €340 and €425 depending on the retailer and the edition (including a slightly dearer “Crystal” edition). Indicative price observed, noted at European retailers on 18/10/2026.

The Centaur can also be found second-hand. Points to check: the condition of the battery (ask how long it lasts), that every square and the screen work properly, and that all 32 pieces and the charging cable are present. Be wary of a device “modified for Lichess”: the manufacturer’s warranty no longer applies.

To buy it new with the service of a specialist, see the DGT Centaur page at Le Palais des Échecs. If you are still torn between this model and a connected board, our page on electronic chess sets for adult beginners ranks the models by level.