# Chess42 - Chess for iMessage — user reviews > 12 indexed App Store user reviews of Chess42 by Handheld Designer, LLC, rated 1.90/5 from 8 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess42-chess-for-imessage/id1148201346/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess42-chess-for-imessage/id1148201346.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 1 · 4★ 1 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 6 ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — 2 Bad *2020-09-28, version 1.9* Great idea. It works 2 moves then nothing. ### 1/5 — Don’t get tricked by Face ID purchasing. *2019-08-20, version 1.9* A sneaky get you for a dollar app. Smh and had time to find to cancel subscription. We will see how this plays out. Smh **Developer response:** Hi, Bob. Sorry you didn't have a great experience purchasing Chess42. Chess42 doesn't require (or offer) a subscription to use the app; it's a one-time purchase. However, if you're unhappy with your purchase, please contact Apple for a refund as described here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204084 Best regards. ### 1/5 — Requires 2 purchases *2018-05-11, version 1.7* Be aware that your friend also needs to purchase this app for it to work! This should really be clearly laid out upfront. I’m going to ask for a refund as a result. ### 1/5 — I have the app already! *2016-09-24, version 1.1* My friend tries to start a game with me and it sends me a link to download the game but I have the game already!!! Stupid ### 1/5 — Can't play *2016-09-14, version 1.0* Trying to start a game with a friend who also has the app but every time him and I try and start a game it send it as a picture and link to download the app even though I already have paid for it. Idk how to move. ### 2/5 — Sometimes game just disappears. *2016-09-27, version 1.2* It has happened for at least 4-5 times now. I make a move the other person doesn't see the game at all. We both are on latest version. ### 2/5 — Needs fixing. *2016-09-16, version 1.0* You need to fix the game. Won't allow checkmate to end the game. ### 3/5 — Good but needs work *2016-09-21, version 1.0* I actually really like this format. There are a few things lacking. There is no checkmate or even anything to signify when somebody has one. The game just sort of stops. Also it'd be nice to see the pieces I've taken throughout the game. ### 3/5 — Better Chess Apps in the Store *2016-09-15, version 1.0* I bought too early, there are better & free iMessage chess apps in the store that are not featured! Search for chess using the magnifier symbol in the Message App Store! ### 4/5 — Good but needs resign option *2016-11-22, version 1.4* See title ## Most praised reviews (2 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Win Notification *2016-09-24, version 1.1* I put my friend in check mate. The app does not let me know I won. It lets my fiend know I won. There should be feedback letting me know i won. Revised.. took a little time but eventually let me know I won ### 5/5 — Suggestion for improvement *2016-09-15, version 1.0* I actually like this app better than the other all on the message store right now. I like how it tells you the last move you made by board position, it really helps you learn the system. It would be nice if there was a way to play the game by calling board positions and have the computer act as a moderator for moves. So if I called D1-H5 as the first move for white, it would tell me "you can't do that because there's a pawn in the way!" The computer could also act as an aid by letting you "cheat" persay and look at the board when you get lost. For the second idea, I love chess, but I would like a way to pick up from a physical game where I left off. There needs to be a way to set up a board from scratch. This would also allow people to make 'thought problems' for friends to solve like "see if you can checkmate in two" kind of things. --- *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.*