Comparison

Chess King vs Train Chess

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

Head to head
About

Chess King

Master the game of chess with this comprehensive learning app. It offers interactive lessons, puzzles, and analysis for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Improve your tactics and strategy with a personal chess trainer, available online and offline.

Highlights
  • 100+ learning courses
  • Interactive theoretical lessons
  • High-quality, double-checked puzzles
  • Personal chess trainer
  • Computer analysis
  • Offline support
  • Chess tasks for kids
Features
Read full description

Don't just play chess. Train like a master. Chess King teaches the game the way strong players are actually built — with a rigorous, structured curriculum, not a random feed of puzzles. 147 complete courses take you from your first move to advanced play, step by step. WHY CHESS KING IS DIFFERENT Most chess apps let you play. Chess King trains you. Every course is a real lesson built on classical training methods refined over 30 years — the same approach behind CT-ART, the tactics trainer used by serious players worldwide. You don't just solve a position and move on. Chess King gives you hints when you are stuck, explains the idea behind the right move, and shows you the striking refutation of the mistakes you might make. That is how understanding is built — not memorized. WHAT YOU GET - 147 structured courses covering tactics, strategy, openings, the middlegame, and endgames, organized by level from beginner to master. - Chess King University: 7 guided learning paths and 44 courses that give you a clear, ordered route to real improvement — no guessing what to study next. - Interactive theory: read the lesson, then play the moves on the board yourself. Learning by doing, not just reading. - Thousands of carefully selected exercises with graphic hints and full explanations. - Play against the computer to put what you have trained into practice. - A progress report for every lesson, so you always see how far you have come. TRAIN ON EVERY DEVICE Your subscription, purchases, progress, and rating sync automatically across web, iPhone, iPad, and Android. Train on your phone on the commute, continue on the web at home — your progress follows you. TRY IT FREE Preview courses before you commit. When you are ready, choose a monthly or yearly plan, or buy individual courses to keep forever. Chess King — train like a master. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Train Chess

Master hundreds of essential positional endgames to elevate your chess skills. Practice against an engine to improve your late-game win rate and conversion. This app focuses on crucial endgame scenarios for strategic improvement.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of positional endgames
  • Engine practice
  • Improve win rate
  • Master endgame conversion
  • Strategic improvement
Features
Read full description

Train Chess features hundreds of must-know positional endgames that will improve your game. Master positions against the engine and increase your win rate late in the game and master your endgame conversion.

Screenshots

Chess King4 screens
Train Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Train Chess at none against Chess King's 17. Train Chess also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). Chess King's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price 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. Chess King sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Train Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Train Chess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess King has 2.5K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess King ships an update every 3 weeks, Train Chess every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Chess King versus Train Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess KingTrain Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.5K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.5K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size109 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChess KingCamren Todd

Customer experience

Chess King

All ratings2,501 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral2.3%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews324 reviews
Positive78.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative16.4%

Train Chess

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Chess King

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes on M1 Macs
  • Doesnot work with iOS 13 dark mode
  • Doesnot show board and pieces in exercises
  • Cannot restore purchases
  • Doesnot sync progress across devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve user interface and design
  • Add more opening courses
  • Provide better explanations for moves
  • Allow resetting progress
Show 2 more
  • Improve syncing across devices
  • Add online chess mode

Train Chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

17 purchases

Chess King

Subscriptions6
  • CT-ART: The Best Tactics7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Chess King University7 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Chess King Courses3 Days trial$11.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Chess King Maximum Pack1 Month trial$17.991 Month
  • Chess King Courses3 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • Chess King Maximum Pack1 Year trial$119.991 Year
One-time11
  • Mate in 1 move (Chess Puzzles)$3.99
  • Chess Endings for Beginners$7.99
  • Chess: From Beginner to Club$12.99
Show 8 more
  • Chess Combinations Vol. 1$12.99
  • Chess Tactics for Beginners$12.99
  • Chess Opening Blunders$12.99
  • Chess Opening Lab (1400-2000)$12.99
  • Chess Strategy for Beginners$12.99
  • Elementary Chess Tactics 1$12.99
  • CT-ART 4.0 (Chess Tactics)$17.99
  • Total Chess Endgames 1600-2400$17.99
None

Train Chess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess King free?
Chess King is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Train Chess free?
Train Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess King or Train Chess?
Train Chess is rated higher. Chess King averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Train Chess averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Chess King or Train Chess have ads?
Chess King shows ads; Train Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess King or Train Chess?
Chess King ships an update every 3 weeks, and Train Chess every 4 days. Most recently, Chess King was updated on October 29, 2026 and Train Chess on October 2, 2026.

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