Anichess Raises $1.5 Million to Put Magical Twist on Chess

Anichess, an upcoming chess-inspired crypto game that adds a magical twist to the traditional rules, has raised $1.5 million from investors to further develop the title.

The seed round for Anichess, which parent company Animoca Brands said was oversubscribed, saw a $1.5 million total investment from the likes of GameFi Ventures, The Operating Group, Koda Capital, Bing Ventures, 708 Capital, Asymmetry Capital, and others.

Anichess is expected to launch a playable alpha test in Q1 2024. The funds will be used by the creators to “continue the development of its innovative decentralized chess game, expand its team, and grow its community,” according to a press release.

Animoca Brands CEO Robby Yung: Expect ‘Triple-A Console-Style’ Web3 Games in 2024

For much of its short lifespan, the Web3 gaming space has been dominated by play-to-earn and casual gaming titles—but that’s set to change in the next year, according to Animoca Brands CEO Robby Yung. “We're likely to see more triple-A console-style games launching next year, although games like Life Beyond, Devourers, and Phantom Galaxies are currently the only ones in this category,” Yung told Decrypt at the Proof of Talk conference in Paris. Life Beyond, one of the most advanced games support...

Animoca Brands is one of the largest investors in Web3 and metaverse-related startups, and is also the publisher behind the metaverse game, The Sandbox.

Anichess will “preserve the core ethos of chess as a predominantly skill-based, free-to-play game,” according to an official description, but will also provide “enriched” gameplay with added layers of strategy via a spell mechanic that consists of offensive, defensive, and counter tactics. Esports-inspired aspects will also be featured.

The game is being developed in partnership with former World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen’s Play Magnus Group and its Champions Chess Tour. Last year, Play Magnus Group was acquired by Chess.com, one of the internet’s most popular chess sites that offers both online competition and training.

Over 30 chess grandmasters have helped advise, monitor, and test the game, the developers claim. Anichess is aimed at both experienced and casual chess players, as well as strategy game enthusiasts. 

“The strong support expressed by investors validates Anichess’s vision of delivering unparalleled experiences for chess players, gamers, and fans,” said Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands. “Partnering with Chess.com is an incredible opportunity to work with some of the leading chess players and influencers across the world and to bring chess into the open metaverse.”

Grant Lee, chief strategy officer of Chess.com, said that he hoped the partnership would “provide some of the top players and influencers in our ecosystem with a fun and different chess experience, as part of our overall mission to grow the game by presenting chess in new ways to different audiences."

As first announced in August 2022, Anichess will utilize a play-and-earn approach, using sports NFT platform Lympo’s SPORT token to bring together the worlds of chess and crypto gaming.

 NFT Revolution

DJs Polo & Pan Put a Fresh Spin on Chess Piece NFTs in Immortal Game

You’ve never played chess like this before. In a new crossover, chess video game Immortal Game and electronic musicians Polo & Pan have teamed up to put a lively new twist on the 1,500-year-old board game. The tie-up will see the launch of a limited edition collection of 500 unique digital chess pieces sold as NFTs on Ethereum scaling network Polygon. Immortal Game is a fast-growing Web3 project of the “play-to-earn” genre, offering players rewards in the form of its CMT tokens for winning games...

Anichess isn’t the only Web3 chess game out there, though. Another such game, Immortal Game, raised $12 million last fall and features an optional play-and-earn model along with NFT pieces. It’s also working with French electronic musicians Polo & Pan on a collaboration.

Immortal Game’s Polo & Pan-designed NFT chess pieces unlock new quests, provide access to private tournaments, and offer unique visual animations and audio elements. Holders also gain access to potential perks including concert tickets and curated Spotify playlists.