# Shredder Chess for iPad — user reviews > 141 indexed App Store user reviews of Shredder Chess for iPad by Eiko Bleicher, rated 4.20/5 from 30 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shredder-chess-for-ipad/id364900027/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shredder-chess-for-ipad/id364900027.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 16 · 4★ 9 · 3★ 2 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 2 ## What do users think of Shredder Chess for iPad? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Excellent chess engine - 🚀 Adjusts playing strength to user's level - 💡 Useful puzzles and tactics training - 👍 Clean and intuitive user interface - 💡 Customizable board and piece sets - 👍 Stable and reliable performance **Cons** - 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs - 💡 Needs better opening book and database support - 💡 Lacks ability to import/export PGN games - 💡 Limited analysis and variation display - 💡 Dated graphics, could use visual update **Commonly reported bugs** - Crashes when switching between puzzles - Incorrect threefold repetition draw detection - Issues with iOS 8 and later compatibility **Most requested features** - Add PGN import/export functionality - Expand opening book and game database - Improve game analysis tools and features - Modernize graphics and visual design - Implement cloud sync and multi-device support ## Newest reviews (15 of 141) ### 4/5 — Puzzles Interface CHAMPION LEVEL *2025-02-25, version 1.10.0* Clearly the best chess puzzle interface, clearly fun among the several chess apps with puzzles that I possess! Other chess programs have far better game playing ability today. Most exceed the average chess player’s skill level but I like this app but also use Chess Pro due to their wonderful user interfaces. ### 4/5 — Needs File Sharing *2022-08-07, version 1.10.0* The puzzles are good. The engine is reasonably strong. It needs file sharing so you can import pgn games. ### 4/5 — Very Good w/Caveats *2021-08-04, version 1.10.0* I’ve played over 3,000 matches with Shredder. It’s flexible, powerful, and has most of the bells and whistles. The flexible game save function is helpful, and the leveling mechanic is reasonable. The biggest downsides are 1. The move suggestions, at least at my (middling) level are laughable. Follow them and you’ll win every time. But if you back up and try the same move on your own, without triggering it as a hint, you’ll be slaughtered. Meaning, when Shredder is teaching you, it sets up unrealistic responses that allow it to make successful hints. This is, in fact, the opposite of helpful. Even at my level, it was immediately obvious that the suggested moves were idiotic. 2. The puzzles are of little use, as they only test your knowledge. They do little to help you learn more. There is no explanation for why this or that is “...the best move for white”. And because it’s also timing you and scoring you, it feels judging, not supportive. When you fail, you just move on to the next puzzle, you don’t learn anything. It’s frustrating. Finally, the visuals are quite dated at this point, though that is obviously subjective and minor. All in all, it has a lot going for it, but really shows weaknesses as a teaching tool. ### 2/5 — SCAM ALERT!!!! SAVE YOUR MONEY!!! *2019-04-16, version 1.7.1* Elo is only 2600 and plays like 1700. I have played several games against the engine and Shredder resigned every game but one. This app won’t teach you ANYTHING!! What rhymes with cam? (SCAM)👎👎 ### 4/5 — Good app; could use a few refinements *2018-12-16, version 1.7.1* I really like this chess app. It's very strong, has a nice rating system, when you set it for lower levels, it degrades play in a more realistic fashion than many chess games. It's a great app. Having said that, there are still curious oddities. * For example, the “new game;setup position; enter moves; start analysis” menu is using the “export” icon. That makes no sense to me. The iOS app uses the “+” icon, which while not perfect, seems closer. I’m not sure why the iPad and iPhone apps use different icons. * I wish it had cut/paste and import/export features to get PGN/FEN representations in and out of the app. * I wish the game database could (optionally) be shared between devices. Perhaps put it in iCloud? * I wish the iPad game supported multitasking (both split-view and slide-over), allowing me to read a chess book and analyze a game at the same time. * I wish the app supported annotations, tappable move list, etc. At the very least, given all of this iPad screen real-estate, show us more than two moves in the list at a time! But I still love this app. I think it's the best chess app out there. But it’s not keeping up with device capabilities introduced over the last few years... ### 4/5 — Is a good program, but... *2017-05-23, version 1.7.1* Shredder has a very nice interface and a strong engine, but it seems it should include some of the features of the pc version for training, time control and variation analysis so that it can offset the relatively high price of the application...reason i am writing this is because if you download the FREE app Stockfish, i am afraid you will find perhaps a slightly better chess application. I hope shredder increases value in coming updates. ### 4/5 — Great, but........ *2017-02-04, version 1.7.1* It's great that Shredder has an app for iPhone. iPad and even Mac. However, what's missing is syncing. Why hasn't iCloud syncing been built into these apps? I should be able to start a game on my iPad and finish it on my iPhone or Mac. ### 3/5 — Well-done Chess app, BUT... *2016-12-06, version 1.7.1* Shredder's iOS chess version is a well designed app. But the reply to a recent email I sent the company was misleading. Importing outside games was not added to this recent update. It still cannot show a move list which would allow you to quickly return to an earlier point to attempt a different move sequence. As a result, reviewing a game in Shredder is more cumbersome than Stockfish, tChess, Hiarcs, and ChessHD. The full-computer version of Shredder was just updated to v13 from v12 so I assume this app is stronger? The game's analysis function is nice but less useful than those of the tChess and "Analyze This" chess apps. It is hard to evaluate playing strength between the top iOS chess apps but Stockfish almost certainly is the strongest, and it may get an update soon as the full-computer version went from v7 to v8 a few weeks ago. Important - Stockfish is FREE. Shredder's value is its interface - the Puzzle Section is fun but a more extensive iOS "chess puzzle only" app is available and less expensive. The game play interface is easy to use(!) and attractive, and I enjoy the "game evaluation meter" over a simple number for whom is ahead in a game as seen in the other chess apps. Lastly, it is still possible that more database and game importing features will be added if the firm's recent email to me was accurate. I like Shredder and I do have hope. ### 3/5 — Best app out there but room for improvement *2016-09-03, version 1.7.0* It is the best app out there but it much more clunky then iPhone app. Control panel located inconveniently at the top of the page. Seemingly haphazard placement of controls means toggling between different pages especially when playing consecutive puzzles. The whole thing feels slipshod and not very well thought out. Seems the whole thing could be streamlined for better of use. ### 3/5 — Fix PGN please *2016-08-11, version 1.7.0* Really like this app but when I want to get a computer analysis from Lichess it tells me that the PGN is invalid. Update and I'll change my review to 5 stars. ### 5/5 — I Love This App *2016-03-20, version 1.7.0* I am not a particularly brilliant chess player, but I love doing the puzzles - A great app ### 5/5 — Great app! *2016-02-10, version 1.7.0* Works great. ### 5/5 — I Love It *2016-01-18, version 1.7.0* Absolutely the best chess app. Could do with an update though ;) ### 5/5 — Highly Recommend *2015-10-08, version 1.7.0* The engine plays at lower levels a "human" style in that mistakes are of the sort a class level player would make. The puzzles are excellent for honing your tactical skills. ### 5/5 — Puzzles excellent for honing tactical skills! *2015-08-22, version 1.7.0* puzzles excellent for honing tactical skills! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Put out to pasture?? *2021-01-01, version 1.10.0* I didn’t review comments before downloading. Had I done so, I would have noticed no reviews more recent than one year ago. There’s only one of those and the rest are two years or older - a clear sign of neglect. Program performance and consistency also indicate neglect - IMHO. My first foray has been with the puzzles - which are “interesting” but frequently obtuse - with no explanations as to WHY one has managed to solve a puzzle. (Perhaps my lack of a Grand Master’s knowledge of the game is the reason I don’t understand - - but I don’t think so.) When one decides to play a position from the end of a puzzle to explore why a puzzle may have been solved, the program is completely bonkers - sometimes reversing board positions - sometimes not; sometimes playing automatically - sometimes not; and SOMETIMES making the most garishly amateur automatic plays so that it seems like an intentional loss is intended. I’m going to just move on. No point in attempting to contact a “support” department that must be moribund. ### 1/5 — Aweful ui *2019-01-02, version 1.7.1* You have to tap the share icon to start a new game. The graphics are rubbish. ### 1/5 — Terrible opening book *2017-03-06, version 1.7.1* If you're into oddball openings all the time, this is the app for you. If, on the other hand, you don't enjoy playing the same obscure opening over and over and over again, steer clear. Out of ten games I played as white, Shredder replied to 1. e4 with g3 ten times. ### 1/5 — does not work in ios10 *2016-12-11, version 1.7.1* menus do not work in IOS 10, unusable until updated ### 1/5 — Buggy *2014-12-11, version 1.7.0* Played a game against the app. Game ended, but the app won't leave the game so I can start a new one. Also, when playing puzzle mode, if I accidentally swipe the iPad menu up, the app closes. Please fix. ### 1/5 — Was my favorite app, but then iOS 8 came along... *2014-10-14, version 1.3.0* This was my favorite app, particularly for the puzzels. I have spent many enteratining hours with this execllent engine. But it hasn't worked since the introduction of iOS 8. It hangs frequently and is essentially unsable. An update has been promised, but there has been no sign of it. I hate to give Shredder one star, but until it is fixed it deserves no stars. Do not buy if you have already installed iOS 8. I am beginning to wonder if the developer is serious about supporting iOS, if not, he should remove the app from the store. ### 1/5 — Fix iOS 8 bugs