Robotic chessboards have been around for decades. The Milton Bradley Grandmaster went in to production before the end of 1982 and was sold in 1983. It had a XY plotter actuator and moves magnetic pieces. The Fidelity Phantom Chesster 6126 and Phantom 6100 were introduced in the 90s and have a stronger engine. The above video shows these chess robots in action:
[HT]