- The Quebec Games Celebration is here! ❄️ - 17 February 2025
Experience the Best of Quebec’s Game Industry on Steam! The Quebec Games Celebration is an annual Steam event highlighting the creativity and talent of Quebec’s game developers, from indie studios to AAA giants. ✅ 200+ games on sale ✅ Brand-new demos to try out ✅ Upcoming releases to wishlist ✅ DemoNights Livestream (Feb 20-22) – 15 handpicked upcoming games, chosen by expert judges, featured in an exclusive showcase. Checkmate Showdown will be 75% off for the duration of the event! Support the industry and discover amazing games! Link to festival page: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/quebec2025
- Winter Sale - 50% OFF! - 21 December 2023
With the holidays approaching, don't miss your chance to get Checkmate Showdown at a massive 50% discount NOW on Steam through January 4th 🎉 For those who were waiting for sign to jump in on the action, now is the time! 🎮 Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season! ❄️🎁 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1803410/Checkmate_Showdown/
- Update | Patch 1.0.0.1-9671 / January Tournament Details - 12 December 2023
Post launch update (1.0.0.1-9671) This update contains bug fixes and a few balance tweaks. We will keep updating the game as we go and provide balance updates as much as we can. Achievements Achievements system has been reworked and fixed. You have to redo them to unlock those that were not unlocked before. There can be a few seconds before an achievement is performed and Steam gives you the achievement info. Training Room Ultimate and Special infinites are now activated for both players instead of just player 1. Max combo damage is not reset to 0 when player resets the characters. General Gameplay Guard break requires more hits now (450 damages instead of previous 300), but takes slightly longer to regenerate. All special startups in movelists have been fixed and set to actual value (held versions add the expected amount of frames to hold to the startup value) Rook Ultimate has advanta…
- Update | Patch 1.0.0.1-9616 - 22 November 2023
Post launch update (1.0.0.1-9616) This first update mainly contains fixes for recurring issues in the game and balancing tweaks. We will keep updating the game as we go and provide balance updates as much as we can. Online Fixed ranked scoring issues where some players lost points when winning and earned points when losing. From now on, players will earn at least 5 rank points when they win a match. Leaderboards display the correct rank for the current player. Added more time before deciding if players can cancel a ranked match if the ping is above 100ms. General Gameplay Short hop can no longer cancel into full hop if players hold down while short hoping. All ultimates now auto correct at start. Combo Breaker can now be used with LT+B (Ultimate modifier + Special), as well as the usual RT+B (Dash + Special) Bishop 5S is now -5 on block, can be countered if used in a blocked string. 2H…
- Update | Upcoming Tournament Details / Streamers / Changelog - 16 November 2023
It's been over 24 hours since we launched Checkmate Showdown and we already have some news for you! Official Checkmate Showdown Tournament The 1st official Checkmate Showdown Tournament will be held in early January 2024 - for ranked players only. How it works The top 128 players will receive an invitation to our first official tournament with a prizepool of 1000$. You read that right - ONE. THOUSAND. DOLLARS. With a prizepool this big, this makes us one of the biggest indie fighting game tournaments ever. We have a two week buffer or "pre-season" for ranked meaning you have two weeks to lab and try stuff out to get a sense of the gameplay. Then, as of Dec 1st, leaderboards will be reset and the race to qualify for top 128 commences. We'll have a proper loser's bracket meaning we'll have 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes. We're curious to know: How would you like to see the prizepool divide…
- Checkmate Showdown is OUT NOW on Steam! - 15 November 2023
Are you ready to become the ultimate competitor? We're excited to say that Checkmate Showdown is AVAILABLE NOW. From the Closed Beta to the Demo, local events here in Montreal to being invited to Evo in Las Vegas - we can't thank you enough for your continued support and your genuine interest in our game. We're excited to show you what's in store so take a minute to read through our update just so you don't miss anything! What to expect Casual matches: Enjoy a full Checkmate Showdown experience without the sweat. Ranked matches: Enjoy a full Checkmate Showdown experience WITH sweat & leaderboards. Private matches: Play against a friend or a viewer with a room code! Chess960: Randomize the starting position of each major piece. Local Vs./CPU Vs.: Hop on the couch, plug in an extra controller and fight each other or a bot! Practice mode: Head into the training room and start labbing combo…
- Launching November 15th with a 15% launch discount! - 31 October 2023
We have some BIG news for you, including information on the Checkmate Showdown Tournament in early 2024 and last minute surprises but first... Only TWO more weeks until the game releases! Checkmate Showdown will be available on November 15th 2023. The game will be priced at 19.99$USD + a 15% launch discount (grab it while it's on sale!) Here's a few things to know before launch: Casual/Local Vs For our Casual players out there, you'll be able to go into casual play and be matched against someone of your own skill level so you can enjoy a full Checkmate Showdown experience without the sweat. If you're looking for offline play, we have a few available options such as vs CPU and local VS (either two controllers or 1 controller and 1 KB directly in the same PC). Checkmate Showdown is also compatible with most controllers (including fightsticks), just make sure everything is properly setup i…
- Day 21 - The Queen's Gambit - 22 October 2023
Today's setup comes from the Queen's Gambit TV Show, Harmon vs Borgov. Read about it here!
