Halfway Through the Year and We’re Just Getting Started!
It’s been an exciting year at ChessKid! Over the first half of 2026, we launched new features and tools designed to make learning and playing chess more fun, engaging, and accessible than ever. Whether you’re a ChessKid player, parent, coach, teacher, or administrator, there’s something new for everyone.And we have even more exciting updates, features, and surprises planned for the rest of the year, so stay tuned! Until then, here’s a look at some of the biggest highlights from Q1 and Q2.
🤖 Meet the Little Gotham Bot!
One of our favorite releases this year was the limited-edition Little Gotham Bot, inspired by GothamChess’ new book, Chess for Babies.
Challenge Little Gotham to a game and see if you can win!
⚡ Experience the Fast Chess Redesign on Android
We redesigned the Fast Chess experience to make getting into games faster and easier than ever. The updated Home and Play experience helps kids jump into games, challenge friends, and continue learning with fewer clicks and more fun.
Available now on iOS and Android. Coming soon to ChessKid.com!
🔍 Level Up Your Chess With Game Review on iOS
Learn all about the chess moves that helped you win, or where things got off track with Game Review. This feature provides move-by-move analysis and coach feedback after Fast Chess games, helping kids learn from every game and improve faster.
Available now on iOS, coming soon to Android!
🎨 New Chessboards and Pieces on iOS and Android
Chess should be as fun to look at as it is to play! Our redesigned chessboards and pieces give kids more ways to personalize their experience. New themes, updated designs, and customizable avatars make every game feel more engaging and unique to each and every chess player.
Available now on iOS and Android! Coming soon to ChessKid.com!
✨ Customize Your ChessKid Experience
Kids can express themselves across the ChessKid universe with customizable avatars. Kids can pick from a range of awesome new themes, all designed to add layers of excitement to the game! Because when chess is fun, it’s easier for kids to stick with it.
Create or update an avatar on ChessKid.com, iOS, or Android, and it will appear in every game you play!
🏫 A New Enterprise Experience For Teachers, Schools, & Districts
The redesigned Enterprise experience and Move & Manage Kids tool provide a clear, intuitive way to organize students, assign Gold seats, and manage teachers and groups all from one central hub.
We’ll walk you through the updated tools available to you, what they do, and how they help you spend less time on admin and more time on supporting students through chess!
➡️Interested in bringing ChessKid to your classroom, school, or district?
Fill out our Enterprise Account Request Form and our team will follow up to help you get started.
Success Stories From the ChessKid Community 🤩
This year we also shared inspiring stories from educators, coaches, schools, and organizations using ChessKid to create meaningful impact through chess.
⭐ Building a Districtwide Chess Program Without Chess Experts
Learn how Dallas ISD expanded access to chess by empowering classroom teachers with ChessKid’s structured learning tools.
⭐ Expanding Access to Chess Education Across Colombia
See how one nonprofit is using ChessKid to bring chess education and enrichment opportunities to students across Colombia.
⭐Building Student Confidence Through Chess
Learn how a Dallas ISD educator introduced chess into the classroom and helped students build confidence, engagement, and critical thinking skills.
⭐Building a Chess Nation in the Cayman Islands
Follow Coach Ryan Blackwood’s remarkable journey from launching a local program to helping create a thriving national chess community.
⭐Turning Chess Into a Districtwide Movement
Explore how Orange County Public Schools generated nearly 144,000 games and unprecedented student engagement through a district-wide chess initiative.
What’s Next? 👀
We're far from finished! Our team is cooking up some exciting things for the second half of 2026. Some of it we can share. Some of it is classified. 🤫
Here's a sneak peek at what's coming:
👗 New avatar outfits are on the way
🎨 More chessboards and pieces to explore
🗺️ New Puzzle Map Worlds to conquer
The rest? You'll just have to wait and see. Stay tuned! ✨