Additional Proposal: Extend the Crown System for Bot Play
Current System & Problem
The three-crown system effectively tracks progress against bots, marking mastery across three difficulty tiers. However, once a player achieves three crowns against a bot, there is no further incentive to replay it. After completing all available bots, players lose motivation to continue bot training, reducing engagement with this feature.
Proposed Solution
Extend the crown system with progressive achievement markers for subsequent victories beyond three crowns. For example:
3 crowns achieved: Display additional markers at milestones (5 wins, 10 wins, etc.)
Visual design: Small stars, ribbons, or other distinct icons placed on the bot's profile card
Progression example: A special badge or counter visible after the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 10th consecutive wins against the same bot
Benefits
Extended engagement: Players have ongoing objectives when replaying familiar bots.
Long-term progression: The bot feature remains challenging and rewarding over time.
Visible achievement: Progressive markers celebrate mastery, encouraging players to push further.
Replayability: Bots become long-term training partners rather than one-time challenges.
Implementation Considerations
The visual design of additional markers should be distinct from the original crowns to clearly communicate new achievements. Spacing them at reasonable intervals prevents clutter while maintaining momentum.
Hi,
First, I want to thank the Chess.com team for the recent upgrade to the "Play Bots" category. The new options to play against bots with customizable time controls and the choice between standard and Chess960 formats are much appreciated improvements.
Suggestion 1: Separate Crown Rankings for Game Variants
With these expanded playing options, I'd like to propose introducing separate achievement systems for standard games and Chess960 games. Currently, the "three crown, two crowns, one crown" symbol doesn't distinguish between the two formats. I'd suggest creating distinct crown sets for each variant—perhaps by using different colors (yellow for standard, red for Chess960) or different symbols altogether. This way, players can immediately see which chess style was used to earn each achievement.
Suggestion 2: Realistic Time Management for Bot Opponents
I've noticed a significant disparity in how time is actually used during timed games. For example, in a Rapid 10-minute game, both players are allocated 10 minutes, but in practice, the computer uses only a fraction of that time—often 2 seconds or less per move—while you must use the full duration to think and evaluate positions. This creates an imbalance: the theoretical 20-minute total game (10 + 10) effectively plays out as a game where only your clock is meaningfully counting down. This one-sided time pressure doesn't reflect how real games flow.
Would it be possible to implement an algorithm that allows the bot to simulate realistic time usage—matching a human player's thinking patterns? This could be offered as a selectable option in the game menu, creating a more natural and balanced playing experience.
Thank you for considering these suggestions.