# HIARCS Chess for iPad — Play chess and analyse games

> World-class chess engine for playing, analyzing, and improving your chess skills. (iPhone/iPad app by Applied Computer Concepts Ltd..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess-for-ipad/id462201312 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Applied Computer Concepts Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/327708157)
- Category: Games, Education, Board, Strategy
- Price: $9.99
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 179 App Store ratings · 154 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 9.0 · 39 MB
- Languages: American English, German (Germany)
- Released: 2011-09-12
- Data updated: 2026-08-08
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess-for-ipad/id462201312/reviews.md

## What is HIARCS Chess for iPad?

HIARCS is a multiple World Championship winning chess program and the only handheld chess program which has won matches and tournaments with Grandmasters. It twice won the Mercusor Cup tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina ahead of Grandmasters, the last time with a performance beyond 2900 Elo, the best chess performance rating for any handheld device in history.

In 1997 the World's strongest ever human chess player, Garry Kasparov, said "HIARCS is much better positionally than Deep Blue" and ex World champion, Vishy Anand, in a recent 2011 interview when asked what chess program he uses to analyse with said "generally I use HIARCS".

HIARCS Chess for iPad harnesses this chess power to enable your iPad to play chess like a super Grandmaster, analyse games and chess problems with you, or play at whatever weakened chess strength you want from beginner to GM strength while offering numerous features to help you learn and improve as you play with HIARCS. An advanced set of coaching features helps players of all strengths improve their chess play.

HIARCS Chess has a full range of realistic weaker opponent strengths and playing styles catering for players of all abilities from absolute beginners to Grandmasters. On the weaker playing levels HIARCS will make human-like mistakes appropriate to the level of play and this together with the integrated coach advice, assessments and alerts allow you to learn and improve quickly.  HIARCS also monitors your chess performance and provides you with an Elo chess rating which tracks your chess ability in every game. It can continuously adjust its playing strength to give you challenging but beatable opponents as you improve.

HIARCS Chess will save battery life by using much less energy on the weaker levels, allowing more playing time on long journeys etc.

You can transfer PGN game databases to and from HIARCS Chess and load/save your chess games in PGN format, it even has databases of all the games between Fischer & Spassky and Kasparov & Karpov for you to play through and enjoy.

HIARCS has a large tournament book which is up to date with chess theory with over 235,000 variations. The book moves are displayed on screen with chess symbols and the opening variations are named and ECO coded.

Key features:
+ Extremely Strong chess program, genuine beyond strong GM-level performance
+ Suitable for all players from absolute beginners to strong Grandmasters with many handicap levels and opponents styles and advanced coaching
+ Intuitive and friendly, iPad tailored, user interface supporting all four screen orientations with multiple high quality piece sets, colour schemes and icons
+ Multiple playing modes: play white, black, both sides in two player mode, continuous analysis and interactive replay
+ Fully adjustable Elo strengths, adaptive levels and  multiple playing levels and opponents
+ All levels below maximum are low energy to increase battery life
+ Rates your chess play and gives you an Elo rating which is updated after each game
+ Advanced coaching provides move options, hints, move safety and quality highlights and watches your play to warn about mistakes
+ Transfer PGN databases to/from HIARCS chess via iTunes file sharing, load/save PGNs, email games and PGN DBs from HIARCS
+ Set up or edit a position to analyse or play from
+ Advanced game navigation with move slider and VCR buttons for rapid and precise game navigation
+ Many selectable preset blitz, incremental and average time clock settings for timed play
+ Large HIARCS tournament opening book as used by the professionals!
+ Permanent brain for enhanced playing strength
+ Numerous chess display functions for showing chess moves, analysis, book moves, coach advice, move quality even legal moves
+ Integrated Html manual and help screens

## Key features

- Extremely strong chess engine
- Suitable for all player levels
- Advanced coaching features
- Multiple playing modes
- Adjustable Elo strengths
- PGN database transfer
- Large tournament book

## What do users think of HIARCS Chess for iPad?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Powerful chess engine
- 👍 Adjustable playing strength
- 👍 Realistic human-like play
- 👍 Excellent coaching and analysis features
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 👍 Comprehensive opening book
- 👍 Versatile customization options

**Cons**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Small and hard-to-read text
- 🔍 Cluttered and outdated UI design
- 💰 Expensive compared to other chess apps

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Compatibility issues with iOS 8 and newer
- Graphical issues with move quality display
- Inability to resign or stop the game clock

**Most requested features**

- Add ability to view and navigate variations
- Improve visibility and placement of game clocks
- Implement FEN clipboard/email import function
- Add back/forward buttons to navigate games
- Increase font size and readability of text

## Recent user reviews (10 of 154)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess-for-ipad/id462201312/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Hobby Player

*2026-07-14, version 13.8.9*

I found for me the ability to learn from game playing increased with all the options using the colour codes for good to bad moves

### 5/5 — Great Teaching tool

*2026-07-12, version 13.8.9*

Enjoy not have to be linked to the internet. Unlike Webb based game platforms. Very tough to beat, but a learning experience. I have the latest versions of Chessbase and Fritz, and this is comparable to them.

