# Chess King - Learn to Play — Train like a master

> Interactive chess lessons, puzzles, and analysis for all skill levels. (iPhone/iPad app by Chess King.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Chess King](https://appshunter.io/developer/1096660597)
- Category: Games, Education, Board, Puzzle
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 2,481 App Store ratings · 321 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 108 MB
- Languages: American English, Arabic, Czech, Dutch, Filipino, French (France), German (Germany), Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian and 15 more
- Released: 2017-12-19
- Data updated: 2026-08-28
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239/reviews.md

## What is Chess King?

Don't just play chess. Train like a master.
Chess King teaches the game the way strong players are actually built — with a rigorous, structured curriculum, not a random feed of puzzles. 147 complete courses take you from your first move to advanced play, step by step.

WHY CHESS KING IS DIFFERENT
Most chess apps let you play. Chess King trains you. Every course is a real lesson built on classical training methods refined over 30 years — the same approach behind CT-ART, the tactics trainer used by serious players worldwide.
You don't just solve a position and move on. Chess King gives you hints when you are stuck, explains the idea behind the right move, and shows you the striking refutation of the mistakes you might make. That is how understanding is built — not memorized.

WHAT YOU GET
- 147 structured courses covering tactics, strategy, openings, the middlegame, and endgames, organized by level from beginner to master.
- Chess King University: 7 guided learning paths and 44 courses that give you a clear, ordered route to real improvement — no guessing what to study next.
- Interactive theory: read the lesson, then play the moves on the board yourself. Learning by doing, not just reading.
- Thousands of carefully selected exercises with graphic hints and full explanations.
- Play against the computer to put what you have trained into practice.
- A progress report for every lesson, so you always see how far you have come.

TRAIN ON EVERY DEVICE
Your subscription, purchases, progress, and rating sync automatically across web, iPhone, iPad, and Android. Train on your phone on the commute, continue on the web at home — your progress follows you.

TRY IT FREE
Preview courses before you commit. When you are ready, choose a monthly or yearly plan, or buy individual courses to keep forever.

Chess King — train like a master.

Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

## Key features

- 100+ learning courses
- Interactive theoretical lessons
- High-quality, double-checked puzzles
- Personal chess trainer
- Computer analysis
- Offline support
- Chess tasks for kids

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CT-ART: The Best Tactics | $5.99 | per month |
| Chess King University | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $119.99 | per year |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $17.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $89.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chess: From Beginner to Club | $12.99 | one-time |
| Mate in 1 move (Chess Puzzles) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Chess Combinations Vol. 1 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Tactics for Beginners | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Opening Blunders | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Endings for Beginners | $7.99 | one-time |
| Chess Opening Lab (1400-2000) | $12.99 | one-time |
| CT-ART 4.0 (Chess Tactics) | $17.99 | one-time |
| Total Chess Endgames 1600-2400 | $17.99 | one-time |
| Chess Strategy for Beginners | $12.99 | one-time |
| Elementary Chess Tactics 1 | $12.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Chess King?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- ⭐ Best game in the world
- 👍 Helpful for practice
- 💡 Excellent tutorial and training content
- 🎨 Well-chosen puzzles
- 🧠 Improves pattern recognition and tactics
- 🧠 Comprehensive chess learning
- 🧠 Excellent training material
- 🧠 Improves chess skills
- 🧠 Superb tactics training

**Cons**

- 💰 Expensive
- 🐛 Crashes on iPhone and iPad
- 🐛 Buggy after recent update
- 🤔 Confusing interface and lack of instructions
- 🤔 Difficult for beginners
- 🤔 Puzzles have issues
- 🤔 Slow enemy animations
- 🤔 Cannot reset progress
- 🤔 Adds when playing paid sections
- 🤔 Hard to use

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Crashes on M1 Macs
- Doesnot work with iOS 13 dark mode
- Doesnot show board and pieces in exercises
- Cannot restore purchases
- Doesnot sync progress across devices

**Most requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve user interface and design
- Add more opening courses
- Provide better explanations for moves
- Allow resetting progress
- Improve syncing across devices
- Add online chess mode

## Recent user reviews (10 of 321)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Привет

*2026-08-05*

Вау

### 3/5 — Worth it for the Puzzles, outdated UI

*2026-08-03, version 5.9.2*

Love the puzzles on offer here. It’s worth purchasing the individual tactics courses/lessons. I highly recommend this app for improvement. The big downside is the outdated UI. While it looks like chess com it runs very slow (each piece slowly slides across the board when moved), coupled with the sometimes hard to navigate menus it doesn’t quite hit the peak it should. It would be nice if you could do puzzles at a faster rate, similar to something like puzzle rush or chess tempo but unfortunately we’ll have to take the courses and lessons as they are. Praying one day it gets an upgrade to something like the lichess engine which is open source. Still definitely an app worth having If you’re looking to improve your skill and rating