- Day 20 - xQc vs loltyler1, PogChamps 5 - 21 October 2023
Read up on today's setup right here
- Day 19 - The Bongcloud Opening - 20 October 2023
The Bongcloud Attack (or Bongcloud Opening) is considered a joke opening and is associated with internet chess humor. This joke opening is thought to originate from Chesscom user "Lenny_Bongcloud", who uses the opening with little success. Read more about it here Try it out in our demo today! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1803410/Checkmate_Showdown/
- Day 18 - Cramling vs Rosen, Reykjavik Open 2023 - 19 October 2023
Quickly becoming a chess superstar, Anna Cramling is not only a top chess content creator - she's also a 2085 rated Woman Fide Master. With over 620k subs/170M views on YouTube and 360k followers on Twitch we keep asking ourselves: How does she do it!?🤯 https://i.imgur.com/SNlSdWD.jpg Some of her chess savvy may come from the fact that BOTH of her parents are 2500 rated chess GM's While they both have their own achievements - it's important to note that her mother, Pia, is one of the strongest female players in the world. They even do commentary together! Anna's aggressive playstyle has served her well many times but don't let it fool you - she's respected by all of her peers and even when she wins, she never fails to highlight her opponent's game. https://i.imgur.com/4hPbWIh.jpg Eric Rosen is also a Twitch streamer and a YouTube creator that produces educational chess videos for new p…
- Day 17 - Byrne vs Fischer, The Game of the Century - 18 October 2023
The following game, a stunning masterpiece of combination play performed by a boy of 13 against a formidable opponent, matches the finest on record in the history of chess prodigies. IM Donald Byrne vs 13 year old Bobby Fischer. This is The Game of the Century. https://i.imgur.com/riJXuiO.jpg We all know Bobby Fischer's story - he would become one of the best to play the game, playing in historical matches numerous times. This was one of his, if not THE first historical match in his repertoire. He was only 13 years old. https://i.imgur.com/pLIMCAm.jpg Donald Byrne was a university professor and international master chess player. He shared the same coach as his brother, GM Robert Byrne and Bobby Fischer. https://i.imgur.com/RUNs6K6.jpg With the help of Be6!! - the move that was heard around the world - Fischer chooses to sacrifice the Queen and gained a Rook, two Bishops and a Pawn from…
- Day 16 - Matt Thomas vs Dhanalolgjam, 2018 World Chessboxing Title match - 17 October 2023
Proud to call him our official ambassador, Mat Thomas is not only a rated chess player - he is a Chessboxing World Champion. https://i.imgur.com/XFGydAe.jpg World champ, Streamer & Commentator, he's also the founder of Brawl for a Cause - a nonprofit dedicated to training, equipping and inspiring everyday people to literally fight for what they believe in. With the mission of donating $1 billion, they've already reached over 700k https://i.imgur.com/g1vR4Ej.jpg In 2018, "Matador" made it to the Chessboxing World Championship finals, taking 1st place and becoming a World Champion. Watch the match Recap right here: After Ludwig Ahgren announced the Mogul Chessboxing event in 2022, Matt reached out to let him know that he knew a thing or two about the hybrid sport. Lud then invited him to talk about it during his 50-hour glass box stream. The rest is history. https://i.imgur.com/UBmZl6O.jp…
- Day 15 - Naroditsky vs Ortiz Suarez, 2019 US Chess Championship - 16 October 2023
He's a successful chess commentator, capable of predicting the outcomes of games and also a grandmaster, reaching a peak rating of 2647. With a current rating of 2619, we predict that he has a goal in mind - to overcome his PR. Who else but GM Naroditsky for today's setup. https://i.imgur.com/EwZgeGl.jpg Born in sunny California, Naroditsky learned chess at age 6 from his father. Winning tournaments as early as 12 years old, he earned his GM title at age 18. From there, he played in various tournaments, even beating #2 in the world Fabiano Caruana (2800) in 2021. https://i.imgur.com/qEqCb4r.jpg Although top rated in classical, he frequently ranks at the top of the leaderboards in Blitz and Bullet time controls. He is currently ranked #3 in Blitz on Chess.com, behind #2 Hikaru Nakamura & #1 Magnus Carlsen. He's also ranked #1 in Bullet, ahead of them both. https://i.imgur.com/SSnm8u9.jpg…