already *2014-10-10, version 1.3.0* Freezes during puzzles. ### 1/5 — Great Chess app that doesn't work on iOS 8 *2014-10-09, version 1.3.0* This is the best Chess app out there...or it was. It hasn't been updated in 2 years and now does not work properly with iOS 8. Please guys, fix this! ### 1/5 — t Chess Pro still needed though... *2010-10-23, version 0* Shredder has one fundamental problem. It does not let me copy and paste the pgn of a game. "Ah," you might say, "but you can send the game out as an email attachment.". Well that is pretty useless on an iPad because Shredder cannot then read the pgn attachment back in!!! This is where t Chess Pro saves the day. It can read the attachment, DocsToGo-style. Solution? Just ignore Shredder, get t Chess Pro and save yourself all this hassle. Don't get me wrong, I purchased Shredder years back for the PC, and use it regularly there, copy and paste, the lot. But on the iPad, Shredder is a let-down. ### 2/5 — Buggy and terrible user interface *2021-11-27, version 1.10.0* I love the iPhone version of this so was excited to see this app when I got my iPad. However it’s obvious very little work has been done on this app to convert it properly. The most useful feature for me personally - position analysis - is gone. Setting up a position is really awkward in a tiny screen - why oh why not on the full screen? And there are bugs. The user interface has always been a little unintuitive in shredder but it’s really janky and half baked here. I guess there’s little chance of an update so I’ll keep using the iPhone version. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Runs with current version *2022-11-04, version 1.10.0* No issues ### 5/5 — ❤️❤️ *2022-07-16, version 1.10.0* I’ve used this chess app for many years and it’s just great!!! No other app out there compares. ### 5/5 — One of the best *2022-07-09* Great app to feel a little like you’re playing a human. The way shredder adjusts his skill level to match yours after every game is great. I love Shredder chess and have always been a big fan. ### 5/5 — Great Brain Training. *2021-04-03, version 1.10.0* I’ve tried a few Chess Apps since 2015 on iPad. The puzzles on this I find addictive and engaging. Graphically the UI is nicer as well. Yes its only 2D but this has the edge over the others I’ve used before. I went so far as to get Shedder for my PC I was that impressed with this iOS version. ### 5/5 — One of the best chess apps *2018-12-15, version 1.7.1* Shredder’s user interface may have been overtaken by Christophe Theron’s Chess Pro based on the Chess Tiger engine. Despite its weaker engine, Chess Pro only narrowly wins overall as a better app due to better game analysis functionality that Shredder Chess also has. I would not recommend one over the other but rather getting both! Some of Shredder’s outstanding features are the simplicity and elegance of the user interface, ability to randomly alter the engine’s personality, automatic Elo rating adaptation based on game outcomes, ability to transmit games individually or as a collection of games in PGN format. Chess Tiger Pro currently cannot email as a collection of games but rather individually. Despite its age, Shredder remains one the best chess playing apps on iOS. It’s playing strength can automatically be adapted to the user’s playing strength if desired. There is an opening book. There is a basic position analysis function. There are puzzles. There is an indicator about which side is winning during the game. While not as good as a graph, it still makes it easy to detect blunders when there are abrupt shifts of the indicator. The biggest negative about Shredder is that it’s iPhone version is a separate purchase :-( ### 5/5 — Great chess program *2018-06-13, version 1.7.1* This is a great iPad chess app. Several different AI playing styles. After you play enough games to establish a rating it plays at your strength level. You can save and export games if you want to analyze them using whatever PC chess engine you use. Shredder also has an online chess server for a small annual subscription fee. Just a great app for iPad. ### 5/5 — Excellent *2018-03-07, version 1.7.1* I have owned Shredder on my pc for many years. I’ve even won a few games. The iPad version is the best I’ve come across on that platform. Not quite as many features as the pc version, but excellent and quite well conceived. ### 5/5 — Best offline opponent *2016-12-08, version 1.7.1* The AI handicap is awesome. It adjusts its strength automatically to challenge you constantly even as you improve. When I'm not playing online with lichess, shredder is the next best thing. ### 5/5 — iOS 10 update *2016-10-18, version 1.7.1* Great app that has been updated to restore functionality in iOS 10. Probably the best all-around chess app in the iOS world. Solid and proven engine, reasonable features (though a few things like the ability to save info to iCloud or Dropbox would be helpful), and with the most recent update, it runs pretty fast again. ### 5/5 — First Class *2016-10-08, version 1.7.0* This is a first class app. It's designed in several ways to help you improve your game and to enjoy the trip--most notably its ability to play at any level, so it's at just the right level for you. My only complaint is that the elo rating it gives you seems to be wrong. Right now it shows me having a rating of 11390, which is obviously a mistake. --- *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 2026-06-08.*