### 5/5 — By far the best collection of chess tactics

*2026-07-29*

You do not need Chess.com or Lichess tactics. The curated problems for all of the courses are so much better, and the length/depth of variations will help train your calculation far better

### 5/5 — Искал медь, нашел золото.

*2026-07-25*

Организация занятий идеальная: теория, практика, тренировка. Занятия по уровням, визуализация траектории, понимание, сколько ещё осталось. Супер организация! 

Даже добавить нечего, разве что дизайн чуть осовременить.

Спасибо за разработку! Подписался на 100 лет, доволен 😊.

### 5/5 — Minor issues.

*2026-07-22, version 5.9.1*

Love Chess King, but the lack of setting to adjust for under promotion deserves only a 4.

### 5/5 — Beginner Chess Tactics

*2026-05-08, version 5.8.1*

Phenomenal Chess App, digitizing and making puzzles from the Blokh and Ivashchenko available at your fingertips!!

### 5/5 — Great App & Customer Support

*2026-05-08*

This app has some of the best tactical courses and puzzles out there. Can definitely find something for any level. Plus, the customer support is amazing. I reported a bug in the app that was causing it to crash. They promptly responded and pushed an update within 24 hours.

### 5/5 — Так держать!

*2026-04-24*

Прекрасное приложение. Спасибо вам за ваш труд!

### 2/5 — Beginner

*2026-04-18, version 5.7.0*

This app does not help a total beginner.

### 3/5 — too hard

*2026-03-31*

its appaling the matches even on the lowest level are impossible and for the training you have hardly any excersises unless you pay

## Frequently asked questions about Chess King

### What does Chess King - Learn to Play do?

This app provides a comprehensive platform for learning and improving chess skills. It offers over 100 courses covering tactics, strategy, and puzzles, acting as a personal chess trainer. You can practice, analyze games, and receive hints and explanations to enhance your gameplay.

### What are the key features of this chess app?

Key features include over 100 learning courses, interactive theoretical lessons, high-quality puzzles, computer analysis for any position, and refutations for common mistakes. It also offers offline support, customizable board themes, and VoiceOver compatibility.

### How much does Chess King - Learn to Play cost?

The app offers a free part for each course, allowing you to test its functionality. Individual courses can be purchased separately, or you can opt for a subscription that grants access to all courses for a limited time. Payment is handled through your iTunes account.

### Is Chess King - Learn to Play available offline?

Yes, the app offers full offline support. This means you can access and utilize all its learning courses, puzzles, and features without an internet connection, making it convenient for learning on the go.

### Who is this app intended for?

This app is designed for anyone interested in chess, regardless of their current skill level. It caters to beginners looking to learn the rules, intermediate players aiming to improve their tactics and strategy, and advanced players seeking to refine their master-level play.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 6.0.0 — 2026-08-11

* Added University & Opening trainer sections to Home screen
* Various fixes and improvements

### 5.9.1 — 2026-07-24

* Added App Introduction section to Home screen
* Redesigned Home screen
* Various fixes and improvements

### 5.9.0 — 2026-07-01

* Added App Introduction section to Home screen
* Redesigned Home screen
* Various fixes and improvements

### 5.8.1 — 2026-05-07

* Various fixes and improvements

### 5.8.0 — 2026-05-05

* Added University level determination mode
* Various fixes and improvements

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| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| [Chess for Kids: Learn to Play](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-for-kids-learn-to-play/id629375826) | 4.7 (99,886) | Free | Games |
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| [Chess Royale](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250) | 4.5 (19,911) | Free | Games |
| [Chess Universe - Play Online](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-universe-play-online/id1487204900) | 4.7 (5,989) | Free | Games |

## More apps by Chess King

- [Chess: From Beginner to Club](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-from-beginner-to-club/id1102354875)
- [Mate in 1 move (Chess Puzzles)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mate-in-1-move-chess-puzzles/id1120115215)
- [Chess Middlegame II](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-middlegame-ii/id1121655684)
- [Chess Strategy for Beginners](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-strategy-for-beginners/id1121720375)
- [Chess Tactics Art (1400-1600)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tactics-art-1400-1600/id1122456569)
- [Chess Tactics Art (1600-1800)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tactics-art-1600-1800/id1122516529)

All apps by Chess King: https://appshunter.io/developer/1096660597

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-28.*