Anichess

Anichess is a browser-based chess project from Animoca Brands, crafted with Chess.com and fronted by grandmaster partners including Magnus Carlsen. It shifts from the heritage game much further than the blockchain marketing proposes: stones move as they usually do, but every competitor additionally gets mana — one per turn you don't throw, topping out at eight — and spends it on spells chosen before the game. Parkour Mech permanently shifts a piece to a horse; Clone switches a friendly piece with an enemy one; Squad Member puts a soldier on a bare area. There is no check or mate, because hidden facts can mask it, so rounds end when a monarch is caught.

The system itself is the greatest element: mana needs and spending limits generate genuine timing options, and recognizable tempo speeds, a Glicko-2 ranked track and machine instruction give it structure a club participant grasps. The chain angle is lighter than the label hints — moves stay off-chain. What gets on-chain is M8, a no-cost monthly points level on Base tied to the CHECK coin, gained largely by turning up daily and used for looks, chance packs and buy-in contests. Period rules shift regularly, so this month's money terms may differ after that.

It fits chess fans open to a rule-bending game and spending for earnings that price nothing to follow. Traditionalists, and every person wanting a deep on-chain economy, should go elsewhere.