chess is the perfect game to be improved by crypto
chess is currently going through a crisis - a cheating crisis.
there is zero transparency by companies (looking at you chess.com & fide) of how things are ran and actually processed.
there is high interest to play the game, but there is almost 0 distribution of funds to users. chess.com has subscriptions but the average users is rewarded with 0 out of those funds. the same can be said for open sourced tools like lichess that only manage to stay up and running through donations.
the ruling entity is not ruled by players - it is not those who know best how the game works that help push the game forward.
there has to be a better way and all the incentives for chess to be disrupted by crypto are out there.
with crypto chess gains access to:
- immutable game records: transparency ensures fair play and helps games being analyzed
- anonymity: through the use of zk proofs a player can attest that they are of a given level without having to reveal who they are - no need to be doxxed and secondary accounts
- player ranking and matchmaking: ranking and matchmaking can be more transparent and temper proof
- monetisation and incentives: players are able to earn cryptocurrencies through playing, which incentivises more competitive and frequent playing
- crowdsourced governance: instead of a single entity controlling the game, players can actually be in control of the game
- one system, one rank: no more what’s your lichess rating vs fide rating vs chess.com rating. it becomes interoperable.
- anti-cheat: blockchain has since the beginning been working towards creating sybil-resistant systems and true trustless systems. you don't need to trust the other party, just trust the system.