Anichess (official site) is the chess game where both sides get to cast spells, and for Halloween it has added an island called Blunderhollow. You don’t play standard matches here. You travel a map with four stops and a boss at the end, picking up loot as you go, and every resident you meet has a board already rigged in their favour. Blunderhollow stays open until 24 November.
Each fight is still a game of chess: five minutes on the clock, spells for both players, and Kingslay as the win condition. Before you sit down, the resident’s card shows the rigged position you’ll start from. Your spells are what get you past it, and each win earns candy, which you spend in the shop on the residents’ faces and boards.
The shape of a run
- Every run has four stops: three residents, then the master of the house
- Beginner and Intermediate are available from the start
- Every difficulty has a boss of its own, with Master at the top of the ladder
New players sign in and choose a name and a face, and the island is their first game. A tour plays as you head to the opening fight. Here are the four Beginner stops.
Patches, the scarecrow
At the first stop, a scarecrow named Patches stomps through rows of grinning pumpkins, with a cauldron sitting at the edge of the patch. Once you take your seat, you’ll find your bishops have become crows (so both are now knights) and your f and g pawns have dropped out of the board. Patches says he’ll stand his ground, so his card points you to Slip and lets you add it to your three spells ahead of the match. His own spells are Parkour Mech, Shift and Juke.
Hush, the wreck
Out in the shallows a wreck gives off a glow, and its crew never left it. What’s left of them is Hush. At the board, the first thing missing is your knight on g8. According to the card, Hush will drive you to the edge of the board, and it suggests Shot in The Dark when you hit Level 6. Hush casts Slip, Juke and Pengu Dive.
Dr. Volt, the lab
Inside a humming glass dome, something on the table hasn’t gone cold yet. Dr. Volt’s card claims each spell was tried on the doctor first. Then it was your knights’ turn: b8 is now a bishop and g8 is now a rook. Imposter is a good pick for this fight, and the card lets you take it. Dr. Volt’s spells are Queen Time, Pounce And Purr and Shift.
Earl, the boss
Earl runs Beginner, and the screen turns red as you get to him. He’s already eaten your f, g and h pawns, so your king has nothing protecting it. When he tells you he died in a worse position than this, he means it. Slip is effective against him. Earl casts Shot in The Dark, Transcendence and Slip. Beat him and the run is cleared, with your treats tallied up.
Candy, chocolate and the shop
- Each battle win pays 2 candies, with 1 extra if you win on your first attempt
- Defeating the boss pays 2 candies and a chocolate
- A perfect run earns a chocolate, and the day’s first clear earns a chocolate and 200 XP
- Winning all four Beginner fights on the first try comes to 12 candies and 3 chocolates
- Your treats stay with you from run to run until the event closes on 24 November
Everything in the shop comes from the island itself. Earl’s avatar is priced at 10 candies and 4 chocolates, which means a perfect first clear of Beginner puts you one chocolate short of his face, and one more run away from owning it.
- Each resident’s avatar goes on sale once you beat them: Hush costs 8 candies, Dr. Volt 15, and Earl 10 candies and 4 chocolates
- Clearing a location unlocks its board set in the shop: Jack O'Lantern Kingdom for 15 candies, Frankenstein for 25 candies and 4 chocolates, and Vampire Castle for 30 candies and 8 chocolates
- The shop has 17 avatars and 6 sets overall, and every set comes with its own line (“The count always plays black.”)
- Finish a run on Master to get The Mummy
Higher difficulties
The Intermediate bots catch simple tactics and punish pieces left hanging. Any clear on Intermediate or above adds one more chocolate. The developers have also hinted at an upcoming raffle.