Unite your knights.
Make a legal knight jump onto your own ordinary knight. The two clear glass knights become one filled golden knight. Fusion uses your turn.
Before
After
How it works
Chess with a golden twist.
Every chess rule you know, plus one new move. Unite your two knights into a Golden Knight that jumps twice every turn.
- Free to play
- No email or password
- Phone, tablet or desktop
01The golden rules
One new piece. Three rules.
All ordinary chess rules apply, with one powerful addition.
Always jump twice.
On later turns, the golden knight must make two consecutive knight jumps. It can capture on each jump, or return to where it started.
Only two things end the turn after one jump:
- the first jump gives check, or
- no legal second jump exists.
Two jumps, one turn
1
2
Check ends the turn
1
Protect your king.
- Your king must be safe after every jump.
- A pinned knight cannot expose your king, and an illegal first jump cannot be repaired with a second jump.
- A golden knight gives check on the same attack squares as an ordinary knight.
- It can still move twice, but any first jump that gives check ends the turn.
- Friendly pieces block landing squares.
Everything else is classic chess.
Castling, en passant, promotion, checkmate and stalemate are included. Draws can be claimed after threefold repetition or 50 moves without a pawn move or capture. Fivefold repetition and 75 moves are automatic draws.
Tip Want to practise first? In the game, tap Try the golden knight for a two-player practice position.
02Two ways to play
Play as a guest. Add a wallet only if you want to.
Both use the same board, the same rules and the same ladder.
How most people play
Guest
Pick a nickname and play. That's it.
- Free to play
- Climb the ladder like everyone else
- No email, no password
- Move your profile to another device with a private save code
“Save my profile” gives you a private code. This code opens your profile. Keep it private and treat it like a password.
Optional
Phantom wallet
For players who already use Phantom. Most players never need it.
- Your rating follows your wallet to any device
- Token rewards later, for wallet players only
- Signing in never asks for your recovery phrase
- Signing in never sends a payment
Not into crypto? Skip this completely. Guests get the full game.
03The ladder
Climb the ladder.
Ratings use the Elo system, like chess.com. Beat a stronger player and you gain more points. Lose to a lower-rated player and you drop more.
- 1200Everyone starts at 1200.
- 10Your first 10 rated games are provisional.
- 5minRated games are 5‑minute matchmaking.
- 0Rating change from games with friends.
RankPlayerRating
- 1RookAndRoll1512
- 2KnightOwl 1467
- 3QuietPawn1398
- —You Provisional · 3 of 101200
Rated matchmaking
5 minutes each, against a matched opponent. Wins and losses move your rating.
Casual with friends
Play a friend just for fun. Win or lose, your rating never changes.
04Tokens
Collectible game tokens, not money.
GKC is the planned game token for optional themes and skins. Chess is free to play. Rewards and claims are not active. Games played now earn no tokens.
- Games played now earn no future tokens. Earning starts on a date we announce.
- Once rewards launch, eligible rated games against real players found through matchmaking are planned to earn GKC. The winner gets most; the loser gets a smaller share. Games against the computer or friend-link games never earn tokens.
- The reward plan requires a connected Phantom wallet. Guest play stays free.
- We never sell tokens. Later, players may be able to trade them with each other.
- Planned uses: unlock board themes, piece sets and skins in the game.
- Tokens have no promised value and may never be worth money. Play for the game.
- The planned claim process may require a network fee; final claim details will be shown before approval.
- The game will never ask for your recovery phrase, and signing in never sends a payment.
04bTokenomics
Where the tokens come from.
The proposed supply and reward schedule are below. Beta plan, not active payouts: numbers and eligibility may change before rewards start.
100,000,000GKC proposed total supply. The fixed cap is not yet verified by a published mint receipt.
80 / 20Planned split for an eligible rewarded game: winner 80%, loser 20%.
0Tokens sold by the game. The plan distributes GKC through eligible play.
Planned starter rewards: four stages of 25 million
Stage 15,000per game4,000 winner · 1,000 loser
Stage 21,200per game960 winner · 240 loser
Stage 3250per game200 winner · 50 loser
Stage 450per game40 winner · 10 loser
After rewards launch, earlier stages offer larger amounts. Each stage has a 25-million GKC budget; the next stage begins as distribution progresses. Current beta games earn no tokens.
