# Chess Openings Wizard — Tournament chess opening prep > Tournament chess opening preparation and testing tool. (iPhone/iPad app by Bookup Corp..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-openings-wizard/id1370631887 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Bookup Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/959597041) - Category: Education, Games, Board, Strategy - Price: $6.99 - Rating: 5.00/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 22 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 11.0 · 167 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2018-12-22 - Data updated: 2026-08-21 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-openings-wizard/id1370631887/reviews.md ## What is Chess Openings Wizard? Chess Openings Wizard is where tournament players go to work on their openings. The app is based on the Bookup program that first came out in 1984. The app has full editing and training power like its brethren apps on Macintosh and Windows. Openings can be moved back and forth to the Macintosh, Windows, and Android versions. Chess Openings Wizard does not play chess, nor does it come with a game collection. It is meant for designing openings for White and defenses for Black, and then testing the player's knowledge of the lines by playing mock games. Sample ebooks include an opening guide (thousands of named and categorized opening positions accessible through any move order), an ECO master framework, and the White and Black repertoires of Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, and Robert Fischer. It also includes a demo ebook with excerpts from a highly annotated repertoire in the Open Game. Chess Openings Wizard has a dedicated PocketGM server giving you full speed Stockfish analysis. (Internet connection required.) The Pedigree ribbon shows the results of games in each opening position but uses only games between two super GMs. That way you know if the move is trusted by the best players. (And it's important to know if a move has never been played by a super GM when facing another super GM.) This is the same feature found in Chess Openings Wizard Professional for Macintosh and Windows. The short version is: if you are designing an opening with a game database app or with a playing program, you're working too hard. Chess Openings Wizard contains 42 years of refinements, with precisely the tools that a tournament player requires to prepare openings fast. ## Key features - Design and test chess openings - Full editing and training power - Syncs with Mac and Windows versions - Stockfish analysis via PocketGM server - Pedigree ribbon shows top player game results - Fast opening preparation tools ## Recent user reviews (10 of 22) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-openings-wizard/id1370631887/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Poor quality *2026-02-16* I am disappointed! This app is very badly made and difficult to use and work with and consumes too much time for creating even one single line. ### 5/5 — Excellent Chess Prep *2026-02-05* I have used one version or another of this program for decades now. It used to be called Bookup and was only available on the PC. This is the current iteration of that program, and it is designed to work with the PC or Mac versions of the program. One very large improvement in this regard is the ability to upload and download files from the cloud. The author has made this very easy to do, and so you can study and research your repertoire on the move, as well as have it safely backed up. The main benefit is the training features allowing you to test out and focus your training on those areas that give you the most trouble. There is one trick I advise. When training black, you need to set up the trainer to work after White's first move. This has to do with the "reset training" command not working on the first move for White when you train for Black The biggest thing about this program is that you can easily build your own repertoire rather than relying on e-books alone. You can combine, cut, do whatever you want to tailor it specifically tomyou. ### 5/5 — Good Trainer if you know the quirks *2025-11-18* I have used the various versions of Bookup, and then Chess Opening Wizard for several decades. It is still an excellent way to train your own repertoire. There are some kinks. To reset training on the ipad if training black, set the trainer to start after white's first move as the starting position. It seems to work better if you begin at a screen where you have to make a move to start things off, and if you are playing black, that is not the starting position.So just hit one move, set the trainer to return to that position, and things will be fine from there. ### 1/5 — Could have been best app but *2024-07-06, version COW build 71* No update for ages. This update has been long awaited and is so small that it is ridiculous. I love the app on PC but on mobile, that’s not the same. PGN loader and analysis tool plus Anki is much more cheaper and best combination in my opinion. Looks ugly on this modern era too. ### 1/5 — Byzantine UI, training mode doesn’t work as advertised *2024-06-19* Byzantine UI, training mode doesn’t work as expected ### 1/5 — Disappointed! *2024-05-24, version COW build 65* This app is very confusing and difficult to work with and consumes so much time for creating even the most basic repertoires. Not worth the money and the time for sure! ### 1/5 — Broken interface with newest update *2023-05-02* Unusable since the newest update. The interface