September at Rovian: Make the game your own

Some days call for familiar chess. On others, you might want the dice to change your plans or build your whole game around a crown. We’re making more room for those different moods at Rovian.

Our web updates from September 1–7 focused on making it easier to get started, giving you more choice and keeping the board in a familiar place. Here are the highlights from the first week of the month.

Try it first: three games as a guest

Curious about Rovian but not ready to create an account? Choose guest sign-in on the login screen to try three games without entering an email address, username or password.

Before starting, you need to confirm that you are at least 18 and accept the terms of use. After three games, registration is required to keep playing. It’s an easy way to introduce a friend: try a few games first and see how it feels.

Open the login page to find the guest option. The three-game trial described here is part of the web experience.

What would you like to play today?

Quick matchmaking lets you choose between Classic, Fischer 960, Dice Chess and Crown Hold. Each mode can be switched on or off independently, including Classic. In the mood for Dice Chess only? Turn the other selections off.

All four modes start selected on your first visit, and your choices are remembered afterwards. With no modes selected, search stays disabled and explains that you need to pick at least one. Normal quick matchmaking looks for a mode that both players have selected.

The search screen also lists the modes you’re looking for by name, so you can see your choices while waiting. Curious about the rules? Explore the game modes.

Your Rovian, your theme

Prefer a darker space or a brighter screen? The Theme picker at the bottom of the sidebar puts Midnight, Graphite, Ocean, Amethyst, Amber, Gold, Emerald and Ivory in one place.

Your choice applies immediately. With the sidebar collapsed, the palette icon opens the same options. This changes the application’s appearance; the chessboard theme remains a separate preference.

A setting you use often should be easy to reach. That’s why we brought theme selection into the everyday navigation.

The game ends. The board stays put.

After the final move, you may want another look at the position. In Classic and Dice Chess, the result now preserves the table layout: camera areas that were already visible are kept in place instead of disappearing and shifting the board.

Bot games also stop offering the unavailable option to continue chatting. The result screen should offer things you can actually do in that match.

See you across the board

This is a first-week roundup, not a summary of the entire month. These changes concern the web experience; iOS and Android updates will be covered separately in their release notes.

Try a different mode, pick a new theme or invite a friend to use guest sign-in. Tell us how it feels and what you’d like to see next.

Ready? Head to Rovian. Let’s play chess, face to face.