diff --git a/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/service/notifications/NotificationChannels.kt b/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/service/notifications/NotificationChannels.kt
index 9559161a61..7838e8e11d 100644
--- a/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/service/notifications/NotificationChannels.kt
+++ b/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/service/notifications/NotificationChannels.kt
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import androidx.core.app.NotificationManagerCompat
 import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.R
 import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.commons.icons.symbols.MaterialSymbol
 import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.commons.icons.symbols.MaterialSymbols
+import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.isDebug
 import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.service.call.notification.CallNotifier
 import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.service.scheduledposts.AndroidScheduledPostNotifier
 import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.ui.stringRes
@@ -66,14 +67,18 @@ object NotificationChannels {
      * sensible settings order, plus the two non-event channels (scheduled posts,
      * calls) that don't map to a Nostr event kind. */
     val contentChannels: List<Entry> =
-        NotificationCategory.entries.map { category ->
-            Entry(
-                nameRes = category.channelNameRes,
-                icon = category.settingsIcon,
-                channelId = { category.channelId(it) },
-                ensure = { category.ensureChannel(it) },
-            )
-        } +
+        NotificationCategory.entries
+            // Chess (NIP-64) is a debug-only feature for now — don't surface (or
+            // create) its channel in release settings.
+            .filter { it != NotificationCategory.CHESS || isDebug }
+            .map { category ->
+                Entry(
+                    nameRes = category.channelNameRes,
+                    icon = category.settingsIcon,
+                    channelId = { category.channelId(it) },
+                    ensure = { category.ensureChannel(it) },
+                )
+            } +
             listOf(
                 Entry(
                     nameRes = R.string.app_notification_scheduled_posts_channel_name,
diff --git a/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/service/notifications/renderers/ChessNotification.kt b/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/service/notifications/renderers/ChessNotification.kt
index 71d3a74c0d..f3aa6bf7ab 100644
--- a/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/service/notifications/renderers/ChessNotification.kt
+++ b/amethyst/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/service/notifications/renderers/ChessNotification.kt
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ package com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.service.notifications.renderers
 import android.content.Context
 import androidx.annotation.StringRes
 import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.R
+import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.isDebug
 import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.model.Account
 import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.model.LocalCache
 import com.vitorpamplona.amethyst.service.notifications.NotificationCategory
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@ object ChessNotification {
         event: BaseChessEvent,
         @StringRes contentRes: Int,
     ) {
+        // NIP-64 chess is a debug-only feature for now; don't notify in release.
+        if (!isDebug) return
+
         val author = LocalCache.getOrCreateUser(event.pubKey)
         val accountNpub = NotificationRoutes.accountNpub(account)
         val uri = NotificationRoutes.notificationsUri(accountNpub, event.id)