Comparison

Chess ∙ vs The Queen's Gambit 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

The Queen's Gambit Chess

Learn and play chess with interactive lessons, puzzles, and matches. Visualize moves like a character from the show and track your progress on a unique game map. Compete against friends or AI.

Highlights
  • Interactive chess lessons
  • Play puzzles and matches
  • Beth Vision move visualization
  • Multiplayer and AI opponents
  • Game progress map
  • In-game glossary
  • Undo and review moves
Read full description

Available exclusively for Netflix members. Welcome to Beth Harmon's world. Take chess lessons, play puzzles and matches, or compete against friends online in this stunning love letter to the show. From beginners to chess masters, this immersive chess experience pays homage to the award-winning drama and has something for everyone. MAP YOUR CHESS PROGRESSION • A beautifully rendered map of Beth's local haunts will act as your central hub throughout the game. • Play custom games on 3D or 2D chess boards, track weekly game goals to earn rewards, learn your and friends' stats, access a chess lesson library and more through this central map. SEE CHESS LIKE BETH • Take advantage of the game's unique "Beth Vision" feature to visualize your next move or see threats on the board, just like Beth in the show. LEARN TO PLAY CHESS IN MULTIPLAYER MODE OR SOLO • Play chess matches with friends or play against sophisticated AI that replicates the playing level and style of your favorite characters. • Multiplayer modes include: multiplayer online matchmaking, multiplayer online invite a friend, or in-person pass & play with a friend. MEET UP WITH OLD FRIENDS AND FAMILIAR FACES • Learn chess with Mr. Shaibel, engage in chess matches with Borgov or challenge Beth to matches in the park. Checkmate. LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF CHESS • Are you a beginner, or just need a lingo refresher? Use the in-game glossary to learn new terms or track ones you've already learned. • Track everything from move evaluations (book, blunder, mistake) to general terms (checkmate, ranks, files) and advanced terms (fianchetto, pins, fork) as you play. FUN WAYS TO PLAY, LEARN CHESS AND LEVEL UP • Pick a skill level and take chess lessons at a pace that's right for you. Players are able to pick from three different levels of increasing difficulty (novice, intermediate, advanced). • Make a mistake? Try again by taking advantage of the "undo" feature in the game. You can also analyze your moves by pressing the "review" button to learn from mistakes, improve your movements and take advantage of missed opportunities. • Collect custom postcards and earn unique rewards for your profile to show off to your friends. • Complete a variety of puzzles to gain the skills you need to play like a master of chess. - Created by Rockwater Games, a Ripstone Studio.

Screenshots

Chess ∙4 screens
The Queen's Gambit Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess ∙ at none against The Queen's Gambit Chess's 1. Chess ∙ also leads on ratings volume (208K vs 1.2K) and chart position (#60 vs unranked). The Queen's Gambit Chess's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, update cadence 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

Both are free to download. The Queen's Gambit Chess sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per month. Chess ∙ asks for nothing beyond the download.

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 The Queen's Gambit Chess. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 208K ratings behind it against 1.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of Chess ∙'s written reviews are positive against 45% of The Queen's Gambit Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, The Queen's Gambit Chess every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Chess ∙ versus The Queen's Gambit Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess ∙The Queen's Gambit Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (208K ratings) — better4.4 (1.2K ratings)
Positive reviews56.3% of reviews — better45.2% of reviews
Number of ratings208K — better1.2K
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#60 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB1.8 GB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperOptime Software LLCNetflix, Inc.

Customer experience

Chess ∙

All ratings204,953 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral5.4%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews2,611 reviews
Positive56.3%
Neutral7.0%
Negative36.7%

The Queen's Gambit Chess

All ratings1,236 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral1.9%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews531 reviews
Positive45.2%
Neutral6.4%
Negative48.4%

User reviews

Chess ∙

From 208K App Store ratings

What 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

The Queen's Gambit Chess

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Beautiful graphics and design
  • 🎓 Excellent for learning chess
  • 🕹️ Fun and engaging gameplay
  • 👍 Great for both beginners and experienced players
  • 🎉 Nostalgia from the Queen's Gambit show

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🕹️ Clunky controls and navigation
  • 📚 Repetitive tutorials and instructions
  • 🔍 Difficulty reading the chess board
  • 🕰️ Slow animations and loading times

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

The Queen's Gambit Chess

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Game crashes on launch or during matches
  • Issues with piece movement and board display
  • Inability to log in or connect to the server
  • Puzzles and challenges with incorrect solutions
  • Saved progress not syncing across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Customizable text size and board layouts
  • More advanced chess puzzles and training
  • Ability to review and analyze past games
  • Online multiplayer with real-time gameplay
  • Option to disable tutorials and jump straight to gameplay

In-app purchases

None

Chess ∙

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

The Queen's Gambit Chess

Subscriptions1
  • Netflix Standard Plan$19.991 Month

Questions

Is Chess ∙ free?
Chess ∙ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Queen's Gambit Chess free?
The Queen's Gambit Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or The Queen's Gambit Chess?
Chess ∙ is rated higher. Chess ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 208K ratings, while The Queen's Gambit Chess averages 4.4 from 1.2K ratings.
Do Chess ∙ or The Queen's Gambit Chess have ads?
Chess ∙ shows ads; The Queen's Gambit Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or The Queen's Gambit Chess?
Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and The Queen's Gambit Chess every 2 months. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on November 5, 2026 and The Queen's Gambit Chess on November 3, 2026.

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