### 5/5 — One of the best chess apps available

*2026-04-10, version 13.8.9*

I’ve been using HIARCS for many years now, and I have long considered it one of the very best chess apps I’ve ever used. This HD version for my iPad is exceptional! It has all the great features I’ve used for years, plus it looks great on my iPad’s screen. Well done as always!

### 5/5 — Perfect Chess Program

*2026-02-14, version 13.8.9*

This is everything you need in an AI chess program. Instant feed back from color coded dots and squares lets you know the weakness and strength of your planned move. Very easy to read on an iPad. Very well laid out on the screen.

### 5/5 — Best Chess App for iOS

*2025-07-03, version 13.8.9*

Great, simple, adjustable, customizable, no-subscription, no gimmicks or frills chess game. Never found a better chess game for iOS.

### 5/5 — Amazing

*2025-04-04, version 13.8.9*

The only I would change is the notation. They are to small and to coach advice is sometimes not that visible. Except that, great chess app.

### 1/5 — There is no feedback from the developer.

*2025-04-02, version 13.8.9*

It would be great to have a FEN clipboard/email import function. Back <~> Forward buttons, to navigate already open PGN.

### 5/5 — Enjoyable practice partner

*2024-11-26, version 13.8.9*

Playing against HIARCS on my iPad tablet is enjoyable. It makes small plausible mistakes (at reduced strength) and it makes moves at a natural pace according to the time available.

### 5/5 — Playing over a Millennium Board is the best !

*2024-03-12, version 13.8.9*

Hiarcs playing with adaptative strength with updated books and coach advice by x or + on the board leds is a real nice feature.

Thanks

### 5/5 — Amazing program

*2023-05-11, version 13.8.9*

As a kid starting with Chessmaster, I started playing chess with my father, eager to get better. I started playing chess master as I got older. I couldn’t find a program to play chess like I used to until I came across this one and old man. This one is amazing because it has the chess rating system and adaption mode which keeps up with your chess rating you’re able to win, 50-50, and get better and better. This one gets five stars and possibly the best chess program on the iPad.

## Frequently asked questions about HIARCS Chess for iPad

### What does HIARCS Chess do?

HIARCS Chess provides a powerful chess engine for playing against the computer, analyzing your games, and improving your chess skills. It offers adjustable difficulty levels and advanced coaching features suitable for players of all strengths.

### What are the key features of HIARCS Chess?

Key features include an extremely strong chess engine with GM-level performance, suitability for beginners to Grandmasters, advanced coaching, multiple playing modes, adjustable Elo strengths, PGN game database transfer, and a large tournament book with extensive opening variations.

### How much does HIARCS Chess cost?

Based on the provided information, HIARCS Chess is a paid application. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or advertisements, indicating a one-time purchase for the full app.

### What are common use cases for HIARCS Chess?

Common use cases include playing practice games against a strong opponent, analyzing past games to identify mistakes and improve strategy, learning new opening variations from the extensive tournament book, and tracking your chess improvement with an Elo rating.

### Is HIARCS Chess compatible with my device?

The application is specifically named 'HIARCS Chess for iPad', suggesting it is designed for iPad devices. It supports all four screen orientations and offers an iPad-tailored user interface.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 13.8.9 — 2022-10-04

+ Fix to long time control issue
+ Improved coaching for white and black, shows mistakes and missed better moves
+ Improved Dark.mode support
+ Improved Millennium eBoard support
+ Coaching support on eBoards with LEDs, X for mistakes, + for missed opportunity
+ eBoard: Lift piece to ignore coach or take back move and follow advice

### 13.8.8 — 2022-10-03

+ Improved coaching for white and black, shows mistakes and missed better moves
+ Improved Dark.mode support
+ Improved Millennium eBoard support
+ Coaching support on eBoards with LEDs, X for mistakes, + for missed opportunity
+ eBoard: Lift piece to ignore coach or take back move and follow advice

### 13.8.7 — 2022-09-23

+ Enhanced menus and dialog display
+ Enhanced Dark.mode support
+ Enhanced Millennium eBoard support
+ Added time controls 15+10, 5+3

### 13.8.6 — 2022-09-11

+ Improved menus and dialog display
+ Improved Dark.mode support
+ Improved Millennium eBoard support
+ Added time control

### 13.8.5 — 2021-09-19

+ PGN database sharing (send and receive)
+ Load PGN downloads and attachments
+ PGN databases ordered
+ Coach Advice on Millennium eBoards
+ Dark mode improvements
+ General enhancements

## Apps similar to HIARCS Chess for iPad

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Chess Opener Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-opener-lite/id1489281014) | 4.1 (17) | Free | Games |
| [Chess Opener PRO](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-opener-pro/id1489282483) | 4.4 (80) | $8.99 | Games |
| [ChessLink App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesslink-app/id1547075731) | 4.4 (8) | Free | Games |
| [ChessBase Mobile Chess](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessbase-mobile-chess/id6739000093) | 2.9 (18) | Free | Games |
| [Chess Pro.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-pro/id561435724) | 4.7 (1,982) | $2.99 | Games |
| [Elite Chess Database](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elite-chess-database/id6475635793) | 1.0 (1) | Free | Games |

## More apps by Applied Computer Concepts Ltd.

- [HIARCS Chess](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess/id327708154)

All apps by Applied Computer Concepts Ltd.: https://appshunter.io/developer/327708157

---

*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 2026-08-08.*