# Mini Chess on Watch — user reviews > 27 indexed App Store user reviews of Mini Chess on Watch by Golmium, rated 2.30/5 from 41 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-on-watch/id1480844881/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-on-watch/id1480844881.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 10 · 4★ 2 · 3★ 2 · 2★ 5 · 1★ 22 ## Newest reviews (7 of 27) ### 2/5 — Difficult gameplay *2022-12-06, version 2.0* One of two things happen when I play this game. 1) I lose. Even the Novice setting is difficult with so little room to move around and only one of each back row piece. 2) It locks up. I’ve been stuck many times with every move I try being illegal. I’ll keep playing and update my review if it gets any better, but overall it’s not as much fun as I was led to believe. ### 2/5 — Hard *2020-12-03* I am 40 years old & certainly not a no is yet I can’t beat it on the easiest setting ### 2/5 — Annoying !! *2020-08-11, version 1.0* At first it was a great, challenging way to spend time. However, I soon noticed it would glitch and i wouldn’t be able to make specific moves that would otherwise tip the game in my advantage. For example, my bishop wouldn’t move in a certain diagonal direction when it should, or my pawn wouldn’t move forward into an empty space. It’s incredibly annoying. It also frequently freezes and I end up having to delete the app and redownload for it to work again. ### 2/5 — Freezes *2020-04-13, version 1.0* Have had to uninstall and reinstall this app multiple times to work around the app freezing up on my watch. Overall, not a terrible app, but very limited possibilities to move the pieces. I would not purchase this app if given the chance. ### 3/5 — Impossible *2020-02-02, version 1.0* Impossible to beat even on the easiest difficulty. The game also always forces you to start which puts you at a disadvantage. It runs nicely on my watch but I have lost every single game I’ve played Update: (Added a star) Developer responded with proof that you can beat the game even if you start every time. It would be even better if the difference between the difficulties was even more substantial. ### 1/5 — Cool concept but not good *2020-01-24, version 1.0* The game becomes frustrating because you don’t have as much room as regular chess. ### 2/5 — HARD *2020-01-18, version 1.0* This game is so hard and I play chess at a very high level. I thought it was cool to have chess on my Apple Watch but I haven’t won a single game on “Novice” and “Expert”. Hopefully future updates make it more fun. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Avoid *2024-10-02, version 2.0* Easily the worst app on the entire platform. It is nearly impossible to win in the half format. You are at a completely 99:1 disadvantage. It’s not a fair game. Whichever side goes second is almost garunteed to win and the bot is always second move. The bot also will specifically try and stalemate the game if it starts to lose ### 1/5 — Awful app *2024-05-16, version 2.0* Never have won once ### 1/5 — Way too difficult *2024-01-03* Despite changing the difficulty, the computer is ridiculously hard to beat. Developers, please make the novice level easier to play as its one of the few watch apps. ### 1/5 — Unmöglich *2023-07-20* Nach mehreren Versuchen, sogar auf der leichtesten Schwierigkeit, kann ich schlussfolgern, dass es unmöglich ist zu gewinnen. Der Bot gewinnt jedes Mal und ich bin leidenschaftlicher Schachspieler… ### 1/5 — Glitch *2022-12-24, version 2.0* The game was not working so I deleted it from my watch and now I can’t get it back ### 1/5 — Knight In center of board *2020-11-19, version 1.0* Hi I’ve got my knight in the center of the board and it won’t move anywhere. What gives? ### 1/5 — Cheats *2020-11-17, version 1.0* This game has repeatedly declared a stalemate on the hardest setting when I’m just about to win. Best avoided. ### 1/5 — It wasn’t what I thought *2020-06-27, version 1.0* I guess my fault. I wanted a full chess board and didn’t realize it’s half the pieces. My fault, signs are there. I just missed it. Mini chess takes everything I love about chess and throws it away. Sorry, this game is not for me. ### 1/5 — App frozen *2020-03-10, version 1.0* My app is frozen; it says your move but is unresponsive. Deleted from watch to try to reinstall, but having trouble getting it back on now. ### 1/5 — Game doesn’t work *2020-03-01, version 1.0* Played 6 games lost 6 games. Well game seems to be frozen and says my move and it won’t let me move closed the game and reopen and still doesn’t work. Even free is not worth getting this trash of application. