# Chessnut - Play Chess — user reviews > 44 indexed App Store user reviews of Chessnut by ZHOU PINZHI, rated 2.89/5 from 35 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessnut-play-chess/id1568966974/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessnut-play-chess/id1568966974.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 9 · 4★ 5 · 3★ 4 · 2★ 7 · 1★ 10 ## Newest reviews (14 of 44) ### 4/5 — Error “Chessnut is not authorized to use the Bluetooth low energy profile” *2024-08-16* Does not even let me go into the Bluetooth screen, let alone try to connect. Bluetooth is enabled, tried reinstalling. Broken for iPad. ### 4/5 — New App For iOS?? *2024-04-16* Android now has the new app! When will it be coming to iOS? Thanks Everything works great but we really need landscape mode especially for the iPad. Also need an upgrade path for those Air owners who want to upgrade to a Pro. ### 4/5 — Landscape *2024-03-30* Android now has the new app! When will it be coming to iOS? Thanks Everything works great but we really need landscape mode especially for the iPad. Also need an upgrade path for those Air owners who want to upgrade to a Pro. ### 3/5 — Time controls don’t work properly *2024-01-01* The software works well for the most part but when playing against the computer the time controls don’t work properly. No matter how much time you set the controls at the computer will always move quickly. It will end up with more time than it had at the beginning. ### 2/5 — Lichess *2023-11-19* Doesnt work at all on my iphone ### 4/5 — Great app *2023-10-27* Work well on iPad with the board. There are still glitches but they do not bother me too much so long I play play on lichess and chess.com. Issue. Cannot play blitz on lichess on iPad, Does not recognize board moves on move one sometimes ### 3/5 — Has issues *2023-09-08* It insists on using portrait mode with my iPad, which is annoying. When I connect to Online with Chess.com it continues portrait mode and the board hogs the screen space so there's no room for evaluation of moves. ### 2/5 — Landscape mode needed ASAP! *2023-08-27* It needs landscape mode for the iPad. I use my iPad with the Magic Keyboard. It is ridiculous that it’s forced portrait mode at all. Let alone while connected to chess.com. I only use the app to connect my chessnut air board with chess.com, and there are no connectivity issues or problems with the physical board detecting moves. I have no plans to use the app outside of connecting it to external chess websites and engines, so I have no opinion on the quality of the built-in engine. Add landscape support, and the review will be 5 stars. ### 2/5 — Needs improvement *2023-05-20* This app works on a phone, but it needs a landscape mode to support tablets. The AI also needs to increase difficulty more gradually. ### 4/5 — Top *2023-04-25* For me, the app works perfectly so far. I also like the board very much. All in all just top 👍. ### 4/5 — Landscape *2023-04-23* Everything works great but we really need landscape mode especially for the iPad. Also need an upgrade path for those Air owners who want to upgrade to a Pro. ### 2/5 — Bad app for a great board *2023-04-10, version 1.0.20* The Chessnut board is amazing, but the app that comes with it is awful. The “analysis” function simply doesn’t work, the levels of difficulty scale very badly: lvl 1 is very easy (as it should be), but lvl 2 is already too strong for most people (I tested it against other engines and found that at lvl 2 it can already beat a 1700 Elo bot, which is way too strong for most people, lvl 3 is probably 1800-1900 strong). The app does an ok job at connecting to Chess.com and lichess to use the Chessnut board to play there, but it has a lot of limitations too. The PC version of the app (which allows to connect the board to a computer via usb, removing the lag of a Bluetooth connection with a phone) is even worse that the phone app: it doesn’t even install, it’s just a downloaded directory with an executable file. It doesn’t even show you which version it is, it doesn’t have an “update” function etc. I really hope they improve this app, because I like the board itself, but if they don’t do it, I don’t see a future for the Chessnut board ### 4/5 — Landscape *2023-03-25* Must add landscape mode asap. ### 2/5 — Lichess not working *2023-03-25, version 1.0.19* Able to play using chess.com. But lichess wouldn’t recognize any moves ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — App not working *2025-01-14, version 1.0.27* This app does not respond to my board and does not connect. It may need to be deleted from Apple store. ### 1/5 — Bot Errors on take back *2024-09-18, version 1.0.27* Hi. Good app but whichever it I move take back doesn’t work properly. The app allows me to take back the move but then doesn’t recognise the revised piece position meaning I have to abandon the game. ### 1/5 — Online Broken *2024-06-08* When playing online the board does not communicate with the app. ### 1/5 — No landscape mode *2024-03-21* Landscape mode is needet on the ipad ### 1/5 — Janky app, can’t even sign in *2023-11-16* Worked fine but they updated it and it broke I guess. I can’t sign in, nothing happens. They really cheaped out on the app unfortunately and I’ll be attempting a return. Do not recommend. ### 1/5 — Chess.com is not working anymore… *2023-09-18* Why chess.com is not working anymore? ### 1/5 — Beware *2023-08-30* Received my Chessnut Air and it doesn’t work. I tried charging it and it won’t take the charge. It comes