Yesterday, I played chess on a physical board. I haven't played chess on a physical for many years. It was a glass board with clear and white-colored pieces. 

The game felt immersive in a different way when playing it on a board as opposed to do on an android app. On the app, the only physical action a human player takes it clicking the piece they want to move and space they want to move it to. The app removes captured pieces from the board automatically. Also, the app shows you possible spaces to move when you click on a piece, and highlights where the last move occurred so a player can know when it is their move. These three differences made the game immersive in a different, yet undefinable way. The latter difference requires a player's attention either to the other player or afterwards to figure out what the last move was.

The app lets players save a game and go back to it later. This can be done with the physical chess board also. However, with the physical chess board the responsibility is on the players to make sure the pieces stay where they were originally. I imagine this would create a different experience of playing also. The time between taking a break from game play and returning could be, rather than vacant and lifeless (because the app assumes the responsibility of keeping the game as it was), vibrant and more meaningful. The time between taking a break and returning to playing the game might have more meaning because it involves making the choice (which might be inconvenient) to leave the game and its contents not boxed away and undisturbed. The space the unboxed game occupies interferes with other things that can go in that space. Or, if the unboxed game is moved, it needs to be moved carefully so as not disturb the placement of the pieces.