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Macht richtig Laune! *2025-08-01* Ich habe schon ewig kein Schach gespielt, nie professionell, nur hobbymäßig und auch eher Anfängerniveau. Ich habe eigentlich nur nach einer netten Unterhaltung auf der Apple Watch gesucht und das mal ausprobiert. Zuerst dachte ich, die halbe Größe, das kann ja gar nicht funktionieren. Aber tatsächlich fühlt es sich nach einer Weile wirklich an wie richtiges Schach auf dem großen Brett! Die Figuren und Regeln sind ja trotzdem dieselben und es macht echt erstaunlich viel Spaß! Zuerst hat es eine Weile gedauert, bis ich auf der leichtesten Stufe den Computer mal geschlagen habe aber nach ein paar Tagen Übung habe ich jetzt sogar auf der schwersten Stufe gewonnen. Da ich kein Kasparov bin, weiß ich nicht, ob das jetzt für die App spricht oder eher nicht 😄. Ich habe keinen Vergleich zu anderen Schach Apps kann aber für mich jedenfalls sagen, es ist ein netter Zeitvertreib, es bringt die grauen Zellen in Schwung und die Übung hilft garantiert auch für das große Schach! ### 5/5 — Macht Spaß *2024-08-31* Und auf die Schnelle eine gute Unterhaltung. Richtige Größe für die Apple Watch! ### 5/5 — Loving this baby chessboard *2020-09-27, version 1.0* what’s interesting is that it’s a completely different game when you cut it down to this size. Not easier. Not harder. Just as much fun, which surprised me. ### 5/5 — AI issues *2020-09-13, version 1.0* Though the game is great at the start and deserves 5 stars, by a week later I can continually beat the game by performing the same 8 moves. At the start I thought the AI was reacting to my moves based on previous moves and at least somewhat looking forward. Instead the AI reacts to all moves the same way. This is how I realized the 8 moves that will always lead to a checkmate. 1) (W) Queen Pawn move forward (B) reacts with Bishop Pawn takes Queen Pawn 2) (W) Knight to Queen Pawn’s starting square (B) reacts with Rook Pawn forward 3) (W) King Pawn takes pawn (B) reacts with King Pawn takes pawn 4) (W) Bishop Pawn takes pawn (B) Knight Threatens Queen 5) (W) Knight Pawn takes Knight (B) Queen Pawn takes pawn 5) (W) Queen put King in check (B) King moves in front of Queen 6) (W) Knight puts King in check (B) Queen takes Knight 7) (W) Queen moves up in line with King (B) Checkmate If you want I can send you a video. Please make AI somewhat smarter and get 5 stars from me. (Edit) I didn’t know that there was an expert level. I have now set it to expert to see what happens. I added a star now that I know this. I tried Intermediate and can beat the game using the same combination of moves. I will now move on to expert. I finally won in Expert mode. If you’re willing to sacrifice important pieces you can in fact win. 5 stars. Ok Expert is tougher. ### 5/5 — Like it *2020-04-13, version 1.0* Nice game. Really tough to beat though. Gor the developer, is there any way to change this to an easier difficulty level? ### 5/5 — Simple and quick *2020-02-12, version 1.0* I live being able to pull this up and run through a game in a minute. Even though the computer plays hard, it is possible to beat it. ### 5/5 — Really fun on watch *2020-02-11, version 1.0* I love this game. Chess has always been so intimidating to me. This is much more approachable. I can confirm you can win pretty often. So the arxiv reference in the other review proves that starting first has the same advantage as not? Wasn’t Gardner’s mini chess slightly different than this? ### 4/5 — I got the wrong app. *2020-10-24, version 1.0* This doesn’t work on my watch. I have a 5.0 iWatch. Can I get my money back? ### 4/5 — Extremely Difficult *2020-05-24, version 1.0* Mini Chess for Apple Watch is extremely fun and an incredible way to pass time. The only thing that was not great (and the reason for only a 4 star) is how difficult it is. If you have no prior experience with chess this is not the place to start. It took me almost 30 tries to win Novice mode. It is possible, so don’t listen to reviews that say otherwise. You can also find ways to beat it off of YouTube, google, etc. ### 3/5 — It works but *2020-10-21* Yes, the game works but it can be improved a lot: - First, the crown is not used at all. - There’s no preview for possible movements when you select a piece. - You can only be whites. - the 3D Touch/force touch should be the main menu. And if you really want to have undo, put it in the top, not the bottom. - there’s no timer nor extra types of gameplay excepting regular match. - expert has the same ai than mid. Dunno why there are 2 levels. - no tutorials nor menu, nor ui. --- *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 2026-09-13.*