Comparison

ChessManual vs Interactive Chess Books

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

Head to head
About

ChessManual

Master the game of chess with interactive lessons, puzzles, and classic game analysis. Suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced players, it offers a comprehensive and engaging learning experience.

Highlights
  • Interactive chess puzzles
  • Games by world champions
  • Classic and modern chess strategies
  • Learn and play quests
  • Kid-friendly lessons
  • Comprehensive step-by-step lessons
  • Checkmate challenges
Features
Read full description

Learn chess in short, focused steps—and turn every idea into a move on the board. ChessManual is an interactive chess book for beginners, kids, parents, and club players who want a clear path from the rules to confident play. Instead of memorizing disconnected positions, you learn an idea, check your understanding, and practice it in a matching puzzle. BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION • Start with the board, piece movement, special rules, and basic checkmates. • Continue through tactics, positional ideas, strategy, openings, and endgames. • Answer quick questions inside lessons to make sure each idea sticks. • Return to reference articles whenever you want to review a concept. PRACTICE ON AN INTERACTIVE BOARD • Solve chess positions grouped by theme and difficulty. • See the goal and the side to move before every puzzle. • Ask for a hint when you need a nudge. • Work through checkmate challenges and practical tactical patterns. • Replay annotated games and learn from the plans of world champions. MAKE DAILY PROGRESS VISIBLE • Track completed lessons and puzzles. • Build a daily learning streak and unlock achievements. • Review your recent practice activity. • See accuracy and hint-use trends from your own moves. KNOW WHAT TO PRACTICE NEXT ChessManual turns your practice history into useful direction. Detailed Insights can highlight weak themes, compare performance by topic and difficulty, and recommend matching puzzles—so your next session starts with a clear goal. CHESSMANUAL PRO Upgrade when you are ready for: • Unlimited hints • Detailed progress and weak-topic insights • Personalized puzzle recommendations • Streak recovery without watching an ad • An ad-free learning experience The app is free to download and includes an optional ChessManual Pro subscription. Prices, billing periods, and any introductory offer are shown in the app before purchase and may vary by storefront. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled in your App Store account settings. Learn more and get support: https://slazarenko.com/apps/chess-learn-and-play/ Advertising information: https://slazarenko.com/app-ads.txt Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://slazarenko.com/privacy/

About

Interactive Chess Books

This app offers interactive lessons, tutorials, and practice exercises to help beginners and intermediate players improve their chess skills. It features a user-friendly interface with clear instructions, helpful tips, and engaging challenges to make learning fun and effective.

Highlights
  • Interactive lessons
  • Tutorials
  • Practice exercises
  • User-friendly interface
  • Helpful tips and tricks
  • Engaging challenges and quizzes
Features
Read full description

Welcome to my chess instruction mobile app, the perfect tool for both beginner and intermediate chess players who want to improve their skills and take their game to the next level. Chess is a game that has fascinated people for centuries, and with the advent of modern technology, it has never been easier to learn and play the game. My app is designed to provide a comprehensive and interactive learning experience that covers all aspects of the game, from the basics of chess rules and strategies to advanced techniques used by experienced players. Whether you are a beginner who is just starting to learn the game or an intermediate player who wants to sharpen your skills, my app provides a range of features to help you improve your game. From interactive lessons and tutorials to practice exercises, my app has everything you need to take your chess skills to the next level. I have designed my app with a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate and use, regardless of your experience level. With clear and concise instructions, helpful tips and tricks, and engaging challenges and quizzes, my app provides a fun and interactive way to learn and master the game of chess. So whether you want to learn the game from scratch or improve your existing skills, my chess instruction mobile app is the perfect companion to help you achieve your goals. Download it today and take the first step towards becoming a better chess player!

Screenshots

ChessManual4 screens
Interactive Chess Books4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Interactive Chess Books at none against ChessManual's shown. Interactive Chess Books also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). ChessManual's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ChessManual against 5.0 for Interactive Chess Books. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChessManual ships an update every 2 months, Interactive Chess Books every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ChessManual versus Interactive Chess Books: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessManualInteractive Chess Books
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size116 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSergei LazarenkoEric Tangborn

Customer experience

ChessManual

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Interactive Chess Books

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ChessManual

No in-app purchases

None

Interactive Chess Books

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChessManual free?
ChessManual is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Interactive Chess Books free?
Interactive Chess Books is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ChessManual or Interactive Chess Books?
ChessManual and Interactive Chess Books are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do ChessManual or Interactive Chess Books have ads?
ChessManual shows ads; Interactive Chess Books does not.
Which is updated more often, ChessManual or Interactive Chess Books?
ChessManual ships an update every 2 months, and Interactive Chess Books every 4 months. Most recently, ChessManual was updated on September 22, 2026 and Interactive Chess Books on September 20, 2026.

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