In Brief:
- Anichess (official site) has rolled out the Masters League, where eight elite players battle each season for a 100,000 CHECK prize pool.
- Structured as a round robin with promotion and relegation, the league blends top-tier competitors with rising talent.
- Season 10 carries 300,000 CHECK in total prizes, and player ratings will now carry over from one season to the next.
Anichess launches Masters League
A new competitive tier has arrived in Anichess, the chess variant built around spell-powered gameplay. Called the Masters League, it brings together the game’s eight best players. Every season they will face each other in a round robin of best-of-five matches, competing for a combined 100,000 CHECK. Thanks to promotion and relegation, the format rewards proven players while also giving newcomers a path to the top.
The first roster is assembled from several routes. Ellaijio and Dreams earned their places through the Road to Magnus Cup. Three more seats went to the leading finishers of the Seasons 5 to 7 Playoffs, and the last three players qualified via the Season 9 Playoffs. By pulling in results from several seasons, the league starts with a strong, competitive field.
Match format and tiebreaks
Each Masters League match runs for up to five games, so no single game can decide a result on its own. If players finish level after the opening matches, their positions are decided by the Berger coefficient. Should that still leave a tie, a best-of-three playoff determines the final placings.
Progression through the playoffs
One step below the Masters League sit the Seasonal Playoffs, which also carry a 100,000 CHECK prize pool. The playoffs will host 64 competitors: 24 enter from the Standard ladder and another 24 qualify on seasonal points. The remaining places go to streamers, titled players who receive invitations, and qualifiers from events such as the Gambit Series. The two highest finishers move up into the Masters League, keeping its lineup constantly refreshed.
Playoff points and weekly events
Feeding into the playoffs is a weekly schedule of events. Spellbound and SpellStorm act as qualifiers, awarding playoff points that count toward player rankings. The Gambit Series runs buy-in matches, with its top two finishers earning direct entry to the playoffs. Relic Rush hands out cosmetic rewards tied to performance, while more casual formats such as Mirror Mode and Spell Playground keep players engaged with nothing on the line.
Points in these events are awarded for both final placement and how much a player competes. Even without finishing near the top, participants keep building their totals, which puts the emphasis on staying active across the weekly schedule.
Prize structure and changes
For Season 10, Anichess has set aside 300,000 CHECK in total prizes, split equally between the Seasonal Playoffs, the Masters League, and a range of events held during the season.
Season 10 will also bring the last rating reset, after which player rankings become permanent. According to Anichess, this gives new players a rare window to claim ladder spots before ratings start carrying over for good.
Inside Anichess
Anichess combines classic chess with spell mechanics, letting players cast a variety of spells while the fundamental rules of chess stay in place. Built by Animoca Brands together with Chess.com, the game has drawn more than 1 million players, including well-known grandmasters.
CHECK, the game’s token, has a fixed supply of 1 billion, with over half set aside for community and player rewards. Players can use it to enter tournaments, win prizes, and purchase in-game assets. According to Chevan Tin, head of Anichess, bringing CHECK into the game is meant to tie rewards to chess skill.
Next up, a second title, King’s Gambit, is scheduled for launch, broadening Anichess’s presence in the gaming world. At the close of Season 10, the Masters League is set to reset its standings, leaving four of the current eight players in danger of losing their places.