Millennium ChessGenius, ChessGenius Pro and Exclusive: What Are the Differences?

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

Millennium and Richard Lang: A Direct Line from Mephisto

Millennium 2000 is a German company based in Aschheim, near Munich. It was founded in the mid-1990s (1996 or 1997 depending on the source) by Manfred Hegener, co-founder of Hegener + Glaser, the company that made the famous Mephisto computers, and by Ossi Weiner. Since 2003, Millennium has devoted itself to dedicated chess computers.

The ChessGenius program is the work of Richard Lang, a British programmer. His programs won ten world microcomputer chess championship titles, from 1984 to 1995 (the last one shared), first on the Mephistos and then with Genius. Buying a Millennium ChessGenius therefore means getting back the engine that made the reputation of the German computers of the 1980s, in modern hardware. Our page on vintage chess computers tells that story.

Millennium ChessGenius: The Range in One Table

Millennium ChessGenius: The Entry-Level Model

The basic ChessGenius, released in November 2015, popularised the range. It is a compact tabletop computer with a 20 cm pressure-sensitive board, a backlit LCD screen and battery power. Retailers announce it at over 2,000 Elo, which is still far above an occasional player. It suits a beginner or a teenager who wants an opponent with no screen and no connection. To get to know it, see the Millennium ChessGenius in detail.

Millennium ChessGenius Pro (M815)

The ChessGenius Pro was released in August 2016 with a faster processor and an opening library five times richer. Retailers sometimes use the reference M812 for this first version; the current version is listed as M815 on the manufacturer’s website.

The manufacturer speaks of an “extremely wide” range of levels without publishing the exact number. The Pro is listed at €169 on Millennium’s shop. Indicative price observed, on 18/10/2026. It offers the best balance of playing strength, size and price in the range: the ChessGenius Pro version is the one we recommend to a player who is improving.

ChessGenius Exclusive and Chess Classics Exclusive

The ChessGenius Exclusive, released in April 2017, moves into a different category. Its wooden board, about 40 cm across, automatically recognises every piece thanks to RFID technology, and 81 LEDs show the moves. The calculation and display are handled by a separate unit, also made of wood, which has a screen and a clock. The ARM Cortex M7 processor at 300 MHz and the library of 300,000 positions make it the strongest ChessGenius, announced at over 2,300 Elo by retailers. A US retailer lists it at around $900. Indicative price observed, on 18/10/2026.

The Chess Classics Exclusive takes the same wooden board and pairs it with the Chess Classics Element module, which runs two engines: ChessGenius and The King. With the ChessLink Bluetooth module, it can also play online. This is the model to look at if you are torn between the Lang school and the de Koning school: presented as the interactive wooden Millennium at some retailers, it brings the two together.

Playing on a ChessGenius Day to Day

The compact ChessGenius models work like most classic tabletop chess computers. You press lightly with the piece on its starting square, then on its destination square: the pressure board records the move. The computer thinks, shows its move on the screen and indicates the squares involved; you move its piece in the same way. Two practical consequences:

• You need to press firmly: simply setting a piece down is not always enough. You get used to it within a few games.
• You need to keep the position faithful: since the board does not recognise the pieces, a forgotten piece or one moved by mistake creates a mismatch between the board and the device’s memory. The screen lets you check the position if in doubt.

In return, these devices are light, run on batteries and can be taken anywhere. The ChessGenius Pro weighs 550 g: it fits in a travel bag, which no wooden board can claim.

What About the Millennium eONE?

Millennium also offers the eONE, a board with Bluetooth built in directly, with no ChessLink module to add. It is listed from €149 on the manufacturer’s shop. Indicative price observed, on 18/10/2026. It is aimed at those who mainly want to play online with a Millennium device, whereas the ChessGenius models are first and foremost standalone opponents.

Millennium ChessGenius, Pro or Exclusive: Which Should You Choose?

• First chess computer, small budget: the basic ChessGenius, or even the Europe Chess Champion (M800), an “8 games in 1” travel device (chess, draughts, Reversi, Halma…) with a pressure board and AAA batteries.
• Player who wants a strong, portable opponent: the ChessGenius Pro M815.
• Handsome living-room piece with piece recognition: the ChessGenius Exclusive, or the Chess Classics Exclusive to also benefit from The King engine and online play.
• Large board with weighted pieces at a mid-range price: The King Performance, with The King engine and ChessLink compatibility.

For adult beginners, our page on electronic chess sets for beginners sets the ChessGenius against light-up boards such as the ChessUp.