# Chess: Play & Train — user reviews > 28 indexed App Store user reviews of Chess by ONLAIN BIG DATA, TOV, rated 4.40/5 from 411 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-play-and-train/id1586978229/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-play-and-train/id1586978229.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 312 · 4★ 35 · 3★ 15 · 2★ 13 · 1★ 36 ## What do users think of Chess? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - ♟️ Functional chess gameplay against computer - 🧠 Helps learn and practice chess skills - ⚡ Responsive computer opponent - ☕ Convenient for casual play **Cons** - 💰 Aggressive paywall at startup ($10/week subscription) - 🚫 Misleading 'free' app label with mandatory payment - 🎮 Limited game modes without premium - 🐛 Poor user interface and design - 🎯 Incomplete features and vague descriptions - 📱 Requires WiFi connection unnecessarily - 🤖 Difficulty levels poorly balanced (easy bot too strong) - 🔧 Buggy and difficult piece movement controls - ❌ Missing standard chess features (castling, pawn promotion) - ⚠️ App crashes and freezes during gameplay - 🔴 Suspicious 5-star reviews appear fake/bot-generated - 🎨 Poor visual design and typos (e.g., 'retart') **Commonly reported bugs** - App hangs on splash screen and won't open - Unauthorized charges despite no functional app access - Game freezes when player is close to winning/checkmate - Castling move not functioning properly - Pawn promotion not available - Piece movement difficult and unresponsive - Menu typos ('retart' instead of 'restart') - App requires force quit to reload - Paywall bypass buggy or excessively delayed **Most requested features** - Free trial without immediate payment requirement - ELO rating system for difficulty levels - Board flip option for piece orientation - Game controls (pause, restart, forward/back buttons) - Time controls for matches - Offline gameplay without WiFi requirement - Proper chess training features with lessons - Multiple difficulty levels accessible in free version - Improved piece movement interface (not just drag-and-drop) ## Newest reviews (8 of 28) ### 1/5 — Long way to go *2021-12-30* This app is incomplete. Firstly, the “easy” bot will handily beat a beginner opponent. Offering no chance to learn anything other than what it feels like to have no idea what to do. Secondly, the app advertises that you can “train” on this app. This seems to be intentionally vague wording meant to disguise the fact that playing and losing does technically count as training, but fools the player into presuming they can aid their current training with this app. Which is not the case if you’re training anything other than “what are the weaknesses in my opening.” Lastly, the features included with the subscription to this app are kept vague unless you purchase it. Meaning the only way for me to prove my previous two points incorrect is if I pay for the app and hope the included features solve my issues. In short this app is misleading and unsatisfactory at best, and is a long way from fulfilling the expectations it sets P.S. “battles of wits” and “touching an ancient game” are not selling points for a chess app. Those are default truths of chess as a game. Those two things are true about literally any program that you can use to play chess. That’s like advertising a burger as “edible and enjoyable.” **Developer response:** Hello, chess is a legendary game, you can use the free functionality and train at an easy level ### 1/5 — App won’t let me win *2021-12-30* Every time I’m wining a game and I’m close to giving checkmate the application freezes. In other words I never been able to win a game. **Developer response:** Hello, we're sorry to hear about your problems. You can use email to resolve difficulties and contact us: esenispopova@onlsite.online ### 1/5 — Not really free *2021-12-22, version 1.0.5* Can’t actually get into the app without paying so really shouldn’t be labelled as a free app :( might be great if that’s what I was looking for but more we’ll never know ### 1/5 — Buggy *2021-12-21* Buggy and hard to use interface. Very difficult to use fingers to move the pieces. Also does not allows for . Not even worth to download the trial version, but they are asking $4.99 per week…app should be removed from the App Store. **Developer response:** Hello, thank you for your feedback, we will be working to improve our app, you can use email to contact us: esenispopova@onlsite.online ### 1/5 — No castle?!?!?! *2021-12-20* I wasn’t able to castle. Not through check, hadn’t moved rook or king. Not worth the subscription. **Developer response:** Hello, we're sorry to hear you've encountered this kind of problem, you can communicate with us to resolve it by email: esenispopova@onlsite.online ### 1/5 — Deceptive about payment / subscriptions. *2021-12-06* I installed the app and there was no option to get past the $9.99 paywall. This is either not a free app or the bypass for payment is buggy or excessively delayed. **Developer response:** Hello, to solve your problems and contact us you can use email: esenispopova@onlsite.online. Have a good day ### 1/5 — Free? *2021-11-04* Free app that charges you $10/week if you want to play anything but easy mode against a computer. **Developer response:** Hello, you can use the free functionality to play ### 1/5 — $10/mo *2021-11-03* I can't get past the page saying I need to purchase to use all the features. **Developer response:** Hello, to solve your problems and contact us you can use email: esenispopova@onlsite.online. Have a nice day ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Misleading *2023-07-05, version 1.0.6* I got greeted with a paywall and payed to train and become a “grandmaster” once I payed for this subscription. There was no actual teaching of the game I had three options play computer, with friends and settings waste of £8.99. Not a great interface either ### 1/5 — Garbage app *2022-10-31* The make u pay $10 before u can even begin playing a simple chess game like it’s the most special game ever and u have to pay it weekly. Insane money grab for an app that can easily be replaced **Developer response:** Hello, there is free functionality in the app and you can use it ### 1/5 — SCAM *2022-06-24* This app is literally set up to make money. All the 5 star reviews are bogus, saying basically the same thing, and the names of the reviewers are all bogus nonsense. $480 a month to learn chess from a crap app? Run. **Developer response:** Hello, you can use the free functionality and play at an easy level to learn chess ### 1/5 — This is crap *2022-06-22* How did this get on the App Store - at a 4.5 rating no less! Ok so… 1) Just after the splash startup screen you have to pay $10 A WEEK to even play?! No evidence of a free trail. 