Anichess, the next-generation chess platform developed by Animoca Brands in partnership with Chess.com, announced that it debuted King’s Gambit, a chess-inspired survival mobile game, at the Speed Chess Championship 2025 Finals. The activation marks Anichess’s largest on-site presence at an event in conjunction with Chess.com, the world’s premier online chess platform. Download King’s Gambit now for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Watch the official trailer of King’s Gambit here
In King’s Gambit, players play as the King and must survive waves of enemy chess pieces in fast, skill-based chess-inspired gameplay designed for mobile. Mobile gaming generated nearly US$82 billion annually (source: SensorTower) and represents half of the global games market. With its fast and strategic gameplay, King’s Gambit is the first product by Anichess that targets mainstream mobile audiences, in addition to its core audience of chess enthusiasts.
The launch of King’s Gambit at the Speed Chess Championship 2025 Finals put Anichess at the center of elite competitive chess. The event was hosted by Chess.com in London on 7 and 8 February 2026, and featured a US$250,000 prize pool, qualification spots for the 2026 Esports World Cup, and a global broadcast reaching over five million viewers. During the event, Magnus Carlsen defeated Alireza Firouzja in the Final to claim the Naroditsky Cup. Various attendees and professional players, including David Howell and Anna Cramling, visited the Anichess’ booth to play the launch version of King’s Gambit unveiled at the event.
Anna Cramling (second from left) with the Anichess team
Anichess is the official next-generation chess gaming partner of Chess.com, which in 2025 surpassed 200 million members, with over 20 million games played daily. Anichess has partnered with prominent chess champions, including five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen, three-time British Champion GM David Howell, and other top chess professionals.
Chevan Tin, head of Anichess, said: “Launching King’s Gambit at the Speed Chess Championship Finals is an important milestone for Anichess. We work with Chess.com, world-class players and champions, and the broader chess community to bring new chess-inspired experiences not just for lovers of chess lovers, but also a wider audience who might never even have touched a chessboard. King’s Gambit is designed to be accessible on mobile while staying rooted in the language of chess, and we look forward to seeing how both chess fans and new players engage with it.”
King’s Gambit is available now on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
About Anichess
Anichess, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands and official partner of Chess.com, is building the next evolution of chess through a unique spell-based gameplay system and Web3 integration. By combining the depth of traditional chess with innovative mechanics and blockchain ownership, Anichess creates an esport-like experience for a new generation of players. Anichess is free-to-play and has adopted the CHECK Token (CHECK) to support in-game utilities, rewards, and community engagement. Visit www.anichess.com and follow Anichess on X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
About Animoca Brands
Animoca Brands Corporation Limited (ACN: 122 921 813) is a global digital assets leader building and investing in impactful technologies and ecosystems to reimagine future economies. It has received broad industry and market recognition including Fortune Crypto 40, Top 50 Blockchain Game Companies 2025, Financial Times’ High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific, and Deloitte Tech Fast. Animoca Brands is recognized for building digital asset platforms such as the Moca Network, Open Campus, Anichess, and The Sandbox, as well as institutional grade assets; providing digital asset services to help Web3 companies launch and grow; and investing in frontier Web3 technology, with a portfolio of over 600 companies and altcoin assets. For more information visit www.animocabrands.com or follow on X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok.