Comparison

Really Bad Chess vs Chess Move

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

Head to head
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

About

Chess Move

This app helps chess players find the best moves using a powerful cloud-based engine. It allows users to set up board positions manually or via camera scan, and customize analysis depth and engine settings for in-depth game review.

Highlights
  • Best move calculation
  • Cloud-based Stockfish engine
  • Board setup via drag-and-drop
  • Camera position scanning
  • Customizable engine presets
  • Multiple analysis lines
Features
Read full description

Introducing ChessMovePro, the all-new powerful move calculator that lets users find the best move in seconds! The app calculates the best lines using powerful dedicated servers running Stockfish 16 in the cloud. ChessMovePro offers a wide variety of customizations that allow users to find the best move quickly. Users can set up their board by dragging and dropping pieces onto the setup board to match the app to their current board position. Next head over to the analysis screen where you can see the best moves and lines at a glance. Customize the engine preset in order to increase depth, get more lines, change the elo target or increase think time. ChessMovePro allows users to use their camera to scan chess positions and find the best moves to play within seconds. The dedicated Stockfish servers ensure only the best moves are shown and that users can analzye games at the highest level. In the settings, users can customize the look of their app with various boards and app colors. Upgrade to ChessMovePro in order to unlock the full suite of customizations for the app and take your experience to the next level! How do I use Chess Move Pro? After opening the app users first have to setup their chess board. Take advantage of the apps scanning feature and pull out your camera to caputre the position or place the chess pieces in the correct squares. Next hit the analyze button and Chess Move Pro will analyze your current chess position using cloud Stockfish 15.1 servers that will find the best next chess move for you to play. If you don't like the next chess move that the app suggests hit the re-calculate button in order to calculate a new best move for the current position. Terms and Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Really Bad Chess4 screens
Chess Move4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Chess Move at 4.3 against Really Bad Chess's 3.8. Chess Move also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Really Bad Chess's advantage is review sentiment (46% vs 27%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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. Really Bad Chess sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Chess Move sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Move holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of Really Bad Chess's written reviews are positive against 27% of Chess Move's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Really Bad Chess versus Chess Move: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReally Bad ChessChess Move
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (1.6K ratings)4.3 (1.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews46.3% of reviews — better26.6% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6K — better1.1K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZach GageSetse LLC

Customer experience

Really Bad Chess

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

Chess Move

All ratings1,133 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative15.1%
Written reviews184 reviews
Positive26.6%
Neutral10.9%
Negative62.5%

User reviews

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

Chess Move

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Great app
  • 🚀 Works well
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🧠 Helpful for improving chess skills
  • 🏆 Allows beating difficult opponents

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🔒 Locked behind paywall
  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 🔄 Inconsistent performance after updates
  • 🤯 Confusing or misleading about free trial

Bugs and requests

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

Chess Move

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Pieces not detected correctly
  • Moves suggested in wrong direction
  • App crashes on launch or during use

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add ability to save board positions
  • Improve piece detection and move suggestions
  • Provide more free analysis options

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Really Bad Chess

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

Chess Move

Subscriptions17
  • ChessMovePro - Premium$3.997 Days
  • ChessMovePro - Monthly$3.991 Month
  • ChessMovePro - Premium$4.991 Month
Show 14 more
  • ChessMovePro - Premium$7.991 Month
  • ChessMovePro (Weekly)$7.997 Days
  • ChessMovePro - Hidden Discount$9.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • ChessMovePro - Premium$14.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro - Premium3 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro - Premium3 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro - Premium$19.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro (Quarterly)$19.993 Months
  • ChessMovePro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro (Yearly)$29.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro (Yearly)3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro (Yearly)3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Really Bad Chess free?
Really Bad Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Move free?
Chess Move is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Really Bad Chess or Chess Move?
Chess Move is rated higher. Really Bad Chess averages 3.8 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Chess Move averages 4.3 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Really Bad Chess or Chess Move have ads?
Really Bad Chess shows ads; Chess Move does not.
Which is updated more often, Really Bad Chess or Chess Move?
Really Bad Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chess Move every 3 weeks. Most recently, Really Bad Chess was updated on October 23, 2026 and Chess Move on October 23, 2026.

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