# Red Hot Pawn Play Chess — Online daily chess since 2001.

> Online correspondence chess platform for mobile devices. (iPhone/iPad app by netAdapt Apps.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-hot-pawn-play-chess/id1201313767 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [netAdapt Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1201313766)
- Category: Games, Entertainment, Board
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 3.90/5 from 77 App Store ratings · 81 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 18.0 · 31 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2017-04-27
- Data updated: 2026-08-17
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-hot-pawn-play-chess/id1201313767/reviews.md

## What is Red Hot Pawn Play Chess?

Play chess with friends and the global online chess community.

Play online correspondence style "daily chess" on the Red Hot Pawn chess platform right from your phone.  Play your friends or challenge the global chess community.

  - Established community since 2001
  - Ladder and tournament competition
  - Conditional moves
  - Clan team play system 
  - Game analysis and notes
  - Vacation timeout protection

* 25th anniversary year -  a quarter of a century of online chess. *

## Key features

- Online correspondence chess
- Play with friends
- Challenge global community
- Daily chess gameplay
- Mobile access

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quarterly Nonrecurring | $14.99 | one-time |
| Annual Nonrecurring | $39.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Red Hot Pawn Play Chess?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🌍 Connect with players worldwide
- 🏆 Tournaments and ladders available
- 📱 Great fit for smartphone
- ✨ Simple and functional interface
- 💯 Competent and reliable app
- 🆓 Free to play option
- ✅ Good matchmaking
- 💡 Conditional moves feature
- 📊 Excellent statistics provided
- 🚀 Speeds up playing experience
- 🌟 Clean and usable interface
- 💪 Fully featured correspondence chess app
- 👍 Intuitive and logical functionality
- 💯 Superior and superb app

**Cons**

- 📉 Game limit for non-subscribers reduced
- 💰 Focus on monetization
- 😵 Clunky interface
- 🚫 Anti-cheating system seems non-existent
- 🤔 Something missing
- 📱 App can be slow on notifications
- 🚫 Cannot upload a photo
- 🔞 Pornographic ads
- 😵 Game analysis is cheating
- 🐛 Glitchy, says illegal move when it's not
- 🔒 Won't remember login
- 🐌 Slow on notifications sometimes
- 👎 New format is cumbersome
- 📉 Not enough players
- 😕 Basic, not a real app feel
- ⏳ No actual chess timer for speed chess
- ❌ Invalid credentials issues
- 😫 Impossible to navigate or access games
- 🤔 User interface is complicated
- 🚫 Board won't self-refresh
- 🗣️ Can only chat when it's your move
- 🧐 Limited piece style and color options
- ❌ Poorly coded login procedure
- 😵 Messages flash and disappear quickly
- 👎 Not that good, better apps exist
- 👴 Outdated game board graphics
- 🐌 Long-winded and unintuitive
- ⏳ Less functionality for variable time limits
- 🚫 Cannot see all games in a list
- 🚫 Cannot analyze board
- 🤔 Not clear on player last moves
- 🚫 Opponent's taken piece not shown
- 🚫 Completed games not visible
- ❌ Cannot move pieces on new iPad Pro
- ❌ Cannot archive completed games
- ❌ Cannot see Q&A to common questions
- 🚫 Players don't move in losing positions
- 🚫 No place to adjudicate games
- 🚫 Cannot replay or analyze games on mobile

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App never works
- Game analysis is cheating
- Glitch when submitting move, says illegal
- Won't remember login
- Invalid credentials errors
- App does not work on iPhone 7 plus, no moves possible
- Cannot sign up on iPhone
- Keeps forgetting login details
- Cannot move pieces in games on new iPad Pro
- Board won't self-refresh
- Push notifications sometimes don't work
- Cannot replay or analyze games on mobile

**Most requested features**

- More than 50 games for free users
- Hundreds of games for free users
- Ability to email completed games
- Improve push notification reliability
- Better filtering and sorting of games
- Option to change app's main top bar color and theme
- More functionality for variable time limits
- Easily accessible back and forward button for move review
- Archive completed games
- Show which piece opponent took on last move
- Display completed games
- More players
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Fix login issues
- Improve anti-cheating system
- Add chess timer for speed chess
- More piece style and color options
- Allow chat at any time
- Improve UI for mobile
- Add more game analysis features
- Fix glitch where illegal moves are flagged

## Recent user reviews (10 of 81)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-hot-pawn-play-chess/id1201313767/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Red hot pawn

*2026-06-20*

Been playing RHP for years only because there was not a subscription needed to play up to twelve games. Now it’s down to six games for a non subscriber. Guess it’s always about the money. I do like the ease of navigating through the ads without the hassle other sites make you go through.

