Comparison

Chess vs Chess Problems Lite

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • HD graphics
  • 5 difficulty levels
  • Hint option
  • Play against computer or friend
  • 2D and 3D themes
  • Unlimited undo moves
  • Time control options
Features
Read full description

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!

About

Chess Problems Lite

Sharpen your chess skills with directmate puzzles. This app offers 10 interactive problems, from easy mate-in-one to challenging mate-in-four moves. It features a revamped chess engine, a timing clock, customizable piece sets and color schemes, and social leaderboards with Facebook integration.

Highlights
  • Directmate chess puzzles
  • Mate in 1 to 4+ moves
  • Revamped chess engine
  • Timing clock for puzzles
  • Customizable piece sets and color schemes
  • Leaderboards and Facebook integration
Features
Read full description

A lite version of the Ultimate mate in 1 to 4+ chess puzzle apps! Sharpen your chess skills! Beginners and experienced players will enjoy solving these chess problems! This app has 10 interactive chess problems ranging from easy mate in one move problems to very challenging mate in four moves. The object is to finish each game by forcing a checkmate in a given number of moves. In the full versions of this app there are a much larger number of classical puzzles collected from a variety of sources. These puzzles are fun to play and can be enjoyed at your leisure on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Chess problems are especially useful for learning to play chess or anyone wanting to improve their skills. New features added include: ------------------------------ - Completely revamped chess engine that is much stronger - Timing clock is displayed while you are working on each puzzle. How long you take to solve a puzzle is stored. - New options: more chess piece sets (total of 7) and more colors schemes (total of 7) including wood and marble. (Improved the options menu as well) - Social Gaming: Leaderboards to compare the number of puzzles you have solved with your friends and other players. Facebook integration - including the ability to post your progress and ask your friends for help on a puzzle. - Universal app - works on iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad - high resolution graphics all around (where supported). For even more chess puzzle challenges check out these apps: - Mate in 1 Puzzles - Mate in 2 Puzzles - Mate in 3 Puzzles - Mate in 4+ Puzzles

Screenshots

Chess4 screens
Chess Problems Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess Problems Lite at none against Chess's 4. Chess Problems Lite also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 70%). Chess's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (39K vs 8). On price, ads, device support 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. Chess sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Chess Problems Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 39K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 83% of Chess Problems Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ships an update every 6 weeks, Chess Problems Lite every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Chess versus Chess Problems Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessChess Problems Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (39K ratings) — better4.3 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews70.5% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings39K — better8
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.4 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVintolo LtdGano Technologies LLC

Customer experience

Chess

All ratings38,795 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral3.8%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews566 reviews
Positive70.5%
Neutral11.3%
Negative18.2%

Chess Problems Lite

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%

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

Chess Problems Lite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Chess

One-time4
  • 10 hints$4.99
  • 45 hints$19.99
  • 125 hints$49.99
Show 1 more
  • 200 hints$69.99
None

Chess Problems Lite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Problems Lite free?
Chess Problems Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess Problems Lite?
Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 39K ratings, while Chess Problems Lite averages 4.3 from 8 ratings.
Do Chess or Chess Problems Lite have ads?
Neither Chess nor Chess Problems Lite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess Problems Lite?
Chess ships an update every 6 weeks, and Chess Problems Lite every 7 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on September 25, 2026 and Chess Problems Lite on September 21, 2026.

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