- Day 14 - CDawgVA vs Sajam, 2021 Chesscom Tournament Arc 2 - 15 October 2023
Today's demo setup involves two YouTube creators that we know and love. One is your current PogChamps champion and the other is a figure in FGC that we all listen to: It's CDawgVA vs Sajam! https://i.imgur.com/XyzswU6.jpg Taken from Chesscom's Tournament Arc 2 in 2021, relive the moment these two faced eachother! Play this setup in our demo today!🔽 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1803410/Checkmate_Showdown/
- Day 13 - Bai vs Liren, 2017 Chinese Chess League - 14 October 2023
Play our demo today! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1803410/Checkmate_Showdown/
- Day 12 - Belenkaya vs Botez, Mogul Chessboxing Match 2022 - 13 October 2023
Two electrifying performers both on and off the chessboard - how could we not go with Dina Belenkaya & Andrea Botez for today's demo setup?! https://i.imgur.com/JfRosBc.jpg Andrea Botez is a chess player, commentator, streamer and (now) chessboxer She began playing chess at the age of six and won many tournaments in her youth, reaching a peak FIDE rating of 1773. She is also 1/2 of BotezLive alongside her sister Alexandra Botez! https://i.imgur.com/WhYVHhQ.jpg Dina Belenkaya is also a chess player, commentator, Twitch streamer, YouTuber and chessboxer that holds the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She has a peak #FIDE rating of 2364. https://i.imgur.com/r5Oa80m.jpg Although friends in real life, they had to put friendship aside in 2022 when they both signed on to Ludwig's Mogul Chessboxing event to compete against one another and win either by checkmate or knockout. Watch the entire m…
- Day 11 - DeepBlue vs Kasparov - 1996 - 12 October 2023
Today's setup is IBM Supercomputer DeepBlue vs GM Garry Kasparov. The match was played in 1996 to see how well the supercomputer would do. Learn more about Kasparov and this famous match here! https://i.imgur.com/iuUvM6O.jpg
- Day 10 - SonicFox & GothamChess vs SqueexTV & GMBenjaminBok, Twitch Rivals 2023 - 11 October 2023
Last summer, Twitch Rivals hosted another Hand & Brain chess match that pairs a streamer with a titled chess player. International Master & YouTuber GothamChess teamed up with 6-time EVO champion SonicFox who is not only a FG pro but also a 1717 rated chess player😏 https://i.imgur.com/Z4UmXcN.png King of chess content, Levy Rozman aka GothamChess is the biggest chess content creator on YouTube with over 4M subscribers and 1B views across his videos. His popularity rose during the pandemic when he analyzed games played by Beth Harmon - protagonist of TheQueens Gambit. GothamChess has a unique ability to analyze high level games and explain them in beginner terms while making it very entertaining. His high energy and humor are also very contagious. https://i.imgur.com/PCVrfU3.jpg SonicFox is a name you should know if you haven't already seen it plastered over anything FGC related. Pro Es…
- Day 9 - Paul Morphy vs the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard, Paris 1858 - 10 October 2023
Before World Championships, before FIDE, before ELO even existed, chess was still going strong. Let's travel back in time to the 1800's when Paul Morphy was deemed to be the "greatest chess master of his era". https://i.imgur.com/41kFedq.jpg Born in New Orleans to a wealthy family, Paul made the best of it and learned #chess on his own. By the age of nine, Morphy was considered one of the best players in New Orleans. In 1846, General Winfield Scott visited New Orleans and asked to play against the strongest player in the city. The chess pieces were set up and a young Morphy was brought in. Scott was at first offended, thinking he was being made fun of. He consented to play after being assured that his opponent was a "chess prodigy" who would prove his skill. Morphy easily won both of their two games, the second time announcing a forced checkmate after only six moves. After his studies,…