Proposed next step: Reward Seasons
- 1PlayWin rated games against real players.
- 2EarnEligible rewards would go to your balance.
- 3SpendUnlock skins and themes in the Golden Forge.
- 4RefillThe plan returns spent GKC to the Rewards Pool.
- 5New SeasonProposed trigger: a 1,000,000 GKC pool, with one quarter distributed over 30 days.
Seasons depend on the available pool and player spending; continued rewards are not guaranteed. These mechanics are not active. Chess remains free whether rewards are running or paused. Marble and Jungle are included; Bitmap is a locked 10,000 GKC theme. Unlocking is not available yet.
05Roadmap
What's live now, what's coming.
The full game is ready today. Tokens and skins come later, one step at a time.
Live now
- The full game: Golden Knight rules and an Easy, Medium or Hard computer
- Online matchmaking
- The ladder, with ratings and a leaderboard
- Optional Phantom wallet sign-in
Coming next
GKC token rewards, tested first on Solana's free test network.
Rewards are off today. Games played now earn no future tokens. We'll announce the start date.
After that
The Golden Forge: skins and cosmetic items for your pieces and board. See below.
Later
Trade skins with other players.
App-store versions of the game, with chess only. Tokens stay on the website.
06The Golden Forge
The Golden Forge. Coming later.
Use GKC to unlock cosmetic items. Your opponent sees your look.
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Style your whole game.
Piece sets, Golden Knight skins, double-jump effects, boards and arenas, victory effects and nameplates.
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Looks, never power.
Every item is cosmetic only. It never gives a playing advantage.
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Upgrade through tiers.
Bronze, Silver, Gold, then Legendary. Legendary also needs wins with that item.
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Change your mind.
Melt an item you no longer want to get part of your GKC back.
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Tokens stay optional.
Free starter skins for everyone, plus items you unlock just by playing.
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Try before you choose.
Try any skin free against the computer first.
The Forge is not open yet. Plans may change.
07Safety & privacy
Private by design.
We keep as little as possible, and only what the game needs.
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No advertising trackers.
Private first-party statistics help improve the game: visits, starts, completions and approximate countries are retained for up to 30 days using hashed browser and game-session identifiers. Analytics stores no raw internet addresses, names or wallet addresses. Optional browser usage reporting can be disabled in Privacy. Multiplayer records still support ratings, fair play and operator spectating.
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No email needed.
No email, password or real name is asked for.
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Nicknames, not real names.
Your opponent sees your nickname. Pick one that isn't your real name.
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Old profiles are cleared.
Guest profiles are hidden from the ladder after 90 days without play, and deleted after 12 months without play.
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Your internet address.
Used only to limit abuse, like bots or too many seats from one address.
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Your recovery phrase stays yours.
The game will never ask for it. Signing in never sends a payment.
Our hosting provider may keep standard security logs.
08FAQ
Questions, answered.
What are Golden Knight tokens?
Free collectibles for playing well. Win rated games against real players and, once rewards start, wallet players earn GKC tokens. They are for the game (planned: themes, piece sets and skins), not an investment, and we never sell them.
Do I need crypto to play?
No. Play as a guest with just a nickname. The wallet is optional, and most players never need it.
What if I clear my browser?
Use your save my profile code to get your profile back. Save the code before you need it, and keep it private. Without it, you start fresh as a new guest.
Why did my friend game not change my rating?
Games with friends are casual and never change rating. Only rated 5-minute matchmaking games move your rating.
Is the Golden Knight's second jump optional?
No. It must jump twice every turn, with two exceptions: the first jump gives check, or no legal second jump exists.
Can the Golden Knight capture twice in one turn?
Yes. It can capture on each jump, or return to where it started.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. It runs in your phone's browser, with nothing to install. Tap a piece and then its destination, or drag it.
Do games against the computer change my rating?
No. The computer is a casual practice opponent.
Can I share my save code with a friend?
No. The code opens your profile, so anyone who has it can play as you. Treat it like a password.