Comparison

Magnus Trainer vs Really Bad Chess

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Magnus Trainer

Master chess with engaging games and interactive lessons created by Grand Masters and the World Chess Champion. Learn fundamentals, openings, and endgames through bite-sized challenges and puzzles for all skill levels.

Highlights
  • 250+ unique lessons
  • Bite-sized chess games
  • Thousands of puzzles
  • Beginner to advanced levels
  • Expert-crafted courses
  • Interactive learning
Features
Read full description

A better, more fun way to learn and train chess! Master chess through engaging games and interactive lessons with Magnus Carlsen, the World Chess Champion! WHY MAGNUS TRAINER? Curated courses created by our learning experts and Grand Masters. 250+ unique lessons covering chess foundation to openings and endgames. Bite-sized games designed to reinforce your learning, each game has dozens of levels and thousands of puzzles. Caters to beginners and advanced players alike. Learn chess with the greatest player of all time! UNIQUE TRAINING BY CHESS EXPERTS Play unique, beautiful games crafted by chess experts and game design experts. Deepen your chess skills through premium lessons based on games by Magnus Carlsen and other world-leading chess players. All games and lessons are created by Magnus Carlsen and his team of experienced Grand Masters, all of whom have years of coaching experience. Magnus Trainer makes learning chess easy and engaging for players of all levels. New games are updated and added regularly to bring you the best possible experience, and we're adding new theory lessons every week. Each mini-game has dozens of levels, ranging from beginner to advanced, allowing all chess players, new and experienced, to find a challenging fit to improve their skills. Those who have never played chess before are able to learn the fundamentals in a series of introductory lessons, while more experienced players have access to advanced tactics and strategies, covering a range of endgame essentials. FROM AN AWARD WINNING TEAM The Magnus Trainer app has been featured in Fast Company, The Guardian and VG, and is the creation of the team behind the popular Play Magnus app, winner of several design awards. “I’ve always done things a little differently. That is what inspired me to create Magnus Trainer. Chess has always been fun, but this takes learning and training chess to a new level. Magnus Trainer is chess training for everyone!” — Magnus Carlsen “The Future of Chess!” — Rob, App Store Reviewer You can also check out our other free app, Play Magnus. Play against Magnus at any age from 5 years and up! REACH FURTHER WITH A MEMBERSHIP The app is free to use, with added benefits for paying members. Members enjoy instant access to all 250+ premium lessons, many exclusive only for members. As a member, you also get infinite lives so you can always keep playing, including exclusive bonus levels. In addition, members get detailed statistics with insights into their performance and game progress. For Magnus Trainer we offer the following subscriptions: 1 month 12 months Lifetime TERMS OF PAYMENT Payment will be charged to your iTunes account after you’ve confirmed a purchase. Subscription to a membership automatically renews, unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, and the price for the renewal will be provided. You can change your subscription settings in Subscriptions in App Store, or in the More tab in Magnus Trainer when a subscription is active. It is not possible to cancel an active subscription to get a refund of the remaining time. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication. TERMS OF USE https://company.playmagnus.com/terms PRIVACY POLICY https://company.playmagnus.com/privacy

About

Really Bad Chess

This app reimagines chess with completely randomized pieces, offering a fresh strategic challenge. It's perfect for both seasoned players seeking a new puzzle and beginners looking to learn the fundamentals in a fun, accessible way.

Highlights
  • Randomized chess piece sets
  • AI opponent challenges
  • Ranked, Daily, and Weekly modes
  • Freeplay practice mode
  • Local multiplayer (with IAP)
  • Alternate color palettes (with IAP)
Features
Read full description

Really Bad Chess is just like chess, but with totally random pieces. Try 8 Knights, 4 Bishops, and 3 pawns — why not? As heard on NPR's Weekend Edition 5 out of 5 Stars "An essential puzzle experience for anyone even remotely interested in strategy games" - TouchArcade Whether you play chess daily, or quit just after learning the rules, this small twist will open the door to an entire new world of chess. ------WHATS IN THE “BOX”? The free version of Really Bad Chess lets you compete vs. an AI in Ranked, Daily, or Weekly Challenges. Improve your skills using the included Freeplay mode. A single in-app purchase unlocks Versus Mode so you can compete against your friends locally! It also removes ads, displays captured pieces, and adds soothing alternate color-palettes to choose from. ------REALLY BAD PRESS "Makes chess fun even if you’re really bad" - The Verge "Feels more modern than chess has ever felt" - Applenapps "Really Bad Chess takes a really bad idea and somehow manages to make it a lot of fun." - Pocket Gamer "Really good fun" - MacLife ------A WORD FROM THE DEVELOPER Chess is one of those games I always wished I enjoyed, but its commitment to beauty, elegance, and perfect balance always turned me away. Really Bad Chess removes these boring restrictions and flips chess on its head. As much as random pieces change the game in some ways, I was really surprised to notice how much the game remains the same, and how powerful some pieces are — you've never truly struggled against a pawn until you've struggled against a pawn in the back row. For chess pros, Really Bad Chess will give you a new type of challenge — the pieces & the moves are the same, but you'll have to throw out your openings and your understanding of normal patterns of play. For novice chess players (like most of us), Really Bad Chess greatly opens up the game. Instead of starting by studying openings, in your first games you'll get to discover the joy (and challenge!) of learning how to checkmate. I hope you have as much fun with Really Bad Chess as much as I did making it. -zach

