Chess Only User Reviews

Name: Chess Only
Rating: 3.96552 (29 reviews)

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Great for improving my ability to see blunders

Being able to back up and try other variations is a great feature. Best of all, a truly free app!

_RVDave

7 months ago

Just chess

Just plays chess, can be very hard to beat on higher levels, no gimmicks, just chess. For anyone who played Chessmaster running the king engine, it has that kind of style, quite human at times, if it blunders and you miss it the engine will come back stronger. I do like the fact the engine will resign (you can refuse) or offer a draw, makes it feel much more natural. A note to the dev, the buttons are there to save a game as pgn file but can’t seem to locate the file in the files app on iPad, any ideas?

Captain Blunderpants

2 years ago

Response from developer

Thanks a lot for the thoughtful review. I just found and fixed saving a game doesn't work sometimes. 1.1 will address the issue in a day or two. chessonly.pgn is expected to be located at "On My iPad/Chess Only" in Files App.

Almost perfect!

That's the app I’ve been looking for. Thanks for putting time and effort into it 🙌 The only thing missing is an option to configure the time when creating a new game (including games with no time).

VitorNoVictor

2 years ago

Response from developer

Thanks a lot for the feedback. Just letting you know 1.0 is now released, which has “blitz” speed, meaning “as quick as possible”. For player’s time, it’s there for reference purpose only, no penalty by time spent.

Garbage chess

Placed opponent in check mate multiple times and app decides to say stalemate. Stupid computer can’t win and doesn’t want to give any points so it gives stalemate. Very disappointing app. In two moves the computer says stalemate.

AustenRay

2 years ago

Response from developer

Thanks for the feedback. Stalemate is one of the most interesting (or frustrating :) part of the chess. Theorists say it’s there for the balance of the game by reducing the innate disadvantage of black. Wish you don’t meet the stalemate any longer.

The only app to have for chess

Real good, Just chess
without endless popups adds of machine gun games and slot machines flashing in your face and cockblocking the function controls

True revu

3 years ago

Ideale kleine Schach-App für zwischendurch

Ich nutze Chess Only sehr gerne für Zwischendurch. Man kann die eigene Stärke quasi stufenlos einstellen und die App ist dann immer etwas stärker eingestellt als man selbst - so soll das sein. Der „Trainer“ schaltet sich bei Bedarf ein, wenn man einen schlechten Zug durchführen möchte oder „lobt“ einen guten Zug. Und auch den Modus „Try out“ finde ich toll - das kenne ich so von keiner anderen Schach-App.
Gut fände ich noch, wenn man eine Partie oder eine Stellung in die App laden könnte.
Dann wäre ich glücklich.
Fazit: Für mich als Anfänger ideal und bestimmt haben auch Fortgeschrittene Spaß an Chess Only.

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I really like using Chess Only for in-between games. You can set your own strength almost infinitely and the app is then always set a little stronger than you are - that's how it should be. The "trainer" switches on when necessary if you want to make a bad move or "praises" a good move. I also think the "Try out" mode is great - I don't know of any other chess app like this.
I would also like it if you could load a game or a position into the app.
Then I would be happy.
Conclusion: Ideal for me as a beginner and I'm sure advanced players will also enjoy Chess Only.

Floppy1968

3 years ago

Exposing kids to chess doesn’t have to expose them to ads

This is a great app to not microtransaction chess to death.

Works well, has analysis aids if desired as well as not. Plays close enough to humans at various elos to not be a bad mismatch.

Michael of Atlanta

3 years ago

Very Good!

I like how it rates your play and you improve over time. There are no replays to change the outcomes. Also no ads. Just pure Chess to help your brain and analyze and solve problems.

ivar jones

3 years ago

Board offset

1/3 of the board is shifted to the right out of screen.

Scyape

3 years ago

No nonsense

Best free chess app if you don’t want advertising!

Tigers delight

3 years ago

Great little app

Which chess engine are you playing against? Fun simple and small

Mr. Scrooge Mcduck

3 years ago

Response from developer

Thank s a lot for the feedback. The engine is a homebrew engine, made by me. 1.0 is just released, which may offer a draw or resign.

Almost perfect for this novice

This game allows me to learn at a self-directed pace while tracking my elo. The problem is that it takes forever to correct my elo downward when I’m losing, because I can’t concede the match.

I wish I could just have two or three buttons: “concede loss”, “declare draw”, and maybe “declare win”

Sjedagjsgskgsd

3 years ago

Response from developer

Thanks a lot for the feedback. 1.0 is just released, which has an option of resign for user. Though there’s no declare win/draw, engine will offer a draw or its resign when it thinks it’s too behind in material. Hope this makes a better experience.

Screen doesn’t display correctly

I downloaded it for play on my iPhone. When the game launches the board is stuck in an upper right corner such that the right two columns don’t appear on the screen. I can’t reach the settings button because the buttons at the bottom are also overflowing the right edge of the screen so the last one visible is the hint button. No amount of tinkering would shift the screen to the left. Even deleted and reinstalled. Same result.

LA2047

3 years ago

One of my favorites

I have tried a lot of chess apps this one is one of my favorites.

Cat113331

3 years ago

Nice and simple, but could use certain features

I like being able to analyze my games and try different variations on difficult positions. This app ALMOST let’s me do that, but there are some features it could really use to help out as a training tool.

1) Allow me to force the board into a specific position. This is great for exploring certain openings.

2) Allow switching sides.

3) Allow saving the board positions.

nageljr

4 years ago

Unfinished

Needs a resign button. Needs to adjust ratings properly for new players. 1500 players don’t give up material as easily as this AI does. Seems a little underpowered at low levels. I like the simple blunder check coaching though. Keep working on it.

Underdog323c

4 years ago

Response from developer

Thanks a lot for the feedback. 1.0 just released with the resign option. Engine will offer draw or resign well. For Elo, I believe it’s always relative. At 1500 Elo, Chess Only would be weaker than Shredder, but much stronger than HIARCS. As engine was strengthened a lot in 1.0, Elo strength has to be readjusted. Hope it suits better for you.

Review

The the Simplicity is genius!
My go to Chess Game !

smithcom.website

4 years ago

No export?

Nice UX. Good concept of matching engine strength to player strength. But I cannot export PGN of games. Huge negative.

My workaround is to take screenshots of move list and replay hand in another tools that will export PGN.

If I could export games, and could review past games then I’d bump up the number of stars.

DaveHein

4 years ago

Response from developer

Thanks a lot for the feedback. Though a little late, I’m happy to tell you that just released 1.0 can save game to a pgn file in the document folder of the app. One way to access is using Files app.