Anichess Lets the Game Pick Your Spells in Week 5

On August 12, 2026, Anichess announced a new tournament variant where players can’t pre-select spells they discover abilities mid-game once half the board is gone. Entry is free, and 300 $CHECK goes to the top five, according to the studio ^[1]. They also noted that $CHECK launched on Coinbase in April 2026, part of their push to bring crypto into chess ^[2]. This latest event supposedly builds on that momentum with a randomized gameplay twist, but it’s hard not to see it as a gimmick. No cap, the whole thing feels a bit sus.

Stylized Isometric Art

Let’s see what Anichess looks like. This is a stylized 3D game, with an isometric view that gives the board game a diorama-like feel. The chess pieces are the stars here. They alternate between dark, polished forms and variants that glow with purple and cyan energy. Each capture feels like a spell being cast. That magic theme carries into the animated cards and icons, which pop with lightning, violet smoke, and bright gold bursts against warm tan stone backgrounds. The mix of realistic character portraits with illustrated fantasy avatars throws the visual tone slightly off-balance. But the overall package of neon effects and a mythical tabletop setting lands as energetic and distinct.

Glowing pieces cast spells with each capture.

JRPG

Shot in the Dark Controversy

Let’s take a look at what the community is saying. Many players praise the art, but a lot of them think the spell Shot in the Dark ruins the game. It turns chess into a guessing game instead of strategy ^[3]. Others enjoy the creative chess variant and fresh spells, but the community is largely frustrated over that one overpowered move ^[4]. Some fans suggest removing Shot in the Dark entirely, while others offer nerfs like restricting it from the queen or adding movement penalties ^[5].

We also checked video comments. All comments appear to be real reactions. Players discuss game mechanics, balance issues, and personal opinions. We found no evidence of coordinated fake praise or spam ^[6].

Crypto Token Price Action

Here’s how CHECK has been moving lately. It’s been absolutely tanking compared to other gaming tokens. The 90-day chart shows a brutal -68.2% drop while peers only lost -5.3%. Sure, it stopped falling for a bit after the announcement, but that’s nothing to get excited about.

• 30-day range: $0.01384 to $0.05355
• Past 90 days: -68.2% (vs. other gaming tokens: -5.3%)
• Our wash-trading signal score: 37/100 ^[7]

CHECK vs. Gaming Index: data table

Window	CHECK	Gaming Index
6 months	-80.69%	-25.41%
3 months	-68.21%	-5.28%
1 month	-49.91%	-5.3%
1 day	+0.58%	+2.5%

Random Spell Deal

Enough number-crunching, here’s the story everyone’s supposedly buzzing about. Anichess wants you to believe that a random spell roulette is the next big thing. They call it “Season 9: The Circuit, Week 5” entry is free, top five get 300 $CHECK. But given how the token is crashing, this feels like a cheap trick to pump the numbers. The announcement on X was met with mixed reactions, to say the least.

Reactions are split. One person just commented “Shitcoin”, while someone else told the team “Scammers you deserve hell”. Yet another commenter demanded that Chevan Tin be fired over Checkmate. Meanwhile, chess fans watching the game’s spell-based matches had a different gripe: “Shot in the Dark” is still too strong. One commenter said it “forces you to play in a defensive manner”. Another simply begged the devs to “remove the Shot in the Dark spell”.

So Week 5 is a roulette wheel of magical chess, and honestly, it’s hard to trust that this is anything more than a desperate attempt to draw attention. But hey, watching players scramble with spells they didn’t choose might be entertaining, even if it’s not real strategy.

References

1. ↑ “Original announcement on X” X
2. ↑ “X post by @AnichessGame” (English) X Post
3. ↑ “YouTube comment by @ferrisffalcis” (English) YouTube Comment
4. ↑ “YouTube comment by @laislyra5512” (English) YouTube Comment
5. ↑ “YouTube comment by @SuperZebezian” (English) YouTube Comment
6. ↑ “What shill detection is and how we identify it” (English) What is Shill Detection
7. ↑ “What wash trading is and how we detect it” (English) What is Wash-Trading

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