Comparison

Chess vs Chess HD ∙

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

Head to head
About

Chess

Enjoy a classic chess experience on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. This app offers a clean interface, beautiful graphics, and intuitive gameplay perfect for casual players. Play against a computer opponent, review game history, and track your progress.

Highlights
  • 1- or 2-player games on one device
  • Tap-to-move piece selection
  • Highlights legal moves
  • Full game history and move list
  • Built-in chess clock
  • Get hint feature
  • Undo moves
Features
Read full description

tChess Lite is the popular chess game designed just for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. tChess is like a virtual chess board on your device. It's fun and easy to use--perfect for the casual player! This game features a very clean UI design and beautiful graphics. tChess is a fast and stable program. Pick up a game in your free time... and there's no problem listening to your music while you play. (tChess Lite is a fully-functional version of tChess for casual chess players. If you're an active player and want enthusiast-level features, take a look at tChess Pro, which is over 1000 ELO stronger and has received rave reviews from Grandmaster Susan Polgar, PE's Chess Cast, and iPhone app critics.) tChess Lite Features: - Perfect for 1- or 2-player games (on the same device, no network connection required) - Tap-tap to move pieces - Highlights legal moves - View full game history in the Move List - Go back or forward move by move and replay completed games - Built-in chess clock - "Get hint" feature to improve your game - Easy to undo moves - Saves your game automatically if you exit the program or take a call - Play against any ELO rating from 500 to 1200 - Computer opponent is the most fun and realistic for beginners and casual players - Use the Profile feature to play rated games and track your progress - Over 15,000 openings for fresh, varied games tChess Lite is developed by Tom Kerrigan, author of the TSCP and Stobor chess engines.

About

Chess HD ∙

Experience a visually stunning chess game with excellent graphics and sound effects. Play against a challenging AI or a friend, with features like configurable difficulty, score tracking, and an undo function. Enjoy a free, ad-supported chess experience.

Highlights
  • High-definition graphics and sound effects
  • 1-player vs. computer and 2-player modes
  • Configurable AI difficulty
  • Score tracking and player names
  • Undo function
  • Automatic save
Features
Read full description

Are you tired of playing chess games that look like they were designed for a Commodore 64 instead of an iPad? We've got the antidote for you. Chess Free HD is the best looking chess game for the iPad, and best of all - it's free! Chess Free HD supports both 1 player and 2 player gameplay, so you can play against friends or test your skills against a challenging computer opponent. Chess Free HD offers a host of exciting features, including: * Great graphics and exciting sound effects * Configurable player names and score tracking * Outstanding AI engine with configurable difficulty level * Board rotation for two player games * Undo function * Automatic save when you exit the application Chess Free HD is supported by unobtrusive banner advertising.

Screenshots

Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chess HD ∙ at Free against Chess's $0.99. Chess HD ∙ also leads on ratings volume (7.7K vs 77) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). Chess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (85% vs 55%). On rating, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Chess HD ∙ is free to download; Chess costs $0.99 up front. 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 — 4.6 for Chess against 4.5 for Chess HD ∙. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess HD ∙ has 7.7K ratings behind it against 77, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 55% of Chess HD ∙'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Chess versus Chess HD ∙: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessChess HD ∙
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (77 ratings) — better4.5 (7.7K ratings)
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews — better55.3% of reviews
Number of ratings777.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 5 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPad
Requires iOS26.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB88 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTom KerriganOptime Software LLC

Customer experience

Chess

All ratings77 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral3.9%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews268 reviews
Positive85.1%
Neutral8.2%
Negative6.7%

Chess HD ∙

All ratings7,658 ratings
Positive86.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews304 reviews
Positive55.3%
Neutral11.2%
Negative33.6%

User reviews

Chess

From 77 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great app
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 💡 Helpful hints and features
  • 🎨 Excellent graphics and visuals
  • 🧠 Challenging AI opponent

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
  • 🔍 Limited difficulty levels
  • 🤖 AI can be predictable at times
  • 💤 Lack of online/multiplayer options

Chess HD ∙

From 7.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast gameplay
  • 👍 Adjustable difficulty levels
  • 💡 Undo feature
  • 🎨 Nice graphics and design
  • 🧠 Helps improve chess skills

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches (illegal moves, pieces disappearing, incorrect checkmate/stalemate detection)
  • 💰 Intrusive ads
  • 🔒 No option to disable ads even after purchase
  • ⏱️ Slow computer moves on higher difficulty
  • 🔀 Inability to castle or move pieces as per rules

Bugs and requests

Chess

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inconsistent pawn movement rules
  • Stalemate issues and computer refusing to resign
  • Connectivity problems with Game Center

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to set up custom board positions
  • More difficulty levels and ELO ratings
  • Online/multiplayer functionality
  • Notification options for opponent moves
  • Chess puzzle/training mode

Chess HD ∙

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Pieces disappearing during gameplay
  • Incorrect checkmate/stalemate detection
  • Computer making illegal moves
  • Game freezing or crashing
  • Inability to undo after checkmate/stalemate

Requested features

5 requests
  • Landscape mode support
  • Ability to track wins/losses/draws
  • More customization options (piece designs, board colors, etc.)
  • Tutorials or lessons for beginners
  • Multiplayer mode with friends

In-app purchases

None

Chess

No in-app purchases

None

Chess HD ∙

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess HD ∙ free?
Chess HD ∙ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess HD ∙?
Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.6 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while Chess HD ∙ averages 4.5 from 7.7K ratings.
Do Chess or Chess HD ∙ have ads?
Chess HD ∙ shows ads; Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess HD ∙?
Chess ships an update every 5 months, and Chess HD ∙ every 5 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 16, 2026 and Chess HD ∙ on October 14, 2026.

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