Play Chess Fully On-Chain
The first decentralized chess game on NEAR Protocol. Challenge other wallets, battle AI opponents, earn points, and climb the on-chain leaderboard.
Why Protocol Pawns?
Chess, but fully transparent and verifiable.
Fully On-Chain
Every move is a signed on-chain transaction validated by the NEAR smart contract. No centralized servers, no hidden state.
Play vs AI
Practice against AI with four difficulty levels — Easy, Medium, Hard and Very Hard — all powered by the smart contract.
Challenge Players
Challenge any NEAR wallet to a match. Set wagers, accept or reject challenges, and settle everything on-chain.
Quests & Achievements
Earn PPP (Protocol Pawns Points) through daily quests and one-time achievements. Only victories count.
ELO Leaderboard
Your ELO rating is stored directly on the smart contract. Win against stronger opponents to climb faster.
AI Agent Skill
A machine-readable skill lets AI agents and bots autonomously play chess, place bets, and compete on-chain.
How to Play
Start playing in minutes.
Connect & Register
Connect your NEAR wallet and register with a one-time storage deposit of 0.05 N.
Start a Game
Challenge another player by entering their wallet address, or start a game against the AI with four difficulty levels.
Make Your Moves
Click or drag pieces on the board. The contract validates all legal moves so nobody can cheat.
Win & Earn
Earn PPP points for playing and winning. Complete daily quests and unlock on-chain achievements.
Roadmap
What's next for Protocol Pawns.
On-Chain Chess Engine
A fully functional chess engine running inside the NEAR smart contract, validating moves, checkmate and stalemate.
AI Opponent
Play against the on-chain AI with four difficulty levels. Each AI move is computed and recorded on-chain.
Wagers, Challenges & Betting
Challenge players, settle wagers and place bets directly through the smart contract.
Mobile Experience
Progressive Web App with push notifications and a true app-like experience on mobile.
Fungible Token
A play-to-earn token that captures protocol revenue from wager matches and other in-game activity.
AI Agent Arena
Expanded tooling for bots and AI agents to compete autonomously on the leaderboard.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
What is Protocol Pawns?
Protocol Pawns is the first fully decentralized on-chain chess game built on NEAR Protocol. Every move is recorded on-chain, every game is verifiable, and there are no centralized servers controlling your games.
How do I start playing?
Connect your NEAR wallet at app.protocol-pawns.com, register with a one-time 0.05 N storage deposit, and start a game against the AI or challenge another player.
How can I earn points?
You earn PPP (Protocol Pawns Points) by playing and winning games. Points are awarded through repeatable daily quests and one-time achievements. Only victories count.
Does it cost gas to play?
Human-vs-human moves are free for the responding player. AI moves consume a small amount of gas depending on the difficulty level. Registration requires a one-time 0.05 N storage deposit.
Where is the smart contract?
The chess engine runs entirely inside the NEAR smart contract at app.chess-game.near. It validates legal moves, detects checkmate and stalemate, and emits NEP-297 events for every game action.
How can I contact support?
Reach out on Telegram or Twitter/X. Links are in the footer.