Screenshots

Magnus Trainer4 screens
Really Bad Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Magnus Trainer at 4.8 against Really Bad Chess's 3.8. Magnus Trainer also leads on review sentiment (81% vs 46%) and ratings volume (13K vs 1.6K). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Magnus Trainer sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month and Really Bad Chess sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Magnus Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magnus Trainer has 13K ratings behind it against 1.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Magnus Trainer's written reviews are positive against 46% of Really Bad Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magnus Trainer ships an update every 5 weeks, Really Bad Chess every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Magnus Trainer versus Really Bad Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagnus TrainerReally Bad Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (13K ratings) — better3.8 (1.6K ratings)
Positive reviews80.8% of reviews — better46.3% of reviews
Number of ratings13K — better1.6K
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size187 MB125 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChess.comZach Gage

Customer experience

Magnus Trainer

All ratings12,671 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews416 reviews
Positive80.8%
Neutral6.0%
Negative13.2%

Really Bad Chess

All ratings1,633 ratings
Positive66.6%
Neutral9.0%
Negative24.4%
Written reviews611 reviews
Positive46.3%
Neutral16.4%
Negative37.3%

User reviews

Magnus Trainer

From 13K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Well-structured lessons
  • 👍 Clear and informative
  • 👍 Helpful for beginners to masters
  • 🚀 Improves chess skills quickly
  • 👍 Engaging and entertaining

Room to improve

  • ⏱️ Strict time limits on exercises
  • 🐛 Puzzle engine only accepts one solution
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
  • 🔀 Inability to skip lessons and progress at own pace
  • 🔀 Lack of option to practice without time pressure

Really Bad Chess

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Addictive and fun gameplay
  • 🤔 Unique and innovative concept
  • 👍 Challenging and engaging
  • ⭐ Great way to learn chess

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes
  • 🕰️ Slow AI response times
  • 💰 Paywalls for essential features
  • 📺 Intrusive and excessive ads
  • 🔁 Repetitive AI moves leading to stalemates

Bugs and requests

Magnus Trainer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Pieces disappearing during games
  • Moves not recognized by the engine
  • Crashes on loading lessons

Requested features

5 requests
  • Option to view solution when failing puzzles
  • Ability to customize chess board and piece design
  • More organized and structured content
  • Integrated chess game mode to apply learned skills
  • Progress sync across multiple devices

Really Bad Chess

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Pieces unable to move as per chess rules
  • Game freezes and crashes
  • Incorrect checkmate detection

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add draw conditions and stalemate rules
  • Implement online/multiplayer mode
  • Provide more difficulty settings
  • Allow custom piece arrangements
  • Sync progress across devices

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Magnus Trainer

Subscriptions7
  • Monthly Premium Membership$4.491 Month
  • Monthly Premium Membership2 Months trial$6.991 Month
  • Monthly Premium Membership1 Month trial$6.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Monthly Premium Membership7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium Membership$37.991 Year
  • Yearly Premium Membership$55.991 Year
  • Yearly Premium Membership7 Days trial$74.991 Year
One-time3
  • Refill All Lives$1.99
  • Premium Membership$149.99
  • Lifetime Premium Membership$299.99
2 purchases

Really Bad Chess

One-time2
  • 100 Undos$0.99
  • Full Game Unlock$3.99

Questions

Is Magnus Trainer free?
Magnus Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Really Bad Chess free?
Really Bad Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Magnus Trainer or Really Bad Chess?
Magnus Trainer is rated higher. Magnus Trainer averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Really Bad Chess averages 3.8 from 1.6K ratings.
Do Magnus Trainer or Really Bad Chess have ads?
Both Magnus Trainer and Really Bad Chess show ads.
Which is updated more often, Magnus Trainer or Really Bad Chess?
Magnus Trainer ships an update every 5 weeks, and Really Bad Chess every 3 weeks. Most recently, Magnus Trainer was updated on October 30, 2026 and Really Bad Chess on October 23, 2026.

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