Chess ∙ vs Chessplode
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 1 and 2 player gameplay
- Challenging computer opponent
- Great graphics and sound
- Configurable difficulty
- Undo function
- Automatic save
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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.
Chessplode
This app offers a unique twist on chess where capturing a piece causes others in the same line and column to explode. It's designed to be fun and accessible, even for those who aren't skilled at traditional chess, offering both single-player and multiplayer modes.
- Exploding pieces on capture
- Real-time multiplayer battles
- User-created levels
- Local multiplayer mode
- AI opponent practice
- Customizable color themes
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Chessplode is modern chess for everyone, it makes chess fun even if you're bad ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, one simply move... can change all game. -- THE MODERN RULE -- Chessplode is pretty much like chess with a really BIG twist... - CAPTURE a piece and everything in the same LINE and COLUMN will EXPLODE... - But if a KING is in that LINE or COLUMN it will be a really *boring* chess capture (no explosions) -- THINK DIFF... *DISTINCT* -- This rule is pretty tricky, in regular chess you need to defend your KING, but in Chessplode it can save your pieces. Remember, you can't capture some pieces because you could get check. Sometimes you will checkmate capturing a piece that explodes. And other you will be afraid of having several pieces in the same line or column...(POP!) -- FRIENDS (Who love chess) REVIEW -- They find Chessplode a great challenge and love how they need to change the old way of thinking even if they are winning... a bad move and they will run out of pieces. -- FRIENDS (Who *meh* chess) REVIEW -- Chess + Explosions... you got my attention. Some of these friends were casual chess players and others didn't really feel the attraction for chess. Both find Chessplode a really fun game. When they were playing regular chess they were not good, now they are the kings of the hill. -- FEATURES -- * FREE TO PLAY * Realtime chess battles multiplayer with people around the world. * In multiplayer you can send an emoji (to express your feelings) with every move you submit. Instant fun! * Play Levels created for other players, you can find really madness here, but you can undo your move... everyone can make a mistake. * Create your own custom Level and submit it to everyone can play it. Challenge the world! * Try local multiplayer battles with friends in the same device. Head to head! * Practice playing versus Ziri. * A lot of different color themes, play day and night with your favourite colors. Thank you for playing "Chessplode"! I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it ;) Support: Are you having problems? http://twitter.com/juaxma http://twitter.com/chessplode hello@juan.ma Privacy Policy: http://juan.ma/chessplode/privacypolicy/ AppPreview Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music/track/jazzy-frenchy © Juan Manuel Altamirano Argudo / juan.ma
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess ∙ at none against Chessplode's 5. Chess ∙ also leads on ratings volume (205K vs 545) and chart position (#76 vs unranked). Chessplode's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks 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
Both are free to download. Chessplode sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Chess ∙ asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Chess ∙ against 4.5 for Chessplode. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 545, 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 61% of Chessplode's.
Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Chessplode every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess ∙ | Chessplode |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (205K ratings) | 4.5 (545 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 56.9% of reviews | 61.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 205K — better | 545 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #76 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 84 MB | 86 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Optime Software LLC | Juan Manuel Altamirano Argudo |
Customer experience
Chess ∙
Chessplode
User reviews
Chess ∙
From 205K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fun to play everyday
- 👍 Good free game
- 👍 Nice little game
- 👍 Very good practice
- 👍 Addictive
Room to improve
- 🐛 AD crazy
- 🐛 Major glitches make the game impossible
- 🐛 Force draw
- 🐛 Issues, needs fixing but has potential
- 🐛 Disappearing Pieces
Chessplode
From 545 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Quick gameplay
- 👍 Beautiful and fun game
- 👍 Fantastic and great fun twist on chess
- 👍 Lovely little game
- 👍 Chess with a new challenge
Room to improve
- 🐛 Won't open or get stuck
- 🐛 Issues with king movement and checkmate detection
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 AI issues with thinking and repeating moves
- 🐛 Overly difficult, even at easy levels
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
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- 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
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- Ability to turn off draw by stalemate rule
Chessplode
Reported bugs
4 issues- Won't open or get stuck on certain screens
- Issues with king movement and checkmate detection
- Crashes and freezes, especially when AI is thinking
- AI issues with thinking and repeating moves
Requested features
9 requests- Add local multiplayer mode
- Add classic chess mode
- Add more basic puzzles
- Add ability to go back to previous levels
- Add option to remove explosions
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- Add Repetition end-condition
- Add Resign button
- Add themed boards
- Add online levels and multiplayer
In-app purchases
Chess ∙
No in-app purchases
Chessplode
- +100 Undos$0.99
- Generous Tip$0.99
- Massive Tip$1.99
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- INFINITE UNDOS$1.99
- Amazing Tip$2.99









