Comparison

Chess ∙ vs Reality Check 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

Reality Check Chess

This app focuses on improving your chess game by presenting you with random, realistic game positions from top-level play. It helps you assess your overall playing strength beyond just tactical puzzles, offering various modes to challenge your consistency and strategic thinking.

Highlights
  • Random, realistic game positions
  • Focus on overall playing strength
  • Variety of playing modes
  • Improves consistency and strategy
  • Accurate evaluation of playing strength
Features
Read full description

REALITY CHECK CHESS - Train on real positions. Get an honest measure of your game. Tactical puzzles are fun but do they actually make you stronger? Most of your real games aren't lost to missed brilliancies. They're lost to ordinary blunders in ordinary positions. Reality Check trains you where it counts: authentic positions from top-level games, where you must find the best move — whether it's a tactic, a quiet positional improvement, or just a solid practical choice. No contrived setups. Just an honest read on how strong you really are. WHY REALITY CHECK • Train on real positions from master games - not artificial puzzles • Get a precise evaluation of your true playing strength • Build consistency in the positions you actually face • Sharpen the "normal" moves that decide most games GAME MODES • Endgame Academy - NEW! Master essential checkmates & endgame technique through guided, adaptive drills with star ratings • Masters - test yourself in positions from elite games • Tactical Racer - race the clock to find the best moves • Daily Challenges - a fresh test every day • Blunder Check - stop giving games away • Simulator & Study - analyze, learn, and play freely • Puzzles - classic tactics when you want them BUILT FOR REAL IMPROVEMENT A redesigned premium interface with smooth board animations, progress tracking, and a powerful engine for instant analysis. Get your reality checked - and become a genuinely better chess player. Premium is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/live/d53d968e-a742-4176-abbf-0a7ca662041d

Screenshots

Chess ∙4 screens
Reality Check Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

Chess ∙ and Reality Check Chess both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Reality Check Chess's written reviews are positive against 57% of Chess ∙'s. Reality Check Chess also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 4 months). Chess ∙'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (205K vs 7). On price, rating and iOS requirement 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. Reality Check Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 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 Reality Check Chess. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 7, 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 100% of Reality Check Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Reality Check Chess every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Chess ∙ versus Reality Check Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess ∙Reality Check Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (205K ratings) — better4.4 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews56.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings205K — better7
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#80 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB194 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptime Software LLCMarko Milosevic

Customer experience

Chess ∙

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

Reality Check Chess

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Reality Check Chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Chess ∙

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Reality Check Chess

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Month7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Premium Year7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Chess ∙ free?
Chess ∙ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reality Check Chess free?
Reality Check Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or Reality Check Chess?
Chess ∙ is rated higher. Chess ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 205K ratings, while Reality Check Chess averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.
Do Chess ∙ or Reality Check Chess have ads?
Chess ∙ shows ads; Reality Check Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or Reality Check Chess?
Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Reality Check Chess every 6 days. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on September 25, 2026 and Reality Check Chess on August 30, 2026.

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