Comparison

Chess ∙ vs Classic chess

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

Head to head
About

Chess ∙

Experience a visually appealing and engaging chess game on your iPhone and iPod Touch. Play against friends or a customizable AI opponent with features like undo and automatic saving. Enjoy a free, ad-supported experience.

Highlights
  • 1 and 2 player gameplay
  • Challenging computer opponent
  • Great graphics and sound
  • Configurable difficulty
  • 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 iPhone? We've got the antidote for you. Chess Free is the best chess game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and it's free! Chess Free 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 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 get a phone call or exit the application Chess Free is supported by unobtrusive banner advertising. Chess Premium is the same great app without the ads.

About

Classic chess

Learn chess rules intuitively with easy-to-understand explanations. Play against an AI with adjustable difficulty levels, from beginner to advanced. Choose between immersive 3D graphics or clear 2D views to suit your playstyle and mood.

Highlights
  • Intuitive rule explanations
  • Adjustable AI difficulty
  • 3D and 2D board options
  • Beginner-friendly
  • Progress tracking
Features
Read full description

□■ Because it is an application! easy to understand explanations of rules! Rules are easier to understand intuitively than books and websites! I understand the rules necessary to play chess. Beginners who are going to start from now are also recommended for chess applications for those who want to check the rules! □■ AI with wide difficulty level is installed! AI equipped to be able to play from beginner to advanced! You can feel better progress as the level is divided finely. We will also install a stronger level of AI in future updates. □■ 3D and 2D correspondence! In 3D mode you can play chess while enjoying the atmosphere with beautiful graphics. In 2D mode, the piece information is easy to understand, and it is easy to confirm the war situation. Because you can choose your favorite mode, you can also use it properly according to your mood! ◆ Update schedule Adjustment of direction and operation feeling Addition of CPU AI Implementation of additional functions such as ranking ◆ When making inquiries, please contact us from the inquiry form within this application. BGM : Pocket Sound - https://pocket-se.info/

Screenshots

Chess ∙4 screens
Classic chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Chess ∙ at 205K against Classic chess's 74. Chess ∙ also leads on chart position (#86 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Classic chess's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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 — 4.5 for Chess ∙ against 4.4 for Classic chess. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 74, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of Chess ∙'s written reviews are positive against 64% of Classic chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Classic chess every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Chess ∙ versus Classic chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess ∙Classic chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (205K ratings) — better4.4 (74 ratings)
Positive reviews56.9% of reviews63.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings205K — better74
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
Best chart rank#86 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB146 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptime Software LLCCross Field Inc.

Customer experience

Chess ∙

All ratings204,953 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral5.4%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews2,579 reviews
Positive56.9%
Neutral7.1%
Negative36.1%

Classic chess

All ratings74 ratings
Positive85.1%
Neutral8.1%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral10.6%
Negative25.8%

Bugs and requests

Chess ∙

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Rook being able to move diagonally
  • Stalemate glitch where it will preemptively call stalemate before it even happens
  • Call stalemate when only the king can't move, and the other pieces can still move
  • Pieces move too fast
  • Doesn't allow en-passant moves by pawns
Show 5 more
  • Refuses to allow legitimate win, claims draw instead
  • Doesn't recognize stalemate
  • Doesn't recognize checkmate
  • Pieces disappearing
  • Illegal moves by the AI

Requested features

6 requests
  • Undo from stalemate
  • Highland opponents last move in green and my last move in blue
  • Allow a third level of zoom to fill the screen
  • Display a numeric value when difficulty slider is moved
  • Ability to turn off safety where you can't move king to where it would get taken out
Show 1 more
  • Ability to turn off draw by stalemate rule

Classic chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Chess ∙

No in-app purchases

None

Classic chess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess ∙ free?
Chess ∙ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Classic chess free?
Classic chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or Classic chess?
Chess ∙ is rated higher. Chess ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 205K ratings, while Classic chess averages 4.4 from 74 ratings.
Do Chess ∙ or Classic chess have ads?
Both Chess ∙ and Classic chess show ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or Classic chess?
Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Classic chess every 2 months. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on September 28, 2026 and Classic chess on September 27, 2026.

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