Anichess Launches Public Alpha and Partners with YGG for Southeast Asia Distribution

Animoca Brands, Magnus Carlsen, the five-time World Chess Champion, and Chess.com collaborated to develop the revolutionary chess-based strategy game Anichess, which has now officially released its public alpha edition. This accomplishment represents a major advancement in Web3 gaming. Furthermore, in order to expand its player base and reach in Southeast Asia, the game has partnered with Yield Guild Games (YGG). This is a significant region.

Anichess, whose public alpha version was just released, combines inventive spell mechanics with classic chess gameplay in an entertaining way. This novel strategy hopes to draw both players and chess fans alike. After player-versus-environment (PvE) spell chess puzzles were first introduced, players can now engage in player-versus-player (PvP) matches, practice against artificial intelligence (AI) opponents, and discover fascinating new spells as they advance.

The public alpha also introduces four distinct game modes: ranked match, quick match, friend match, and bot match. These modes allow players to compete for leaderboard points, enhancing the competitive atmosphere of the game.

Expanding Reach Through Strategic Partnerships

Partnering with YGG is a strategic move for Anichess, as it aims to increase its presence in Southeast Asia. This region ranks among Anichess’s top three markets in terms of registered players. The collaboration seeks to onboard chess players, gaming fans, and students from various educational institutions.

To kick off this partnership, Anichess and YGG will host a tournament featuring qualifying rounds beginning in October. The finals will take place at the YGG Play Summit in November in Manila, Philippines. This event will showcase the new PvP features while also promoting engagement through collaborations with guilds, institutions, and content creators.

Brian Chan, head of Anichess, expressed enthusiasm about the launch: “We’re excited to launch the next phase of Anichess and invite players to the new player-versus-player experience. Our partnership with YGG expands our reach to a diverse audience across Southeast Asia, a region that is strategically important due to its vibrant gaming and chess communities. Engaging these audiences will help us realize our vision of delivering an engaging, community-centric, and decentralized experience to a wide global audience.”

Gabby Dizon, co-founder of YGG, shared her excitement as well: “The Philippines has always had a very active competitive gaming community. Of course, that includes chess. We’re excited to see the YGG community dive into this new take on one of the world’s oldest competitive games.”

Since its inception in January 2024, Anichess has gained over one million registered wallets, with a dedicated player base of 30,000 monthly active users. These players have collectively completed more than 50 million puzzles and logged over 14 million minutes of gameplay, showcasing the game’s growing popularity.

As Anichess continues to evolve, it stands poised to make a significant impact on the world of Web3 gaming, bringing traditional chess to a new digital audience.