# Dark Chess Pro — Offline Banqi · Play & Improve > Offline Banqi · Play & Improve (iPhone/iPad app by Reputation Software CO., LTD..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-chess-pro/id6761172000 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Reputation Software CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1888119588) - Category: Games, Board - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 258 MB - Languages: American English, Chinese (Simplified, China), Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan) - Released: 2026-03-31 - Data updated: 2026-09-06 - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-chess-pro/id6761172000/reviews.md ## What is Dark Chess Pro? Offline Banqi with 5 AI levels from Easy to Grandmaster. New Wuxia Story Mode: 23 lessons, 13 opponents, visual-novel dialogue. Review every match move by move. No coins, no gambling. —— HOW IT WORKS —— Chinese Dark Chess (Banqi) is a classic Chinese board game on a 4×8 grid: • 32 pieces start face-down — flip one to reveal it • Pieces follow a rank hierarchy: General > Advisor > Elephant > Chariot > Horse > Cannon > Soldier • Higher rank captures lower, but Soldiers can capture the General • The Cannon jumps over pieces to capture — the wildcard • Win when your opponent has no pieces or no legal moves —— NEW TO BANQI? —— ◆ Learn in One Game • Interactive tutorial — learn to flip, move, and capture • Start with the easiest AI while you learn • Post-game review marks your best moves and mistakes —— EXPERIENCED PLAYER? —— ◆ Five AI Levels That Push You • Easy → Novice → Knight → Master → Grandmaster • Stronger AI makes sharper decisions in complex positions • Precise endgame verdicts show win, draw, or loss at a glance • Move-by-move review finds what you missed ◆ Story Mode — The Veiled Path • From apprentice to grandmaster — a wuxia journey through the art of Dark Chess • 23 lessons, 13 matches, 3 endings • 13 unique opponents with visual-novel style dialogue ◆ Six Variant Rules • Chariot Charge — captures distant pieces along an open rank or file regardless of rank • Diagonal Knight — moves diagonally and captures regardless of rank • Cannon Jump toggle — standard or no-jump mode • Blind Capture — attack face-down pieces and see what happens • Chain Capture — keep capturing if your piece can strike again • Equal Exchange — same-rank pieces destroy each other • Mix and match all six for free to create fresh challenges ◆ 52 Achievements • Gameplay milestones: first win, win streaks, difficulty breakthroughs • Story achievements: chapter completions, hidden endings ◆ Polished Experience • Satisfying flip animations with haptic feedback • Sound effects and clear status cues • Detailed rules include perpetual-chase restrictions • Adaptive phone and tablet layouts • Offline, no account — just open and play ◆ Free / One-Time Pro Unlock • Free with ads • Pro: remove ads and unlock the full story, stronger AI, unlimited hints and undo, precise endgame guidance, and unrestricted review Dark Chess is also known as Banqi or Half Chess — a beloved Chinese board game where strategy, hidden information, and sharp tactics make every game unique. ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Pro Unlock | $4.99 | one-time | | Pro Unlock | $4.99 | one-time | ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.8.2 — 2026-08-27 Sound and display improvements: • The game no longer plays sound when your phone is on silent • The board is no longer shrunk when you enlarge the system font • Fixed text being cut off on the result screen at large font sizes • The win/loss seal now stays visible when Reduce Motion is on ### 2.8.1 — 2026-08-15 Stability update! • Fixed a crash that could occur when returning to the game after switching apps • Fixed an occasional crash during matches • General performance and stability improvements ### 2.8.0 — 2026-08-09 A smoother difficulty ladder! • All five levels re-tuned: friendlier for beginners, with an even climb from level to level • Beginner and Apprentice now play like real newcomers — natural mistakes instead of robotic moves • Better large-text support: the board, menus and dialogs stay tidy at any system font size • Stability: your progress saves more reliably when you switch apps or step away ### 2.7.0 — 2026-08-05 Introducing the Endgame Tower — 557 hand-picked puzzles! • Climb floor by floor: every puzzle has a guaranteed win — can you find it? • Made a wrong move? Undo anytime, as often as you like. • Three sections and a five-star difficulty ladder, from basics to the summit. • Feeling bold? Switch sides and see how long you can hold on. • A refreshed home screen makes everything easier to find. ### 2.5.1 — 2026-05-23 v2.5.1 - Small-device hotfix - Fixes board top and bottom rows being visually clipped on small iPhones (iPhone 12 mini and similar 5.4-inch devices) in Focus Mode with rotated board ## Related topics [dark chess pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/dark-chess-pro) --- *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 2026-09-06.*