Heads Up: Chess Variants Are Moving To Chess.com/variants!

Dear Variant Fans,

We want to share an important change for those of you who love playing variants like 3-Check, King of the Hill (KOTH), Bughouse, and Crazyhouse.

All chess variants will gradually be moved to Chess.com/variants and will no longer be playable on the Play (www.chess.com/play), also known as the Live Chess (LC) server.

💡 Why Are We Making This Change?

There are a few reasons for this shift:

• Improved core playing experience: Our Variants server (www.chess.com/variants) runs on a simpler code, making it easier to maintain and improve.
• FasterUpdates: A dedicated variants server means quicker bug fixes, improvements, and new features without affecting your playing experience.
• Enhanced Variant Gameplay: This move allows us to significantly improve how variants are played, especially team-based games like Bughouse, with better partner board displays and new tools.

🗓️ When Will This Change Happen?

• 3-Check and KOTH: These will be the first to move and could migrate soon.
• Crazyhouse: will follow the first two variants.
• Bughouse: Due to its complexity, Bughouse will stay on Chess.com/play a bit longer. We aim to migrate it later this year, potentially by the end of 2025. We'll keep you updated on the progress.

🗣️ We Want Your Feedback!

This transition is not just about moving code—it's about making variants better for everyone. 
We want to hear from you:

• What challenges are you currently facing with variants?
• Do you have any concerns about this change?
• What improvements would you like to see on the Variants server?

Please comment below with your ideas, feature requests, and concerns. Your feedback is crucial in shaping the future of chess variants on Chess.com!

🙌 Thank you for being part of our community and helping us make Chess.com even better. We're excited about these changes and hope you are, too!

The Chess.com Team