**Developer response:** For player's with accounts over 10 years old, concurrent games are reduced to six games.  This is not the case for new members.  

Unfortunately, running an "always on" service which needs constant maintenance, development,  and support is very expensive, not to mention over 10 years of retaining your game data, so saying its "always about the money"  is grossly unfair.

The app, ad free, and virtually unlimited games is *10 cents* a day.  A coffee a day might cost you 40 times as much.

### 5/5 — Deej

*2026-06-11, version v6.1.8*

Best chess app out there

### 1/5 — never works

*2026-05-16, version v6.1.8*

boo!

### 5/5 — An excellent site for new or experienced players.

*2026-04-10*

Have no fear, this costs nothing to play. As a non subscriber you are limited to playing 12 games at a time. But subscribe and games are unlimited. Brilliant!

### 5/5 — Red hot pawn

*2026-02-14*

Been playing RHP for years only because there was not a subscription needed to play up to twelve games.  Now it’s down to six games for a non subscriber.  Guess it’s always about the money.  I do like the ease of navigating through the ads without the hassle other sites make you go through.

**Developer response:** For player's with accounts over 10 years old, concurrent games are reduced to six games.  This is not the case for new members.  

Unfortunately, running an "always on" service which needs constant maintenance, development,  and support is very expensive, not to mention over 10 years of retaining your game data, so saying its "always about the money"  is grossly unfair.

The app, ad free, and virtually unlimited games is *10 cents* a day.  A coffee a day might cost you 40 times as much.

### 5/5 — Awesome!

*2025-07-12, version v5.0.9*

Playing for 10+ years now, great matchmaking, found lots of online chess friends all over the world

### 5/5 — Fantastic app

*2025-05-18*

Great great app. Excellent functionality, appearance, easy to learn easy to use. Great. Wish there were more than 50 games though, would like to see a couple of hundred at least. That’s my only beef, Otherwise A superior, superb app! Well done!

### 5/5 — RedHotPawn

*2024-08-26*

Enjoyable format.  Easy to communicate and find the challenge you desire.

### 5/5 — Red hot pawn

*2024-06-03*

Been using this app for years top notch the best out there

### 2/5 — Clunky

*2024-04-10*

Can’t quickly see proposed moves. Have to go through “game analysis”. Can’t see Q&A to common questions. Players don’t move when in losing position, and no place to adjudicate the game.

## Frequently asked questions about Red Hot Pawn Play Chess

### What is RedHotPawn?

RedHotPawn is an online chess platform that has been operating continuously since 2001. It allows users to play correspondence-style 'daily chess' matches against friends or other players worldwide directly from their mobile phones.

### How do I play chess on RedHotPawn?

You can play chess on RedHotPawn by downloading the app and creating an account. The platform focuses on correspondence-style chess, where players have a set amount of time to make each move, allowing for strategic planning.

### Is RedHotPawn free to use?

The application is free to download and play, but it does include in-app purchases and advertisements. This allows for continued operation and development of the platform.

### What kind of chess games can I play?

The primary mode of play offered is correspondence-style 'daily chess'. This means you can play at your own pace, making moves when you have time, rather than needing to be online for real-time games.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### v6.1.8 — 2026-04-11

Animated boards
Haptic Touch on pieces.
More board and piece designs
Block players
Improved dark mode
Many new quality-of-life improvements

### v5.0.9 — 2022-10-28

Draw offer acceptance bug fix.

### v5.0.8 — 2022-10-04

This release introduces a 

- Refreshed UI, including game result splash on game conclusion.
- Clan and clan challenge browsing (team play)
- Infinite scrolling for all tables (My Games, leaderboards, etc)

### v4.5.6 — 2021-04-28

Bug fixes, maintenance release.

### 4.5.5 — 2019-11-25

Maintenance release, bug fixes.

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## More apps by netAdapt Apps

- [Daily Chess Puzzle Challenge](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-chess-puzzle-challenge/id6761612410)
- [Chess Clock Ultra](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-clock-ultra/id6761626273)

All apps by netAdapt Apps: https://appshunter.io/developer/1201313766

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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 2026-08-17.*