was never good, but now it is also broken. ### 4/5 — Good functionality, but a bit crusty *2022-09-10* The basic functionality of this is fine. It does what it’s supposed to do, and does it better than most other apps you’ll find. The biggest advantage it has is in how all the notes and evaluations you have are attached to the actual position, not the move list. This means it doesn’t matter if you arrive at the position from a different move order, it will connect you to all the notes you previously made about that position. But there are gotchas: There’s no flexibility in the layout. Among other things, this means if you want to write a text note about the position, the edit box it opens obscures most of the position you want to write about. Being able to do simple things like resize and/or relocate the board (or edit box) on screen would fix that. It fails to take real advantage of the cloud. You can’t work with or directly store files in the cloud. You have to pass everything through Dropbox. This adds an extra process that complicates sharing data between phone and tablet, for example. (“Did I upload those changes to Dropbox from my phone? Is the latest version on my tablet or my phone, or in Dropbox?”) just giving it the normal iOS files interface would fix that. It’s a useful tool, made a little less useful by some less than optimal design decisions. But if you don’t mind having to create a Dropbox account just to transfer data between devices (my biggest issue with it) and you can work effectively with the developer’s choice for screen layout, it’ll help you succeed. ### 1/5 — Not useful as an opening training app *2021-01-01* Refund requested ### 2/5 — Hard to use *2020-10-19* The help files aren’t great and the layout looks very 1990s. I bought this thinking it had all the features of the PC version. Pretty disappointed. ## Frequently asked questions about Chess Openings Wizard ### What is the primary purpose of Chess Openings Wizard? Chess Openings Wizard is designed for tournament chess players to prepare their openings. It allows users to design specific opening lines and test their knowledge through mock games, rather than playing full chess matches. ### How does Chess Openings Wizard help with opening preparation? It provides tools for designing openings and defenses, testing knowledge with mock games, and offers Stockfish analysis for move validation. The app aims to streamline the opening preparation process for tournament players. ### Can I use Chess Openings Wizard on multiple devices? Yes, openings can be moved between the Macintosh, Windows, and Android versions of the app. This ensures continuity in your opening preparation across different platforms. ### What kind of analysis does Chess Openings Wizard offer? The app utilizes a dedicated PocketGM server for full-speed Stockfish analysis, requiring an internet connection. This provides powerful engine evaluation for your designed opening lines. ### Does Chess Openings Wizard include sample opening repertoires? Yes, sample ebooks are included, featuring an opening guide with thousands of positions, an ECO master framework, and repertoires from top players like Magnus Carlsen and Robert Fischer. ### What is the 'Pedigree ribbon' feature in Chess Openings Wizard? The Pedigree ribbon displays the results of games played by super Grandmasters in specific opening positions. This helps users understand which moves are trusted by the world's best players. ### Is Chess Openings Wizard suitable for beginners? While the app is geared towards tournament players, its tools for designing and testing openings can be beneficial for serious players looking to deepen their understanding. It does not play chess itself, focusing solely on opening preparation. ### How often is Chess Openings Wizard updated? The app was last updated on March 29, 2026, with version 'COW build 91'. This indicates a recent update, suggesting ongoing development and support for the application. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### COW build 91 — 2026-03-29 This version adds an optional way for the training wizard to test you on multiple lines in your opening. For example, you might want to play one line against stronger opponents and another against weaker players. Previous versions would give you full training credit if you played either move. ### COW build 88 — 2026-03-25 Build 88 behaves properly when you are training and play a move where you have two (or more) moves for your side of the repertoire. And look at you, preparing more than one line in your opening! Who do you think you are? Magnus Carlsen? :) ### COW build 87 — 2026-03-24 This build corrects a bug that hung the app when choosing Blue Genius or Brown Personal diagram styles. It also adds updated support for cloud storage (Google Drive and free Dropbox accounts). ### COW build 85 — 2026-03-07 Build 85 fixes an issue that can cause the app to quit immediately after it starts up. ### COW build 84 — 2026-02-04 Build 84 updates the connection to the cloud (Google Drive, free Dropbox accounts) so that you can make backups of your work. You may lose your phone but you'll never lose your openings. The cloud is also used to move your openings to and from your desktop computer (Windows or Macintosh) or Android phone. It accesses an updated Stockfish server for full speed analysis. ## Apps similar to Chess Openings Wizard | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Kahoot! 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User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-21.*