Anichess

Anichess is a Web3 chess game from Animoca Brands and Chess.com, endorsed by five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, that layers spell-casting mechanics onto classic chess.

Gameplay

Anichess keeps standard chess rules but adds a magic-formula system — spells that introduce unpredictability and help level skill gaps. Competitive series like Road to Magnus and the Magnus Cup let players earn a seat to face Magnus Carlsen directly.

Economy & Assets

In-game progress is tracked with M8 (Mate) points. The broader Checkmate Ecosystem is powered by the CHECK strategy token, which is rolling into Anichess in stages. Anichess is Base-native — its token, gas and contracts live on Base — while ownership of in-game items is recorded on-chain.

Team & Backing

Anichess is developed by Animoca Brands in partnership with Chess.com, with an endorsement from Magnus Carlsen. It surfaces in the Abstract ecosystem through Abstract Global Wallet support and an Abstract Portal listing rather than being Abstract-native.

Recent developments

• 2026-06-18 — Anichess Hosts Magnus Carlsen Simul at FIDE World Team Championships in Hong Kong — Anichess organized a live chess simul with world number one Magnus Carlsen at the FIDE World Team Championships in Hong Kong, featuring AI and challengers … (@AnichessGame)
• 2026-06-19 — Community Champion Defeats Magnus Carlsen to Win Anichess Magnus Cup — A community player won the Anichess Magnus Cup, beating Grandmasters Magnus Carlsen and Bortnyk to claim the title and 300,000 CHECK tokens. (@AnichessGame)
• 2026-07-09 — Anichess Launches Pre-Season 9 of The Circuit With Free Daily Tournaments — Anichess begins Pre-Season 9 of The Circuit on July 9 with free daily tournaments and CHECK prize pools, running through Sunday. (@AnichessGame)
• 2026-07-13 — Anichess Season 9 Launches With Daily Tournaments and Flexible Play — Anichess kicks off Season 9 with daily tournaments, allowing players to skip days without penalty. Free events and gambit nights rotate weekly. (@AnichessGame)
• 2026-08-05 — Anichess Opens Free Playoff Qualifier With 300 CHECK — Anichess is hosting a free playoff qualifier on August 5 with a 300 CHECK prize pool, random spells, and 5+3 time control. (@AnichessGame)
• 2026-09-02 — Anichess Debuts Drag-and-Drop Controls for Web3 Chess Gameplay — Anichess, the Animoca Brands x Chess.com Web3 chess game endorsed by Magnus Carlsen, has added drag-and-drop controls, announced September 2, 2026. (@AnichessGame)
• 2026-09-17 — Anichess Season 10 'Ascension' Puts 300K CHECK on the Line — Anichess has unveiled Season 10: Ascension, featuring a 300,000 CHECK prize pool, a new eight-seat Masters League worth 100,000 CHECK, and weekly events on Base. (@AnichessGame)
• 2026-09-23 — Anichess Unveils Masters League With 100,000 CHECK Prize Pool — Anichess detailed its new Masters League on September 23, an eight-player best-of-five round robin worth 100,000 CHECK, with four seats changing hands each season. (@AnichessGame)
• 2026-09-29 — Anichess Masters League Sets Four-Seat Rotation, Opens Seasonal Playoffs — Anichess outlined the Masters League format on September 29: eight players, best-of-five round robin, 100,000 CHECK, with four seats changing hands via open Season… (@AnichessGame)
• 2026-10-23 — Anichess Distributes 800K CHECK Across Abstract and Base Pools — Anichess says 800,000 CHECK has landed in player wallets, covering Checkmate Reign's OG pool and Checkmate Pass rewards on Abstract plus public pool and Streamers League pa… (@AnichessGame)

Coverage

• 2026-06-24 — A Community Player Beat Magnus Carlsen to Win the Anichess Magnus Cup
• 2026-06-30 — Anichess Opens Its 'Road to Magnus' Bracket to All Players
• 2026-07-14 — How Anichess Works: Kingslay, Spells, and Season 9's Daily Circuit
• 2026-09-04 — Cambria Retires Its NFT Collections for $RSGP, Leading an Abstract Catch-Up
• 2026-10-11 — Anichess Season 10's Masters League: How the Eight-Seat Qualification Works

Abstract wind-down

On October 8, 2026, after Abstract said it would shut down on December 15, Anichess posted that it "already lives on Base, so your games carry on exactly as they are."

Anichess said its Public Staking Pool is already on Base and asked stakers to migrate their stake through its staking page. It directed holders with CHECK still on Abstract to bridge it to Base using Stargate. It said migrating the OG pool and Checkpoints comes next and is its "top priority," without giving a date for that step.