Chess vs Master 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!
Master Chess
Engage in the timeless strategy of chess against AI opponents or players worldwide. Master tactical moves to capture the opponent's king and achieve checkmate. This classic board game offers intuitive drag-and-drop controls for seamless gameplay.
- Play against computer AI
- Compete with real players globally
- Classic chess gameplay
- Intuitive drag-and-drop controls
- Capture the opponent's king
- Achieve checkmate
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Use the most effective strategies to defeat the computer or real players from all over the world in this classic game for all time. The goal of the game is to capture your opponent's king. This is done by moving the pieces on the board. Who will be the first to say "Checkmate". To make a move, click on the shape and drag it to the desired position. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess at 70% against Master Chess's 27%. Chess also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Chess sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Master Chess sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 39K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 27% of Master Chess's.
Chess ships an update every 6 weeks, Master Chess every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess | Master Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (39K ratings) — better | 3.1 (17 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 70.5% of reviews — better | 27.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 39K — better | 17 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vintolo Ltd | Code This Lab srl |
Customer experience
Chess
Master 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
Master 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
Master Chess
- Chess Subscription$0.991 Month









