Anichess

Anichess is a blockchain-based chess game developed in partnership with Chess.com. It retains the core rules of chess while adding a spell system and a 'capture the king' win condition instead of traditional checkmate, which lowers the entry barrier for newcomers. Players earn M8 points by completing 15 standard matches per week or by staking the $CHECK token. M8 points are used to enter the weekly Checkmate Arena, where 50 randomly selected players each receive at least 500 $CHECK. The game addresses two major pain points: traditional chess has a steep learning curve that discourages casual players, and many Web3 games rely on unsustainable 'play-to-earn' models that reward activity rather than skill. Anichess instead emphasizes strategic decision-making, with $CHECK serving as both an in-game currency and a governance token.

Between March and September 2026, Anichess made notable progress. In early April, $CHECK was listed on Coinbase, following earlier exchange listings that contributed to a price surge of over 70% at the time of listing. The 8th season, titled 'Overpowered,' began in April with a total prize pool of 700,000 $CHECK. In mid-2026, the project announced that M8 points would be migrated back to the Base network, with players required to register on the official website to complete the migration. However, as of the end of this period, the project had not disclosed a deadline for the migration registration, nor had it clarified when other ecosystem modules such as staking and tournaments would return to Base. This lack of transparency regarding cross-chain asset arrangements has been a point of uncertainty for players.