2) After a force quit and reload, I booted up a game against the computer - 3 levels…yes 3 levels: easy, medium and hard. No ELO rating. 3) I was playing black and my pieces were at the top of the board with no buttons to flip. No buttons to go forward or back, no time controls no options… There are way better options - STAY CLEAR of this one. **Developer response:** Hello, skip the start screen and use the free features of the app ### 1/5 — Doesn't Open, Thanks me for my "Purchase" *2022-06-07* This is the single sketchiest thing I've experienced on the Apple Store. App doesn't open. Hangs on a splash screen. Thinks I've agreed to pay? Nope. Work on making something functional. This is creepy, and I'll be watching closely for unauthorized charges. You can't offer a "free trial" when there's literally nothing to try. It's just a splash screen, like a blank title page. **Developer response:** Hello, thank you for your feedback, there is free functionality in the app and you are welcome to use it, we will work on fixing and improving our app ### 1/5 — Pretty bad *2022-03-12* Terrible UI, only way to move pieces was through drag and drop, had to decline buuing premium 3x before was able to play a game, and still, only easy level available… My pawn made to the other side and I wasnt able to promote to anything **Developer response:** Hello, thank you for your feedback, we will work to improve our app ### 1/5 — Pay2play *2022-02-24* App is trying to charge you $10/mo at startup, not even letting you to move thru the start screen to see what are you actually buying. No, ty for $10 I can get a real chess game. **Developer response:** Hello, we do not force you to buy a subscription, you can skip the start-up screen and use the free functionality ### 1/5 — Great way to lose $10 - app does not work post-payment *2022-02-03* Installed app > forced into a paywall to access or create trial > pay for a week > accessing app will keep you stuck at the logo perpetually. **Developer response:** Hello, sorry to hear you are experiencing difficulties, please contact us by email: esenispopova@onlsite.online for a description and solution of your problem ### 1/5 — The nicest thing about this game is the icon *2022-01-13* Just beware: they make you purchase a $10 subscription before you can even begin playing. The subscription is WEEKLY. It’s very overpriced. The game design is ridiculously simple, and if you need to pause or restart the game the menu even says “retart” which makes me think that little real effort went into its development. There are plenty of other game apps that you don’t have to pay for and I’m sure put more thought into design. **Developer response:** Hello, we are not forcing you to buy a subscription in any way, you can use the free functionality of the app, thank you for your feedback, we will try to improve our app ### 1/5 — $10 to play a free game *2022-01-05* Making people pay to play a free game is laughable. Hold my nuts please nerd **Developer response:** Hello, there are free features in the app and you can play them ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — H *2023-05-25* Thankë **Developer response:** Hello, thank you for your feedback, we will continue to work and improve our app ### 5/5 — Loyalty at instant *2021-11-26* Sayo **Developer response:** Thank you for leaving a good review, you made us happy! ### 5/5 — CHESS IS VERY COOL *2021-10-22, version 1.0.3* I didn't know how to play much, I learned here. It's impossible to beat a computer on Hard at all, but I'm going for it! A little more and I'll beat him ### 5/5 — IT'S CONVENIENT TO PLAY, THE DEVELOPERS ARE GREAT *2021-10-22, version 1.0.3* I can't say that I'm a pro at chess, I've played sometimes, I usually play at the beginning difficulty levels. I lose quickly on difficult ones. I like the game, thank you ### 5/5 — IT'S TRENDY TO PLAY CHESS NOW *2021-10-22, version 1.0.3* Recently it has become trendy to play intellectual games, we play with all classmates. In a short time I will be the champion of the group ### 5/5 — I LIKED IT, THERE'S NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT *2021-10-22, version 1.0.3* I really like to play a game in the morning over a cup of coffee. A great workout for the brain. There's not even anything to find fault with! Chess is chess everywhere. ### 5/5 — I'VE BEEN PLAYING CHESS SINCE I WAS 5 YEARS OLD *2021-10-22, version 1.0.3* I have been playing chess since I was 5 years old, and now I maintain my skills. I like the app. Everything is done very conveniently, the computer does not slow down. ### 4/5 — Chess train and play *2021-12-31* I will write a review after I use this app **Developer response:** Hello, thank you for your positive feedback, we will try to make the app even better, have a nice day ### 3/5 — Requires a subscription *2022-01-02, version 1.0.6* I downloaded the app and it requires that you start a subscription before allowing you into the app. I’m a “try before you buy” person rather than the other way around. I can’t review the actual chess experience in the app as I couldn’t use it without a subscription but this is just a warning in case, like me, you don’t like having to start a subscription before actually getting to try the app. ### 2/5 — Very restricted *2021-12-01* First off, it requires WiFi to play, which doesn’t make sense, considering that you can only play against the computer unless you buy the full version which is $10 A WEEK! You can’t do anything with the free version but play against the computer on easy mode. You can't play medium or hard mode without paying for the full version. **Developer response:** Hello, there are free features in the app, you can use them --- *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 2026-06-10.*