# GrandArena — Chess without the friction

> Chess without the friction (iPhone/iPad app by Ricardo Marques.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grandarena/id6794672899 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Ricardo Marques](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893651151)
- Category: Games, Board, Strategy
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 38 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-08-03
- Data updated: 2026-09-16
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grandarena/id6794672899/reviews.md

## What is GrandArena?

GrandArena is chess without the friction. Open it and play — no sign-up, no clutter, no lessons to sit through. Just the board.

PLAY YOUR WAY
• Play the computer — five levels, from a gentle start to a real fight. Untimed, offline, no account.
• Pass & play — two players, one device. Perfect for the sofa.
• Play online — rated real-time games with matchmaking, live clocks, and an ELO rating that means something.

BUILT TO GET OUT OF YOUR WAY
• The chessboard is always ad-free — paid or not.
• Offline-first: the computer and pass-and-play work with no network and no account.
• Clean, quiet design. Pick your piece set and board theme.
• Sign in with email, Google, or Apple when you want to play online and keep your rating.

ONLINE, DONE RIGHT
• Fast matchmaking across 5+0, 10+0, and 3+2 time controls.
• Real ratings, leaderboards, and full match history.
• See where you rank — globally and in your country.

FAIR PLAY
• Anti-cheat protects rated games so your rating is earned.

GrandArena is free. Ads appear only on non-gameplay screens, and a single one-time purchase removes them for good if you'd rather not see them — the board stays ad-free either way.

Just chess. Play anyone.

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GrandArena Supporter | $3.99 | one-time |



## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.0.7 — 2026-09-15

Piece art fixes: the Kosal set now renders correctly, and pieces are sharper and better sized on the board. The promotion menu and captured pieces are now clearly visible for every set. Plus a live count of players online, right on the Play online button.

### 1.0.6 — 2026-09-11

A fresh look: a cleaner default board and pieces, plus three new piece sets to choose from - Spatial, Kiwen Suwi and Fantasy. Switch board and pieces any time from the Appearance menu.

### 1.0.4 — 2026-09-08

• Fixes an issue that could hide the Sound & haptics button on some phones.
• Refinements and fixes.

### 1.0.3 — 2026-08-14

• New "Kosal" piece set — a clean, minimalist option alongside Classic and Staunton (in Appearance).
• A dedicated Sound & haptics button right on the game screen.
• See how many players are online right now, from the home screen.
• Refinements and fixes.

### 1.0.2 — 2026-08-11

• Become a Supporter — go ad-free and get a Supporter badge on your profile
• See how many players are online before you start a game
• Your offline games (vs Computer and Pass & Play) now appear on your profile
• New Vibration on/off toggle in the board's appearance settings
• Scoreboard fixes and refinements

## More apps by Ricardo Marques

- [PadelLock](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/padellock/id6762284798)
- [Riffroutr](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riffroutr/id6769389059)
- [SquadLock](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/squadlock/id6781017559)

All apps by Ricardo Marques: https://appshunter.io/developer/1893651151

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*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 2026-09-16.*