# Chess ∙ vs Chess Notation Trainer

Chess ∙ and Chess Notation Trainer both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Chess Notation Trainer's written reviews are positive against 57% of Chess ∙'s. Chess Notation Trainer also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 months). Chess ∙'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (205K vs 16). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 Chess Notation Trainer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 16, 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 Chess Notation Trainer's.

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess ∙ | Chess Notation Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (205K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id311395856/reviews) | [4.5 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-notation-trainer/id6476576060/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **205K** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 56.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#86** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [Nishat Majid](https://appshunter.io/developer/1727207034) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess ∙

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id311395856)

**Currently charting:** #86 Top Free · Strategy, #119 Top Free · Board (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun to play everyday
- 👍 Good free game
- 👍 Nice little game
- 👍 Very good practice
- 👍 Addictive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 AD crazy
- 🐛 Major glitches make the game impossible
- 🐛 Force draw
- 🐛 Issues, needs fixing but has potential
- 🐛 Disappearing Pieces

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Chess Notation Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-notation-trainer/id6476576060)

Master chess squares and notation with this training app. Improve your ability to identify coordinates, translate moves, and visualize the board, even without one. Ideal for serious players looking to enhance calculation speed and chess understanding.

**Highlights:** Identify squares by coordinate, Translate move sequences to notation, Determine square color instantly, Stay oriented on the board, Follow chess tutorials without a board, Speed up calculation, Practice blind chess

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess ∙ free?

Chess ∙ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chess Notation Trainer free?

Chess Notation Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or Chess Notation Trainer?

Chess ∙ and Chess Notation Trainer are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 205K and 16 ratings respectively.

### Do Chess ∙ or Chess Notation Trainer have ads?

Chess ∙ shows ads; Chess Notation Trainer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or Chess Notation Trainer?

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on September 25, 2026 and Chess Notation Trainer on September 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*