# VocalChess — Play chess by speaking moves > Voice-controlled chess engine for hands-free play and blindfold training. (iPhone/iPad app by STUDIO MARABEL LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vocalchess/id6817091363 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [STUDIO MARABEL LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6798083072) - Category: Games, Education - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 26.5 · 4 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-10-13 - Data updated: 2026-10-31 - Monetization: free ## What is VocalChess? Play chess against a chess engine on your iPhone by speaking your moves. Say "knight f3", and the move lands on the board. The engine answers aloud, so you can keep your eyes off the screen. VocalChess is built for players who want to play hands-free and train blindfold: holding the position in your head. Say it the way you think it • Pieces: "knight f3", "bishop takes e5", "knight b takes d2". • Pawns: "e4", "e takes d5". When only one move can capture on a square, "takes d5" is enough. • Castling: "castle kingside", "castle queenside". Promotion: "e8 promotes to queen". • Your words appear on screen as you speak, and the app waits while you pause mid-move. • Say "undo" or "take back" to take a move back, or "resign" to end the game. You can also tap the board. It asks before it guesses • When the app is sure, the move plays at once. • When it isn't, it asks "Did you say …?" and you answer yes or no, by voice or by tap. • When nothing legal matches what it heard, it shows "Say again". It never plays a move you did not say. Choose your game • Tap the play button for a new game: pick one of six levels, from Novice to Master, and play as White, Black or Random. • Step back through the game with the move buttons, or say "back", "forward", "start" or "latest". Looking back never changes the game. • Close the app mid-game and pick up where you left off. Hear the game • The engine's reply is read aloud in a natural voice that runs on your iPhone: "Black, knight f6". Check and the result of the game are read too. • Turn on "Speak my moves" to hear your own moves read back as well. • You can talk over the app while it speaks. Blindfold • Tap the eye to hide the pieces. The squares and coordinates stay; the position lives in your head. • With the board hidden, every move is read aloud, yours included. Private and offline • Speech recognition, the voice and the chess engine run on your iPhone. After iOS downloads its English speech model once, you can play with no connection. • No account, no ads, no tracking, no in-app purchases. The app collects no data. • It asks for one permission: the microphone. VocalChess runs on iPhone with iOS 26.5 or later, and hears and speaks moves in English. The open-source licences of the software the app ships, including the chess engine's source link, are in Settings → Apps → VocalChess → Acknowledgements. ## Key features - Speak chess moves naturally - Hands-free gameplay - Blindfold training mode - Offline and private operation - Adjustable engine difficulty - Move history navigation ## Is VocalChess safe? Not enough ratings yet to assess VocalChess. ## Is VocalChess legit? VocalChess has limited verification signals. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for VocalChess is 58 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data. ## Frequently asked questions about VocalChess ### How do I make moves in VocalChess? You can make moves by speaking them aloud, such as "knight f3" or "e4". The app also supports commands for captures, castling, and promotions. You can also tap the board to make moves. ### Does VocalChess support blindfold play? Yes, VocalChess is designed for blindfold training. You can hide the pieces on the board and keep the position in your head, with all moves read aloud. ### Can I play VocalChess offline? Yes, VocalChess runs entirely on your iPhone, including speech recognition and the chess engine. Once the English speech model is downloaded, you can play without an internet connection. ### What difficulty levels are available in VocalChess? VocalChess offers six difficulty levels, ranging from Novice to Master, allowing you to choose a challenge that suits your skill level. ### Does VocalChess have ads? No, VocalChess is ad-free. The app also does not have tracking or in-app purchases, ensuring a private and uninterrupted experience. ### What devices is VocalChess compatible with? VocalChess runs on iPhone with iOS 26.5 or later. It hears and speaks moves in English. ### Can I undo a move in VocalChess? Yes, you can undo a move by saying "undo" or "take back". You can also step back through the game history using the move buttons or voice commands like "back". ### How does VocalChess handle unclear moves? If the app is unsure of your spoken move, it will ask for confirmation, like "Did you say...?", which you can answer by voice or tap. If no legal move matches what it heard, it will prompt you to "Say again". ## Version history (last 3 releases) ### 1.2 — 2026-10-23 • Pause partway through a move ("Rook C… 6") and the app waits for the rest instead of asking you to say it again. • When the app asks "Did you say…?", you can answer by saying the move again. • Moves you tap are read back too, following your read-back setting. • Knight moves to the third rank are understood more reliably. • A finished game no longer reopens when you come back; a new game starts on your side. ### 1.1 — 2026-10-15 • Your words show on screen sooner after you speak. • New Settings screen: choose when your own moves are read back (Never, In Blindfold, Always), and pick the voice that reads the moves. • "Long castle", "queenside castle" and "castle on the queenside" now castle on the side you named. • Muting announcements stops them at once. • The screen stays awake while a game is unfinished. • A new listening waveform. ### 1.0 — 2026-10-14 No release notes. --- *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 2026-10-31.*