Chess has thousands of variants.
Almost all of them are stuck in the same place: a rules page, maybe a clunky prototype, no polish, no life. The ideas are brilliant. The execution almost never matches them.
We're trying to fix that.
We build chess variants as real games — properly designed, properly playable, and open source so the work belongs to the community that loves these games.
The games
Three variants playable today, plus one in the works. Pick one to launch below, or open its page for the full rules.
Chess Upgraded: RPG edition
Earn material, build pieces, level them up.
Start with kings and three pawns. Every turn earns material from the territory you hold — spend it to build pieces back onto their home squares, and spend the XP they earn to level them up.
Learn the rulesChess Upgraded
Captures upgrade the capturing piece.
Every capture unlocks a new power mid-game — diagonal rooks, jumping queens, and a king teleport that can undo a checkmate.
Learn the rulesCannibal Chess
Captures transform the capturing piece.
Capture a knight with your rook and it becomes a knight. Identities chain and shift all game — and even the king cannibalises.
Learn the rulesThe Way of the Knight
A knight's journey across the board.
A new variant on the drawing board. Sign up for updates or follow the GitHub repo to be the first to play it.
Rules coming soonSupport the next evolution
Chess Upgraded is still growing. Donations help fund new variants, better visuals, mobile versions, and smarter computer opponents.
More chess variants
Fresh rule twists and new games beyond what's live today.
Original art
A custom visual identity beyond classic chess symbols.
iPhone & Android
Native-feeling mobile versions for quick matches anywhere.
Stronger computer play
Better bots that understand every variant and its wild endgames.
Ready to play?
Launch Chess Upgraded: RPG edition in your browser — free, no sign-up. Pick a game above to switch.
Launch Chess Upgraded: RPG edition