# HIARCS Chess — Play Chess and analyse games > World-class chess engine for playing, analysis, and learning with coaching. (iPhone/iPad app by Applied Computer Concepts Ltd..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess/id327708154 (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: 4.80/5 from 199 App Store ratings · 218 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 9.0 · 23 MB - Languages: American English, German (Germany) - Released: 2009-08-28 - Data updated: 2026-09-09 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess/id327708154/reviews.md ## What is HIARCS Chess? HIARCS is a multiple World Championship winning chess program and the only handheld chess program in the world which has won matches and tournaments with Grandmasters. It twice won the Mercusor Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina ahead of Grandmasters with a performance of 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 even the current World champion, Vishy Anand, in a recent interview when asked what chess program he uses to analyse with said "generally I use HIARCS". This power enables your iPhone 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. HIARCS Chess supports PGN chess game databases and has 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: + Strongest chess program on iPhone and iPod Touch, genuine 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 user interface with multiple high quality pieces set, colour schemes and icons including high res support for iPhone 4 and 5 retina displays + 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 coach can provide move options, give hints, indicate move safety and quality highlights and watch your play and warn about mistakes + Transfer PGN databases to/from HIARCS chess via iTunes file sharing, email games and PGN DBs from HIARCS + Launch HIARCS from PGN email attachments + Load, save or delete games to/from PGN databases + Set up or edit a position to analyse or play from + Advanced game navigation with game 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, offer draws or resign + 8 Piece sets and 9 colour schemes + Integrated Html manual and help screens A discount coupon is included with a $10 USD discount on other HIARCS products on Mac and PC from www.hiarcs.com. ## Key features - World Championship winning chess engine - Adjustable playing strengths and styles - Advanced coaching features - Elo rating tracking - PGN database support - Large tournament book - Multiple playing modes ## Chart rankings - #138 in Top Paid · Board (US App Store) ## What do users think of HIARCS Chess? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Strong chess engine - 👍 Human-like play - 🧠 Excellent coaching/analysis features - 🔧 Customizable difficulty levels - 💾 Saves and loads games well - 🎨 Nice visual design **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes and stability issues - 🔍 Lacks advanced features (PGN import/export, database navigation) - 🖼️ Outdated or subpar UI/UX - 💤 Slow move animations - 🤖 Engine strength may be overstated **Commonly reported bugs** - Crashes on certain iOS versions - Discount codes not working - Issues with hotspot mode **Most requested features** - PGN import/export functionality - Advanced database navigation (next/previous game) - Endgame tablebase support - Improved UI/UX for modern devices - More customization options ## Recent user reviews (10 of 218) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess/id327708154/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Enjoying getting back to chess *2026-05-28, version 13.88* Excellent chess App. I havent played for years and enjoy setting the FIDE rating on this App to see what my current level is. ### 5/5 — Mieux que Stock Fish et suffisamment bien pour moi . Plus rapide que stock fish et plus tactique . *2026-03-08* Le Best selon moi . ### 2/5 — Wasting time in a draw game. *2025-12-14, version 13.88* It was a game where I had King, rook and pawn against king and rook. I offered a draw and the app refused. ### 5/5 — Bonne application *2025-12-08* Très bon ### 4/5 — Engine is good but UI can be improved *2025-11-20* Engine is working, good and tactics of all defined, and I like it but when comes to UI Move backward and forward options are not visible in iPhone. The steps it might not need it for every user, so that can be hidden and more options. Slider is not visible always. ### 1/5 — There is no feedback from the developer. *2025-10-02, version 13.88* It would be great to have a FEN clipboard/email import function. Back <~> Forward buttons, to navigate already open PGN. ### 4/5 — No ‘next game’ button :( *2025-09-29, version 13.88* Please add a ‘next game’ button to go to the next game in the current PGN database. The game interface is good enough, but going through games in a database is clunky. A ‘next’ button would make Hiarcs the only chess app I’d need. ### 1/5 — Discount code not working *2025-08-26, version 13.88* If you are purchasing this product thinking you might get it for free once you purchase the PC/Mac version do not waste your money. The code does not work. Before purchasing product I contacted customer support involving another issue and have not received a reply. I am sure if I sent a message to customer service involving this issue I am sure the result will be the same. Customer service for Hiarcs prove me wrong. ### 1/5 — There is no feedback from the developer. *2025-07-01, version 13.88* It would be great to have a FEN clipboard/email import function. Back <~> Forward buttons, to navigate already open PGN. By the way, discount codes for Chess Explorer do not work. ### 5/5 — Très bien *2025-05-02* Très bien ! Agréable et Convivial ! ## Frequently asked questions about HIARCS Chess ### What does HIARCS Chess do? HIARCS Chess is a powerful chess program that allows you to play against a strong AI, analyze your games, and learn to improve your chess skills. It features a multiple World Championship winning engine and offers coaching features for players of all levels. ### What are the key features of HIARCS Chess? Key features include a genuine strong GM-level chess engine, adjustable handicap levels and opponent styles, advanced coaching with move options and hints, an Elo rating system to track your progress, PGN database support for classic games, and a large, up-to-date tournament book. ### 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, suggesting a one-time purchase model. ### Is HIARCS Chess compatible with my device? The description mentions compatibility with iPhone and iPod Touch, including high-resolution support for retina displays like those on iPhone 4 and 5. It is designed for iOS devices. ### How can HIARCS Chess help me improve at chess? The app offers advanced coaching features that can provide move options, give hints, and indicate move safety. It also includes realistic weaker opponent strengths and styles, adaptive levels, and an Elo rating system that monitors your performance and provides challenging yet beatable opponents as you improve. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 13.88 — 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 ### 13.87 — 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 ### 13.86 — 2022-09-11 + Improved menus and dialog display + Improved Dark.mode support + Improved Millennium eBoard support + Added time control ### 13.85 — 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 ### 13.84 — 2020-11-25 + Launch from PGN download or attachment + Millennium ChessLink Bluetooth improvements + Improved dark mode support ## Apps similar to HIARCS Chess | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Chess Pro.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-pro/id561435724) | 4.7 (1,983) | $2.99 | Games | | [SmallFish Chess for Stockfish](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallfish-chess-for-stockfish/id675049147) | 4.8 (4,466) | $4.99 | Games | | [SocialChess • Online Chess](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socialchess-online-chess/id442239737) | 4.7 (7,168) | Free | Games | | [Chess.com - Play and Learn](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549) | 4.8 (821,233) | Free | Games | | [Chess:](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id378161776) | 4.6 (1,535) | Free | Games | | [Chess Time - Multiplayer Chess](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-time-multiplayer-chess/id455602152) | 4.7 (1,664) | Free | Games | ## More apps by Applied Computer Concepts Ltd. - [HIARCS Chess for iPad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess-for-ipad/id462201312) 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 2026-09-09.*