from China, but they indicate they are on vacation until after Labor Day. This is a waste of money since it works like any other board, and can’t reach anyone for a refund or replacement. ### 1/5 — Lichess doesn’t work *2023-07-26* Moves are not registered ### 1/5 — Promising but needs fixing (fast) *2023-06-23, version 1.0.23* The app could be great, but it has some bugs. The biggest problem is the levels for the chess AI - There are only 8 levels (my other chess apps have 30-50) so it's almost impossible to find a level that is right for you - one level is so easy it's no fun, the next level up is so hard it's no fun. This would be easy to fix, but there doesn't seem much development going on. The board is great, but it's hamstrung by this crappy slapdash app. ### 1/5 — Does not work for online play *2023-01-28* Works only offline. Moves are not registered when connected to Lichess or Chess.com. Mac App is also atrocious and does not work. I currently have no way to use the board with chess.com. At least for Lichess, there is the app “White Pawn”, which is infinitely better. The developers should be ashamed with what they delivered here. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — To the developers *2024-05-05* This is a great app. I am in support of your product. Can you please add the feature that “beeps” when the opponent makes a move? It would be helpful to have a audible beep to tell me to move in case I am not looking at the board, or if I forget to see the led indicator. When the opponent makes a move, a beep will sound. It would be nice to control the duration of the beep. I would also like more control over the LED. Having the option to show the last made move with an illuminated LED would be useful. In addition, hi lighting the square the piece originally moved from would be nice as well. Example: white moves pawn to e4- now both theE2 and e4 LED’s are illuminated until black completes their turn. Please allow users to play their move before physically moving their opponents piece to a its new square. This would then allow us to not lose time on our turn moving an opponents piece. EXAMPLE: E7 and E5 LED’s are illuminated indicating lawn to E5. however, white is able to play their move immediately after seeing the E5 LED. Following whites completed turn, the user may now move the black pawn to E5, not wasting their own time on moving an opponents piece Maybe I am working or cooking not looking at the board l Thanks in advance for considering this feature. I look forward to the future of Chessnut and their relationship with their customers feedback ### 5/5 — To the developers *2024-05-02* This is a great app. I am in support of your product. Can you please add the feature that “beeps” when the opponent makes a move? It would be helpful to have a audible beep to tell me to move in case I am not looking at the board, or if I forget to see the led indicator. When the opponent makes a move, a beep will sound. It would be nice to control the duration of the beep. Maybe I am working or cooking not looking at the board l Thanks in advance for considering this feature. I look forward to the future of Chessnut and their relationship with their customers feedback ### 5/5 — For the chessnut board *2023-10-11, version 1.0.26* This is made for use with the chessnut physical board. Don’t rate if you don’t have the board :P it connects to lichess and chess.com, you can play online, play bots, whatever. Also love games can be recorded then thrown into the lichess app (seamless) for computer review or analysis. Does everything I need for my board. Do not read user reviews with one star as they do not have the chessnut physical board, which the app is intended. ### 5/5 — The board is sleek and an appropriate size. *2023-09-10* Latest update fixed any bugs I experienced. Ignore the Debbie downers; playing this board is awesome. ### 5/5 — Génial! *2023-08-14* C’est un vrai plaisir de pouvoir jouer sur Lichess ou chess.com avec un vrai plateau et des vrais pièces.Personnellement je joue mieux que sur mon petit écran de IPad. Le plateau Bluetooth est pas super cher et il est arrivé très rapidement.Merci pour ce produit,j attend la prochaine version avec les pièces qui bougent automatiquement ;) ### 5/5 — So simple and yet so good *2023-05-17, version 1.0.22* I found the app really easy to use. The chessboard didn’t have any bug so far. I would like to analyse games made on the board with a friend to chess.com rather than lichess. ### 5/5 — Not buggy anymore *2023-01-14* Works very well with both lichess and chess(.com) for online play and offline play. ### 5/5 — Great *2022-09-18, version 1.0.12* Great app and awesome board. Perfect sized board and works flawlessly on lichess and chess.com. The only downside is playing against the AI. All settings are very hard to beat. ### 5/5 — Solid Board *2022-09-09, version 1.0.12* While my wife nearly divorced me when she found out I’d bought this board, I’m ecstatic with the result. It plays beautifully. Easy to flip the board around for switching from black and white. Connects with chess.com and lichess. I’m loving playing ouija opponents. The AI is definitely overpowered. ### 5/5 — Phenomenal *2022-06-13* A really impressive e-board! Does exactly what I hoped it would and looks and feels as I’d hoped it would. You can use the board exactly as you would any standard board. No pressing required. And the piece detection is instant and so far flawless. Strongly recommend. --- *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.*