diff --git a/DroidFish/res/xml/preferences.xml b/DroidFish/res/xml/preferences.xml
index d2f845a..9a4d88e 100644
--- a/DroidFish/res/xml/preferences.xml
+++ b/DroidFish/res/xml/preferences.xml
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@
             android:key="boardGestures"
             android:title="@string/prefs_boardGestures_title"
             android:summary="@string/prefs_boardGestures_summary"
-            android:defaultValue="false">
+            android:defaultValue="true">
         </CheckBoxPreference>
         <ListPreference
             android:key="scrollSensitivity"
diff --git a/DroidFish/src/org/petero/droidfish/DroidFish.java b/DroidFish/src/org/petero/droidfish/DroidFish.java
index 4494b80..4d96057 100644
--- a/DroidFish/src/org/petero/droidfish/DroidFish.java
+++ b/DroidFish/src/org/petero/droidfish/DroidFish.java
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ public class DroidFish extends Activity implements GUIInterface {
         ctrl.setTimeLimit(timeControl, movesPerSession, timeIncrement);
         setSummaryTitle();
 
-        boardGestures = settings.getBoolean("boardGestures", false);
+        boardGestures = settings.getBoolean("boardGestures", true);
         scrollSensitivity = Float.parseFloat(settings.getString("scrollSensitivity", "2"));
         invertScrollDirection = settings.getBoolean("invertScrollDirection", false);
         discardVariations = settings.getBoolean("discardVariations", false);
diff --git a/DroidFish/src/org/petero/droidfish/activities/EditBoard.java b/DroidFish/src/org/petero/droidfish/activities/EditBoard.java
index aa02a1b..f8ec315 100644
--- a/DroidFish/src/org/petero/droidfish/activities/EditBoard.java
+++ b/DroidFish/src/org/petero/droidfish/activities/EditBoard.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public class EditBoard extends Activity {
         SharedPreferences settings = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(this);
         egtbHints = settings.getBoolean("tbHintsEdit", false);
         autoScrollTitle = settings.getBoolean("autoScrollTitle", true);
-        boardGestures = settings.getBoolean("boardGestures", false);
+        boardGestures = settings.getBoolean("boardGestures", true);
 
         initUI();