Shatar vs ChessThread
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shatar
Experience Shatar, a historical chess variant played for centuries in Mongolia. This game features unique piece movements, including a queen with combined Ferz and Rook abilities. It offers a glimpse into a different chess evolution.
- Historical chess variant
- Unique queen movement
- Medieval Arabic chess offspring
- Cultural gameplay
- Tournament history
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Shatar was the variant of chess, played for many centuries in Mongolia, before it was replaced by FIDE chess by pressure of the former CCCP. This game is a direct offspring of the medieval Arabic chess, evolving in a different direction as chess did in Western Europe and Russia. The movement of the queen is particularly interesting, as it has the combined moves of a Ferz (general) and Rook. In 1993, AISE organized a `Grand Prix’ tournament (played by postal mail) on Shatar. In later years, more Shatar tournaments were held in this game.
ChessThread
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ChessThread is the dedicated social platform for the global chess community. Upload and customize your games, share lessons and puzzles, and connect with players and coaches around the world. Discover an interactive feed filled with chess content created by the community. Scroll through positions, try out your own moves on the board, and learn directly from others. Whether you’re studying openings, solving puzzles, or just enjoying the creativity of other players, ChessThread gives you the tools to engage with others over the digital chessboard. Key features: Game Sharing – Upload your own games, add commentary, and invite discussion. Puzzles & Training – Create puzzles, test your ideas, and learn from others. Interactive Feed – Explore chess content where every post has a playable board. Community Engagement – Comment, analyze, and connect with players of all levels. ChessThread brings the chess conversation into one place — a social experience built entirely around the board.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: ChessThread at every 4 days against Shatar's every 6 months. Shatar's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Shatar ships an update every 6 months, ChessThread every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shatar | ChessThread |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Nora Ky | CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH POLONIATO |
In-app purchases
Shatar
No in-app purchases
ChessThread
No in-app purchases









