Have you ever played chess and wished that there has to be more than just ELOs and precision moves? Imagine if your pieces could cast spells, levels to be unlocked, and every match felt more challenging and tactical. That’s exactly what Anichess delivers.

Anichess blends traditional chess rules with spell mechanics and a puzzle-driven progression system, giving players the mental thrill of chess plus the unpredictability of card-based combat.

Here’s how to get started, even if you’ve never touched a blockchain game before.

What Is Anichess?

Anichess is a free-to-play strategy game developed by Animoca Brands in collaboration with Chess.com.

It looks like chess. It plays like chess. But every piece can wield magical abilities, called spells, which alter how you control the board.

Players can:

• Compete in ranked matches.
• Climb the leaderboard.
• Use spells to change the outcome of moves.
• Unlock NFT-based rewards by completing challenges (coming soon).

You can play directly from your browser, without needing a wallet at the start. Just head to anichess.com and sign in using your Metamask, Google, Chess.com account, or other accounts with existing creditials.

The Basics: Familiar, But Enhanced

At its core, Anichess follows the same board, pieces, and objectives as traditional chess: Capture your opponent’s king before they capture yours.

The twist is that spells and elements can completely change how you play.

Here’s the basic setup:

• Board: Standard 8x8 chessboard.
• Pieces: Pawn, Knight, Bishop, Rook, Queen, King — all intact.
• Objective: Checkmate your opponent.
• Time per puzzle or match: Usually 3–10 minutes.

So yes, if you know chess, you already know 80% of Anichess. The other 20% is where the fun lies.

The Spell System Explained

Each player has access to spells, which can: teleport or reposition pieces, enhance existing pieces’ moves, summon other pieces onto the board, among other things!

You can cast spells before or after moving, but each spell costs mana, and you can only generate and hold onto a limited number per match.

How to Play in 5 Minutes (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Go to anichess.com

‍Sign in using your Metamask, Google, Chess.com account, or other accounts with existing creditials.

Step 2: Play “Tutorial” Mode if it’s your first time playing.

‍This is where new players start. You’ll know the rules of the game and pick up on some basic strategies to win. You’ll also get a free starter spell pack.

Step 3: Learn the Spell Tutorial‍

You can start a Casual game or go to “Training” to learn the spells.

Step 4: Manage Your Mana

‍Each spell consumes mana. Don’t blow all your resources early. Save spells for key defensive or finishing moves.

Step 5: Level Up and Rise up the Ranks!‍

Every win or loss affects your rating or ELO in ranked games. The higher your rank is, the more difficult your opponents will be.

Quick Beginner Tips

• Don’t overuse spells. Strategy still beats magic.
• Study opponent spell types before moving.
• Use spells to force positional advantages, not random chaos.
• Learn classic chess patterns. They still apply here.
  
  

If you only have five minutes to play, Anichess delivers both intellectual challenge and fantasy immersion in a single sitting. So log in, cast your first spell, and make your move. Chess just got magical!

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