Comparison

Chess ∙ vs Blindfold 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

Blindfold Chess

Sharpen your chess visualization and strategy skills with this app. It offers structured lessons, challenges against an engine, and helps you master chess notation without seeing the board.

Highlights
  • Boost visualization skills
  • Play against a chess engine
  • Structured step-by-step lessons
  • Maintain learning streaks
  • Refine notation skills
  • Visualize the board without seeing pieces
Features
Read full description

Master the Art of Chess with Blindfold Chess! Elevate your chess game to new heights with Blindfold Chess, the ultimate tool to sharpen your visualization skills and challenge your mind. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned player, Blindfold Chess offers a unique and immersive experience that will transform the way you approach the game of chess. Why Blindfold Chess? Boost Your Visualization Skills: Dive into a series of expertly crafted chapters designed to train your brain to visualize the board, even without seeing the pieces. Enhance your memory and improve your overall chess strategy by mastering the art of playing blindfold. Play Against the Engine: Put your skills to the test by playing against a powerful chess engine. With every move, you'll strengthen your ability to think ahead and anticipate your opponent's strategy—without ever seeing the board! Structured Lessons: Follow our step-by-step lessons that guide you through the fundamentals of blindfold chess. Each chapter is designed to build on the last, ensuring a smooth and effective learning curve. Maintain Your Streaks: Stay motivated and accountable with our streak system. Track your progress as you complete lessons and play matches, and challenge yourself to keep the streak alive! Refine Your Notation Skills: Practice playing via notation, a critical skill for any serious chess player. Our app helps you learn and memorize notations effortlessly, making your blindfold play smoother and more intuitive. Are you ready to take your chess skills to the next level? Download Blindfold Chess now and start your journey towards mastering one of the most challenging aspects of chess!

Screenshots

Chess ∙4 screens
Blindfold Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess ∙ at none against Blindfold Chess's 5. Chess ∙ also leads on ratings volume (205K vs 28) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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. Blindfold Chess sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Chess ∙ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess ∙ holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 57% and 57% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Blindfold Chess every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Chess ∙ versus Blindfold Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess ∙Blindfold Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (205K ratings) — better4.3 (28 ratings)
Positive reviews56.9% of reviews57.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings205K — better28
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#86 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB140 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptime Software LLCRomir Patney

Customer experience

Chess ∙

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

Blindfold Chess

All ratings28 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral10.7%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative28.6%

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

Blindfold Chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Chess ∙

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Blindfold Chess

One-time5
  • Remove Ads$2.99
  • Lessons 4, 5, 6$3.99
  • Lessons 2 & 3$3.99
Show 2 more
  • Lesson 7$3.99
  • Everything Bundle$6.99

Questions

Is Chess ∙ free?
Chess ∙ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Blindfold Chess free?
Blindfold Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or Blindfold Chess?
Chess ∙ is rated higher. Chess ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 205K ratings, while Blindfold Chess averages 4.3 from 28 ratings.
Do Chess ∙ or Blindfold Chess have ads?
Both Chess ∙ and Blindfold Chess show ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or Blindfold Chess?
Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Blindfold Chess every 2 months. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on September 25, 2026 and Blindfold Chess on September 18, 2026.

Other comparisons