A chess journey around the world
Travel from city to city, meet unmistakable rivals and fight your way to the title of CHECKBORNE Champion. Atmospheric 3D boards, classic 2D chess and a campaign where character matters as much as strength.
Making of
The hardest question was never how to make an engine strong. The real challenge was this: how can an opponent play at a lower level without feeling arbitrary, artificial or interchangeable?
The first approach used Stockfish for every opponent. Instead of always accepting its best move, CHECKBORNE asked it to calculate several strong candidates. A custom personality system then re-evaluated those moves: initiative, king safety, pawn storms, active rooks, simplification, endgames and many other traits were intended to give each master a recognisable signature.
Across countless test positions and complete games, this stylistic selection worked convincingly for stronger opponents. Believable beginners were much harder. A very strong move does not become human simply because the system occasionally picks a weaker alternative. Large deviations felt random; small ones still made beginners far too strong.
The project therefore moved its 19 human masters to Rodent IV, an engine designed to support personalities and limited playing strength at its core. Individual profiles, native strength settings and controlled error tendencies were combined for every character. AURORA deliberately remains with Stockfish as the artificial final opponent and a contrast to the human-inspired rivals.
A distributed test system matched Rodent profiles and changing configurations against reproducibly configured Stockfish levels. Both colours, wins, draws, losses, move limits and technical errors were recorded centrally. This allowed us to compare ratings, discard false assumptions and refine the difficulty curve opponent by opponent.
Numbers alone cannot decide whether a rival feels alive. Automated measurement was therefore always paired with profile work, concrete positions and hands-on playtests. The result is not merely a list of rising engine levels, but a carefully balanced journey through different chess characters.
The masters
From London to the final challenge against AURORA, every encounter combines a distinct character with an unmistakable style at the board.
Oliver learned chess in the crowded cafés of London. Friendly and adventurous, Oliver favors quick development and daring early attacks—but sometimes excitement outruns calculation.
Isabella is a patient Roman tactician who treats every game like a carefully built monument. Expect firm defenses, elegant counterattacks, and very few rushed decisions.
Hiro studies positions with quiet Tokyo discipline. Precise knight maneuvers and clean tactical combinations are the signature of a player who rarely moves without purpose.
Sofia brings Madrid energy to the board. Bold pawn advances, open files, and uncompromising attacks make every game lively from the first move.
Pierre is a Parisian strategist with a taste for elegant positions. Pierre prefers harmony, pressure, and small advantages that gradually become impossible to ignore.
Magnus grew up playing through Oslo's long winters. Calm under pressure and brutally practical, Magnus is happiest turning a tiny endgame edge into victory.
Anya is known in Moscow clubs for extraordinary patience. She builds a position quietly, waits for one weakness, and then concentrates every piece against it.
Wei approaches chess like the Shanghai skyline: coordinated, ambitious, and always changing. Watch for sudden shifts from positional play to sharp tactics.
Carlos is a celebrated Mexico City competitor whose confidence fills the room. Carlos likes initiative, active rooks, and forcing opponents to solve difficult problems.
Maya studies the classical games of Cairo's old chess circles. Her openings are measured, her structures resilient, and her counterattacks arrive at exactly the wrong moment for you.
Raj is a Mumbai pattern hunter who sees combinations several moves before they appear. Complex middlegames and unexpected sacrifices are where Raj feels at home.
Liam learned over countless long evenings in Dublin. Warm away from the board but stubborn across it, Liam excels at resourceful defense and tricky reversals.
Jack plays with Sydney confidence and an attacking surfer's instinct for momentum. Give Jack an open line toward your king and the pressure will arrive in waves.
Amina developed her style in the courtyards of Marrakech: geometric, patient, and beautifully interconnected. Every quiet move usually serves a larger design.
Lucas brings Rio rhythm to rapid combinations. Fluid piece activity and fearless kingside attacks make Lucas dangerous whenever the position opens.
Erik is a Stockholm positional specialist who values clarity above spectacle. Erik removes counterplay first, then improves every piece until resistance becomes difficult.
Elena combines Athenian philosophy with relentless calculation. She questions every assumption in the position and is especially dangerous in strategic endgames.
Viktor is a Prague tournament veteran with a gift for deep preparation. Familiar openings can suddenly lead into complications Viktor has studied in remarkable detail.
Hana is one of Seoul's sharpest precision players. Fast calculation, tactical accuracy, and ruthless punishment of loose pieces define her modern style.
AURORA has studied millions of games and developed a style beyond nationality or tradition. The artificial grandmaster adapts without emotion, remembers every weakness, and never gets tired.
Ready for your first match?
Visit CHECKBORNE on Steam, add the game to your wishlist and try the free demo.