Create Your Account
Getting into ChessVS takes about five minutes. You do not need to own any cryptocurrency, install a browser extension, or understand blockchains. Here is the whole process.
Step 1 — Sign up
Go to chessvs.club and choose Play Now. You can sign up with:
- An email address, or
- A Google / Apple account
That's it. A secure wallet is created for you automatically in the background — you never see a seed phrase unless you go looking for one. (How that works →)
Step 2 — Choose your club
Every player belongs to a club. Your club is your team — it sets the look of your cards, your colour on the board, and the community you join.
You cannot change clubs later, and your collectible Battle Board is club-specific. Pick the one whose style and identity you actually like. See Clubs before you decide.
At launch, the two founding clubs are Bitcoinia and Etheryst. More clubs are introduced over time.
Step 3 — Player Registration
Player Registration is the universal sign-up event. Every wallet that joins ChessVS completes it once. Registration gives you:
- A permanent on-chain username — yours forever, can never be transferred or changed
- A PlayerIdentity record bound to your wallet
- Access to ranked play, tournaments, and your starter deck
Player Registration opens September 15, 2026.
Username tiers
Usernames are tiered by length. In the alpha (now through Sept 15, 2026), all tiers are free. At Player Registration, longer usernames remain free; shorter ones become paid:
| Tier | Length | At launch | What it costs after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scout | 10+ characters | Free | Free |
| Settler | 5–9 characters | Free | $25 |
| Pioneer | 3–4 characters | Free | $75 |
| Trailblazer | 1–2 characters | Free | $299 |
| Genesis Claim | The most exclusive flow | Free | $999 (capped) |
ChessVS usernames cannot be changed, transferred, or upgraded after registration — by design. A name that can't be swapped is a name worth carrying. The only way to use a different name is to register a new wallet, which means losing the original wallet's stats, rating, cards, and history. Choose carefully.
The Genesis Claim
The Genesis Claim is the highest-tier registration flow, capped at 700 places total across the protocol — 350 per launch club. Genesis-tier registrants receive the Genesis Founder's Card (a unique permanent Battle Card), a pre-minted Battle Board with collector-grade low serial number, and a starter rewards package. Hard-capped, never reopened.
The Oracle Pass
The first 10,000 wallets to complete Player Registration during the Sept 2026 – July 2027 window also receive an Oracle Pass — a separate scarce credential, capped at 10,000 across the lifetime of the protocol. Pass holders are addressed collectively as The Circle, and the in-game AI persona that speaks to them is ORACLE.
Free Scout-tier registrants count toward the cap on equal footing with paid tiers — first come, first served. (One Pass per real human.)
Step 4 — Run the tutorial
The in-app tutorial walks you through:
- Making a chess move
- Activating your first card
- Reading the Tension Gauge
- Winning by checkmate
You earn your first XP here, which starts you on the XP Rank ladder. (XP & Rank Tiers →)
Step 5 — Play your first match
New accounts start in the Blitz Arena — short, low-pressure ranked matches against players near your skill. You begin with a free starter deck, so you can play immediately without spending anything.
What you get for free
| Free on every account | Notes |
|---|---|
| Starter deck of cards | Enough to play ranked matches |
| Practice board | Unlimited free play vs AI |
| Blitz Arena access | Ranked ladder for new players |
| Daily quests & puzzles | Earn XP and in-game currency |
| Tutorial rewards | First cards and a small FOCUS balance |
You can play, climb, and compete without buying anything. Purchases are about collecting and customising — never about being allowed to play.
Next step
→ Wallet Onboarding — what the "wallet" is and why you don't need to worry about it → Your First Season — what to expect in your first weeks