The Animoca Brands-backed chess platform brings together 150 industry leaders for a fireside chat with the world chess champion ahead of FIDE championships
When the greatest chess player alive wants to talk about artificial intelligence, people tend to listen. Magnus Carlsen is heading to Hong Kong on June 16 for a fireside chat hosted by Anichess, the blockchain-enhanced chess platform built by Animoca Brands in partnership with Chess.com.
The event, titled “Checkmate the Future of Strategy,” will take place at the Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel and is expected to draw roughly 150 influential figures from AI, finance, and technology.
What Anichess is actually building #
Anichess layers magical spell mechanics on top of traditional chess gameplay. Animoca Brands developed the platform alongside Chess.com, the world’s largest online chess community. Carlsen himself serves as a key ambassador. The project’s phased launch began in January 2024, with the first phase rolling out as a free-to-play experience.
The crypto angle comes through the CHECK ($CHECK) utility token, which powers tournament entry, staking, rewards, and governance within the Anichess ecosystem. The CHECK utility token was adopted as the platform’s native token in November 2025 and is designed to reward players for skill-based performance rather than time spent playing.
Leading up to the Hong Kong event, Anichess ran a series of qualifying competitions called the “Road to Magnus” series. Players competed for spots to play alongside Carlsen in Anichess formats.
The timing is not accidental #
The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships run from June 17 to 21, 2026, in Hong Kong. Carlsen’s fireside chat on June 16 is the day before he competes on the global stage.
The Industry Leaders Luncheon format targets around 150 attendees. The fireside chat itself will focus on the intersections of chess and AI.
What this means for investors #
There are no new token launches or major market announcements expected at the event. The CHECK token’s utility spans tournaments, staking, and governance. Chess.com’s involvement is a key variable, given that the platform has tens of millions of active users who already play chess daily.
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