Two Brazilian developers just proved something radical: chess education doesn’t require boring flashcards, competitive pressure, or pretentious theory manuals. Rodrigo and Eduardo from Deep Green Games spent 18 months building BOT.VINNIK Chess Masters Academy, a puzzle game disguised as educational software. It’s available now as a free demo on Steam, and it’s exactly the kind of weird, charming indie project that makes you forget why you stopped playing chess in the first place.
After getting rejected by 50+ publishers who said the concept was “too niche,” they decided to fund the project themselves using two public grants they secured in Brazil. The result is a complete demo showing off their vision: a chess puzzle game where a sarcastic robotic tutor who quotes Soviet chess philosophy keeps you engaged while you solve increasingly clever problems. No engines. No endless variations. Just the satisfaction of finding the perfect move.
Who Is BOT.VINNIK, Anyway
The game’s centerpiece is BOT.VINNIK, a robotic chess tutor inspired by Mikhail Botvinnik, the legendary Soviet chess grandmaster. The game’s version isn’t just a dry encyclopedia of chess strategy – it’s a witty, sarcastic personality that presents a concept (like the “pin” or the “fork”), immediately challenges you with a minimalist puzzle, and then reveals why your solution works or doesn’t. The dry humor keeps sessions light while teaching serious chess logic.
The character design draws from retro-futurism and Soviet realism aesthetics. BOT.VINNIK looks like something that would’ve been designed in the 1960s by someone who thought robots would eventually help humanity understand chess. This visual approach makes the game feel timeless rather than trendy.
Chess Without the Intimidation
Here’s where BOT.VINNIK succeeds where traditional chess software fails: it removes everything intimidating about chess. No timers. No online ranking. No algorithm calculating how badly you’re losing. Just you, a puzzle, and the satisfying moment when you understand why a particular move is brilliant.
The puzzles are “handcrafted” rather than computer-generated. This means every puzzle teaches something specific and has a pedagogical purpose. You’re not grinding through thousands of variations trying to memorize opening theory. You’re learning to think. There’s a profound difference between those two approaches.
The Learning Philosophy
Rather than drowning players in theory, BOT.VINNIK structures lessons around specific chess concepts. Each puzzle series teaches one core idea thoroughly: “the pin,” “the fork,” “the skewer,” etc. By the time you’ve finished a series, you don’t just understand the concept abstractly – you’ve internalized it through problem-solving.
The game calls this “Learn to Think, Not Memorize.” It’s a philosophy that should apply to all educational games but rarely does. Most chess software treats learning as rote memorization of positions and variations. BOT.VINNIK treats it as developing intuition through elegant problem-solving.
Minimalist Puzzle Design
The visual design of each puzzle strip away everything unnecessary. You see a board position, a handful of relevant pieces, and nothing else. No extraneous information. No complicated setup. Just the core logic problem you need to solve. This minimalist approach keeps your brain focused on the actual chess concept rather than getting lost in visual noise.
It’s the opposite of how most chess training apps work. They throw massive databases and endless variations at you. BOT.VINNIK throws elegant, focused challenges that teach principles through direct experience.
From Rejected Pitch to Grassroots Success
Rodrigo’s story shows how indie publishing works in 2025. He and Eduardo originally pitched BOT.VINNIK as an educational study app. Publishers weren’t interested. Then they decided to make it a game instead. Still, nobody wanted it – 50+ rejections from publishers who acknowledged the quality but deemed it “too niche.”
Rather than give up, they pivoted completely. They secured two public grants from the Brazilian government, hired a team of freelancers, and built a robust demo themselves. The game is now available for free on Steam with an impressive vertical slice showing exactly what the full game will feel like.
Their approach bypassed the traditional publishing gatekeepers who were convinced that chess games need to be competitive, pressurized, and marketed toward hardcore players. Instead, Rodrigo and Eduardo made a game for people who find traditional chess software intimidating. And it turns out there are way more of those people than any publisher wanted to admit.
Current Status and Demo Availability
BOT.VINNIK Chess Masters Academy has a free demo available on Steam right now. The demo is robust enough to give you hours of gameplay and a real sense of what the full game will offer. It’s fully playable content, not a limited “try the first 10 minutes” situation.
The full release date hasn’t been announced yet, but given the quality of what’s available and the funding situation, it should be coming relatively soon. Deep Green Games is taking their time to make sure the final product meets the vision they’ve been developing.
FAQs
Where can I play BOT.VINNIK Chess Masters Academy?
A free demo is available on Steam right now. The demo is substantial and fully playable, giving you hours of content. Search for “BOT.VINNIK Chess Masters Academy” on Steam.
Will the full game cost money?
Yes, the full release will be paid, but pricing hasn’t been announced yet. The free demo will remain available, so you can try it risk-free before deciding whether to purchase the full version.
When is the full game releasing?
No official release date has been announced. The developers are prioritizing quality over rushing to market, and they’re using feedback from the demo to refine the experience before launch.
Is this game for beginners or experienced chess players?
The game is designed to be accessible to everyone. Beginners will learn fundamental chess concepts. Experienced players will appreciate the puzzle design and the chance to refine tactical patterns. It scales across skill levels.
Do I need to know chess to enjoy this?
The demo teaches you as you go. BOT.VINNIK explains each concept before presenting puzzles, so complete beginners can learn from scratch. Prior chess knowledge helps but isn’t required.
How long are typical play sessions?
The game is designed for short, focused sessions. You can play for 15 minutes or 2 hours depending on your mood. There’s no pressure or time limit on individual puzzles.
Will there be multiplayer or competitive modes?
The game focuses entirely on single-player learning and puzzle-solving. No multiplayer competition has been mentioned. The philosophy is about enjoying the thinking process, not competing against others.
Who are the developers?
BOT.VINNIK is made by Deep Green Games, a team led by Rodrigo and his friend Eduardo from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They’re published through Abyssal Studios and have been working on chess educational games for several years.
Conclusion
BOT.VINNIK Chess Masters Academy represents exactly the kind of creative, focused indie project that makes gaming special. Two developers refused to compromise their vision despite 50+ rejections from traditional publishers. They found their own funding and built a product that proves chess education doesn’t have to be intimidating, competitive, or boring. The free demo on Steam proves the concept works beautifully – chess puzzles become satisfying through elegant minimalist design and a sarcastic robot tutor who genuinely makes the learning process fun. If you’ve ever found chess software too overwhelming or competitive, if you enjoy puzzles and logic problems, or if you’re just curious about what happens when developers prioritize learning joy over engagement metrics, download the demo. You’ve got nothing to lose, and you might just discover that chess puzzles are genuinely enjoyable when they’re designed for thinking rather than performance.