# Chessnook · Chess & Xiangqi — Chess, Xiangqi & Banqi offline > Chess, Xiangqi & Banqi offline (iPhone/iPad app by Chih Han Lin.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessnook-chess-and-xiangqi/id6769104739 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Chih Han Lin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1800248325) - Category: Games, Education, Board, Strategy - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.0 · 10 MB - Languages: American English, Japanese, Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan) - Released: 2026-05-15 - Data updated: 2026-08-17 - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessnook-chess-and-xiangqi/id6769104739/reviews.md ## What is Chessnook · Chess & Xiangqi? Chessnook is a cozy chess club for your pocket — a beginner-friendly, fully offline iPhone and iPad app for Chinese chess (Xiangqi), Banqi (Dark Chess / Flip Chess), and Western chess. A friendly dog mascot called Lil' General cheers you on, reacts to your moves, and softens losses with a wag of the tail. WHAT YOU GET • Standard Xiangqi — the full 9×10 board with River and Palace. Cross the river, ride the cannon, and corner the General. • Banqi (Dark Chess) — a 4×8 flip-board variant where every move reveals a new piece. Quick games, surprising swings. • Western chess — the classic 8×8 game with full standard rules, an opening book, endgame puzzles, and piece-by-piece tutorials. • 14 endgame puzzles — classical mate-in-1 patterns, from Lone Chariot Mate and Horse-and-Cannon to Iron Bolt and Bold Sacrifice. • Step-by-step tutorials — learn how each piece moves, then how it really fights. • Adjustable AI — gentle Easy for newcomers, tough Master for veterans. • Local 2-player mode — pass-and-play on a single device. • Save & resume — pick up exactly where you left off. DESIGNED FOR COZY PLAY • A friendly dog mascot reacts to every move and never lectures. • Five hand-crafted board themes — Classic, Ocean, Space, Jungle, Candy. • Thoughtful sound and music with independent volume controls. • Three languages — Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese — switch any time from inside the app. • Optimised for iPhone and iPad, including landscape and split-view layouts. 100% OFFLINE • No accounts. No sign-ups. No servers. • Play on a train, on a plane, or on the couch. CHESSNOOK PRO (one-time, optional) Unlock the full experience with a single purchase: • All 5 board themes • Remove all ads • Save & resume in-progress games • Full set of endgame puzzles More variants on the way. Need help? Visit support from the Settings tab inside the app. ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Chessnook Pro | $1.99 | one-time | ## Version history (last 4 releases) ### 1.0.3 — 2026-08-10 1.0.3 • Boards are now drawn at true size instead of being scaled up — grid lines and piece labels are noticeably crisper on Pro Max and iPad. • The Xiangqi board gains its traditional details: crosshair markers at the cannon and pawn points, a tinted river band, and a double outer border. • Pieces carry more weight — an inner ring, a drop shadow, and a highlight along the top edge. Edge pieces are no longer clipped by the board's rounded corner. • Banqi face-down tiles are redrawn to match the face-up pieces, and flipping one now animates. • The chess board moves to a warmer brown (the old orange clashed with the buttons), gains a–h / 1–8 coordinates, and now has the same framed look as the other boards. ### 1.0.2 — 2026-05-27 1.0.2 • Western chess is here — full standard rules, adjustable AI from gentle to tough, opening book, endgame puzzles, and piece-by-piece tutorials. The Tutorial tab and stats now split Xiangqi and chess so each variant gets its own record. • Chessnook Pro extras for Western chess: opening-name chip on the board, hint arrow for hard endgames, and a Swift Charts game-analysis timeline with move-quality classification — tap a move to walk the board. • Standard Xiangqi: pieces now move freely with no check restrictions — capture the opponent's general to win. Endgame puzzles keep classic rules. • Banqi: fixed an issue where cannons could jump-capture face-down pieces. The folk "Dark Capture" variant is now opt-in under Settings → Banqi Rules. • Smoother puzzle victory — the celebration now waits a beat so you can see your winning move land. ### 1.0.1 — 2026-05-18 1.0.1 • Standard Xiangqi: pieces now move freely with no check restrictions — capture the opponent's general to win. Endgame puzzles keep classic rules. • Banqi: fixed an issue where cannons could jump-capture face-down pieces. The folk "Dark Capture" variant is now opt-in under Settings → Banqi Rules. • Smoother puzzle victory — the celebration now waits a beat so you can see your winning move land. ### 1.0 — 2026-05-15 No release notes. ## Apps similar to Chessnook · Chess & Xiangqi | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Chess Room: Play & Learn Chess](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-room-play-and-learn-chess/id1642306743) | 4.1 (25) | Free | Games | | [Play Bridge: Offline Card Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-bridge-offline-card-game/id6504526997) | 4.6 (79) | Free | Games | | [Airstrike Assault](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airstrike-assault/id6739526498) | 4.5 (41) | Free | Games | | [Chess Studio Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio-lite/id694586937) | 4.4 (11) | Free | Games | | [Chess Remix: Chess Variants](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-remix-chess-variants/id1547819624) | 4.4 (109) | Free | Games | | [Xiangqi Online - Dark Chess](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xiangqi-online-dark-chess/id1508869990) | — | Free | Games | ## More apps by Chih Han Lin - [GoodPill - Medicine Reminder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodpill-medicine-reminder/id6759840986) - [KpopLike - Find Your K-Twin](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kpoplike-find-your-k-twin/id6760238854) - [GranSample - Granular Sampler](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gransample-granular-sampler/id6760527944) - [Pocketext Scan](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketext-scan/id6761661447) - [SoundMess Lab: SPL Meter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundmess-lab-spl-meter/id6762592034) - [SpellSynth: Retro Vocal Synth](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spellsynth-retro-vocal-synth/id6762822700) All apps by Chih Han Lin: https://appshunter.io/developer/1800248325 --- *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 2026-08-17.*