# Chess Opening Lab (1400 vs Openings Mastermind

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Openings Mastermind at none against Chess Opening Lab (1400's 1. Openings Mastermind also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Chess Opening Lab (1400's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (593 vs 6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Opening Lab (1400 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Openings Mastermind asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Opening Lab (1400 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Opening Lab (1400 has 593 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Chess Opening Lab (1400's written reviews are positive against 50% of Openings Mastermind's.

Chess Opening Lab (1400 ships an update every 3 months, Openings Mastermind fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Opening Lab (1400 | Openings Mastermind |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (593 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-opening-lab-1400-2000/id1129879784/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openings-mastermind/id6448386251/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **593** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **65.5% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 45 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess King](https://appshunter.io/developer/1096660597) | [Christian Heise](https://appshunter.io/developer/1632898424) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Opening Lab (1400

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-opening-lab-1400-2000/id1129879784)

This app offers a comprehensive chess opening manual with theoretical reviews and instructive games from grandmasters. It features detailed classifications, evaluations, and characteristics of key moves, along with interactive lessons and over 350 training exercises.

**Highlights:** Theoretical review of all chess openings, Instructive games with detailed annotations, Interactive theoretical lessons, 350+ training exercises, Evaluations and characteristics of key moves, History and current status of variations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full course | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Very convenient app
- 👍 Ideal for practicing openings
- 👍 Great for chess studies
- 👍 Fantastic teaching tool
- 👍 Excellent teacher

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Barely any information
- 😞 Difficult and confusing to work
- 😞 No content
- 😞 Useless
- 😞 Scam

**Reported bugs**

- Recorded moves not highlighted or disappear
- White spot instead of recorded move
- Have to buy full course multiple times
- App forgets purchase
- Animation speed doesn't decrease

**Requested features**

- More exercises for different openings
- More examples of opening systems
- Give 20 or more examples of different openings
- Explanations in French
- Reference books


### Openings Mastermind

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openings-mastermind/id6448386251)

Master chess openings with this app. Import studies, explore with advanced engines, and practice specific lines through repetition. Track your progress and improve your game.

**Highlights:** Import Lichess Studies or PGNs, Explore openings with Stockfish 15, Practice openings by repetition, Smart practice queue, Track learning progress

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Opening Lab (1400 free?

Chess Opening Lab (1400 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Openings Mastermind free?

Openings Mastermind is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chess Opening Lab (1400 or Openings Mastermind?

Chess Opening Lab (1400 is rated higher. Chess Opening Lab (1400 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 593 ratings, while Openings Mastermind averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do Chess Opening Lab (1400 or Openings Mastermind have ads?

Neither Chess Opening Lab (1400 nor Openings Mastermind shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Opening Lab (1400 or Openings Mastermind?

Chess Opening Lab (1400 ships an update every 3 months, and Openings Mastermind fortnightly. Most recently, Chess Opening Lab (1400 was updated on October 24, 2026 and Openings Mastermind on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*