Chess vs ™ Chinese Chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess
Engage in the classic game of chess with customizable graphics and multiple difficulty levels. Play against AI or a friend, with features like move undo, hints, and time controls. Enjoy a rich chess experience with detailed game history and board customization.
- HD graphics
- 5 difficulty levels
- Hint option
- Play against computer or friend
- 2D and 3D themes
- Unlimited undo moves
- Time control options
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Chess is #1 popular game in the world. According to FIDE, about 600 million people play chess and it is the most widespread game on the planet. "The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions..." (Benjamin Franklin, scientist) Game features: - HD graphics for iPhone 5 and the new iPad retina display - 5 levels of difficulty - hint option to find out the best next move - play either white or black - play against the computer or a friend - 2D and 3D themes for chess pieces - unlimited ability to undo moves - AI quick response time - time control (5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes) - animated moves - highlight legal moves - easy to use interface design - ability to go back to any previous position in the game - auto-save when exit or phone ring - view captured pieces - full game history with chess notation - change the appearance of the board - ability to listen music in background Play one of the oldest and most enjoyable games in the world!
™ Chinese Chess
Experience the strategic depth of Chinese Chess (Xiangqi) with this app. Challenge AI opponents across five difficulty levels, customize your game with a board editor and various themes, and track your progress as you ascend to grandmaster status.
- AI opponents with 5 difficulty levels
- Board editor for custom game setups
- Customizable boards, pieces, themes, and sounds
- Undo and Save/Load functionality
- Timer-based matches
- Experience points and ranking system
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Chinese Chess brings Xiangqi strategy to your phone and tablet with online Game Center play, offline AI practice, and local two-player matches. Play classic Xiangqi your way: - Challenge other players online through Game Center. - Invite players or use Game Center matchmaking. - Practice offline against multiple AI difficulty levels. - Play local two-player matches on the same device. - Save and load games when you want to continue later. - Use the board editor to set up custom positions. - Play with timer options for faster, sharper matches. - Customize boards, pieces, avatars, themes, and sounds. Also known as Xiangqi, Co Tuong, Cờ Tướng, and Chinese chess, this is a timeless strategy board game built around generals, chariots, cannons, horses, elephants, advisors, soldiers, and the river between two armies. Whether you are learning the rules, practicing tactics, challenging another player online, or returning to a familiar classic, Chinese Chess is designed for quick games, focused study, and comfortable play.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess at every 6 weeks against ™ Chinese Chess's every 9 months. Chess also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (39K vs 172). ™ Chinese Chess's advantage is review sentiment (91% vs 70%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Chess sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and ™ Chinese Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 39K ratings behind it against 172, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 91% of ™ Chinese Chess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Chess ships an update every 6 weeks, ™ Chinese Chess every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess | ™ Chinese Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (39K ratings) — better | 4.4 (172 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 70.2% of reviews | 90.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 39K — better | 172 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 72 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vintolo Ltd | VM Mobile Team |
Customer experience
Chess
™ Chinese Chess
Bugs and requests
Chess
Reported bugs
3 issues- Incorrect stalemate detection
- Pieces disappearing or moving incorrectly
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to replay puzzles
- Undo/redo move functionality
- Online/multiplayer mode
- More advanced AI difficulty
- Improved stalemate detection
™ Chinese Chess
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Chess
- 10 hints$4.99
- 45 hints$19.99
- 125 hints$49.99
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- 200 hints$69.99
™ Chinese Chess
- Premium$3.99









