Comparison

Chess vs Chess Tiger Pro

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

Head to head
About

Chess

This app offers a high-quality chess experience for players of all levels, from beginners to professionals. It features a strong engine, analysis tools, and learning resources to improve your game.

Highlights
  • Simulated human opponents for beginners
  • Top-tier chess engine for experts
  • Real-time game analysis
  • 1 or 2-player game support
  • Opening Library and PGN Database
  • Position Editor
  • Rated games and progress tracking
Features
Read full description

tChess Pro is the high-quality, critically acclaimed chess game with the richest features for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It's perfect for every player: Beginners: Not everybody is a chess master! Most chess games are too strong or just make random mistakes at easier levels. tChess Pro has unique algorithms to simulate human opponents. Experts: tChess Pro has a top-tier chess engine. (Over 380 ELO points stronger than Caissa Chess.) Enthusiasts: tChess Pro's Analysis Mode is like having a chess master in your pocket. You can get the engine's "expert opinion" about any game or position in real-time: which side is winning, and the best sequence of moves. Just like a professional desktop chess package. More key features: - Perfect for 1- or 2-player games - Strong computer opponent - Play against any ELO rating from 500 to 2500 - Integrated "Learn Chess" e-book app (Apple Staff Favorite!) - Opening Library feature lets you explore chess opening theory as you play - PGN Database feature lets you download and view PGN files - Support for 3-stage time controls with Fischer increments - Position Editor to enter positions from books, newspapers, etc. - Save and load games; export them in standard PGN format - Use the Profile feature to play rated games against the computer and track your progress tChess Pro is developed by Tom Kerrigan, author of the TSCP and Stobor chess engines.

About

Chess Tiger Pro

Master chess with interactive lessons and Grandmaster-level move suggestions. Learn rules effortlessly, play real games, and analyze your performance with detailed feedback. Suitable for beginners and experts alike, this ad-free app helps you improve your game at your own pace.

Highlights
  • Ad-free learning experience
  • Introductory chess lessons for beginners
  • Grandmaster-level move suggestions
  • Game analysis with move feedback
  • Strong chess engine for experts
  • Supports PGN import and game saving
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Beginner or advanced, become a chess master, without ever being disturbed by ads. Do you want to master the most prestigious, the classiest game ever, while having fun? It's EASY! For starters, there are no ads to distract you. There's no account to create, and you don't even need to be connected to the Internet. So, how does it work? If you are a beginner, let yourself be guided by the introductory lessons included. The lessons are SHORT and EASY. Right from the start, you begin playing by moving pieces, and you learn the rules of the game while having fun. The first 40 lessons are free. Once you know the rules, you start playing real games! The coach shows you the moves a Grandmaster would pick. Not just one move, but THE 4 BEST MOVES. Sounds too simple? But think about it... How did you learn to speak as a child? Did you take grammar and spelling lessons? Of course not. You listened to the adults talk and then you went for it! Because that's how you learn! This app allows you to do just that, AND IT WORKS! From the very first games, you start learning effortlessly. You immediately enjoy playing, and after a while you notice that the right moves come to mind naturally, as if they were obvious. Gradually, you deactivate the suggestions and play by yourself. At the end of each game, the coach shows you the good and bad moves you've made. You can better understand what happened, and you can even try out other moves to improve. If this sounds unbelievable, you should read the user reviews for our app. It has one of the highest satisfaction ratings on the App Store, in all countries. FOR BEGINNERS, THIS APP... • contains introductory chess lessons that are suitable even for children. The first 40 are free. • shows you all the possible moves of a piece when you touch it. • explains why certain moves are forbidden. • can suggest 4 to 6 excellent moves at any one time. The green button lets you show or hide these suggestions. • can tell you when you can mate your opponent, so you can look for the winning move by yourself. • can warn you when your opponent is about to play a dangerous move. • provides 50 trainer levels of increasing difficulty. • analyzes your games and shows you how to improve. FOR EXPERTS: • Both USCF and FIDE rating scales are supported. • Chess Tiger Pro has one of the strongest chess engines for mobile devices (3040 USCF Elo). • On current devices, as incredible as it sounds, it plays at the world champion level. • You can set up any position. • You can save your games and replay them later. • You can exchange games with your friends very easily by email. • You can import game collections in PGN format. • The chess engine displays its thinking, up to 20 moves ahead. • You can analyze a game by replaying it. Chess Tiger Pro indicates bad moves by coloring them red. The 4 best moves in each position are shown in green. • Chess Tiger Pro supports variations: you can test other moves and then return to your original game. OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE: • The coach can comment on the game as you play (optional). • When the game is over, the coach can analyze it and show you how to improve. • 19 beautiful visual themes are included, which you can customize. • 10 styles of chess pieces are available. • You can choose from 20 chessboard styles (marble, blue marble, wood, metal, stone, …). • A collection of over 10,000 famous games by the greatest players of all time is included. For example, the entire career of Magnus Carlsen, since 2001, is available. • 4 playing styles are included, from «cautious» to «suicidal», which you can combine with all available levels. • Includes an opening book of more than one million moves. • Many customization options are available (graphics, sounds, engine output…). • ...and much more... privacy policy: http://www.chesstiger.com/iphone/About_privacy_en.html terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Chess4 screens
Chess Tiger Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess at none against Chess Tiger Pro's 1. Chess also leads on price ($7.99 vs $9.99). Chess Tiger Pro's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (24K vs 250). On rating, review sentiment, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Chess costs $7.99 and Chess Tiger Pro $9.99 up front. Chess Tiger Pro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Tiger Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Tiger Pro has 24K ratings behind it against 250, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 94% of Chess Tiger Pro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ships an update every 4 months, Chess Tiger Pro fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Chess versus Chess Tiger Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessChess Tiger Pro
Price$7.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.7 (250 ratings)4.9 (24K ratings) — better
Positive reviews88.7% of reviews94.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings25024K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#103 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTom KerriganChristophe Théron

Customer experience

Chess

All ratings251 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral3.6%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews415 reviews
Positive88.7%
Neutral6.3%
Negative5.1%

Chess Tiger Pro

All ratings23,597 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.1%
Written reviews831 reviews
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.2%

User reviews

Chess

From 250 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Enjoyable and challenging
  • 🚀 Plays solid openings and variations
  • 👍 Thoroughly enjoyable for novice players
  • 👍 Great for beginners and seasoned players
  • 👍 Rated games help track progress

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes after updates
  • 🐛 Inaccurate rating system
  • 🐛 Bright screen background can be tiring
  • 🐛 Clunky online game menu

Chess Tiger Pro

From 24K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for learning and improving chess skills
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay and clear interface
  • 💡 Customizable difficulty levels and game settings
  • 🚀 Extensive library of grandmaster games
  • 👍 Helpful coaching features and move suggestions

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional issues with game analysis and move suggestions
  • 🐛 Crashes or freezes reported after some games
  • 💡 Could use more advanced analysis and explanation of moves
  • 💡 Desire for more openings and endgame training
  • 💰 Some users feel the app is a bit expensive

Bugs and requests

Chess

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when creating annotations
  • Zoomed-in screen issue when returning to the app
  • Difficulty settings not accurately reflecting the AI's strength

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add chess puzzles
  • Provide more board and piece style options
  • Implement a resign feature and draw offer
  • Add a move evaluation bar
  • Improve the online multiplayer experience
Show 1 more
  • Provide a way to organize and navigate through game databases

Chess Tiger Pro

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inconsistencies in the 'Analyze My Game' feature
  • Occasional crashes or freezes, especially on older devices
  • Issues with the app not remembering purchased upgrades

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to export games in PGN format
  • Improve the 'Analyze My Game' feature to provide more detailed explanations
  • Incorporate more openings and endgame training
  • Allow customizing the computer's playing style beyond just difficulty level

In-app purchases

None

Chess

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Tiger Pro

One-time1
  • Learn chess$4.99

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess Tiger Pro free?
Chess Tiger Pro costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess Tiger Pro?
Chess Tiger Pro is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 250 ratings, while Chess Tiger Pro averages 4.9 from 24K ratings.
Do Chess or Chess Tiger Pro have ads?
Neither Chess nor Chess Tiger Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess Tiger Pro?
Chess ships an update every 4 months, and Chess Tiger Pro fortnightly. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 21, 2026 and Chess Tiger Pro on October 21, 2026.

Other comparisons