Comparison

Chess HD ∙ vs Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)

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

Head to head
About

Chess HD ∙

Experience a visually stunning chess game with excellent graphics and sound effects. Play against a challenging AI or a friend, with features like configurable difficulty, score tracking, and an undo function. Enjoy a free, ad-supported chess experience.

Highlights
  • High-definition graphics and sound effects
  • 1-player vs. computer and 2-player modes
  • Configurable AI difficulty
  • Score tracking and player names
  • 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 iPad? We've got the antidote for you. Chess Free HD is the best looking chess game for the iPad, and best of all - it's free! Chess Free HD 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 HD 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 exit the application Chess Free HD is supported by unobtrusive banner advertising.

About

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)

Sharpen your chess skills with a vast library of puzzles for all levels. Practice daily, offline, or track your progress with adaptive challenges. Analyze your moves with a built-in engine and customize your experience with various themes.

Highlights
  • Daily puzzles
  • Offline puzzle packs
  • Progress mode with Elo rating
  • Puzzle analysis engine
  • Bookmark puzzles
  • Multiple board themes
Features
Read full description

Improve your chess tactics with this large collection of chess puzzles for all levels! This tactic trainer lets you practice in 3 different modes : - Solve daily puzzles - Solve offline puzzle packs - Use the "Progress" mode to get random problems of your level and know your Elo rating All puzzles are of a high quality and are guaranteed to have a unique solution. The difficulty ranges from beginner to advanced (2000+ Elo). Other features : - A free powerful engine to analyze the puzzles - Level history - Bookmark puzzles - Several board themes - Optimized for both phones and tablets - A simple and intuitive interface, with no useless stuff, and no weird problems

Screenshots

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess HD ∙ at none against Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)'s 11. Chess HD ∙ also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)'s advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 55%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, ratings volume 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. Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Chess HD ∙ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8.1K and 3.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Chess HD ∙'s written reviews are positive against 90% of Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess HD ∙ ships an update every 5 months, Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Chess HD ∙ versus Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess HD ∙Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (8.1K ratings)4.7 (3.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.3% of reviews90.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8.1K — better3.7K
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size88 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptime Software LLCEmmanuel Mathis

Customer experience

Chess HD ∙

All ratings7,658 ratings
Positive86.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews304 reviews
Positive55.3%
Neutral11.2%
Negative33.6%

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)

All ratings3,685 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews332 reviews
Positive90.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative5.4%

User reviews

Chess HD ∙

From 8.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast gameplay
  • 👍 Adjustable difficulty levels
  • 💡 Undo feature
  • 🎨 Nice graphics and design
  • 🧠 Helps improve chess skills

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches (illegal moves, pieces disappearing, incorrect checkmate/stalemate detection)
  • 💰 Intrusive ads
  • 🔒 No option to disable ads even after purchase
  • ⏱️ Slow computer moves on higher difficulty
  • 🔀 Inability to castle or move pieces as per rules

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)

From 3.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🚀 Offline functionality
  • 💡 Wide variety of puzzles
  • 🎯 Helpful for improving tactics
  • 🕰️ Daily puzzles of varying difficulty

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Some puzzles have flawed or ambiguous solutions
  • 🤔 Difficulty levels not always accurate
  • 📊 Lack of explanation for best moves
  • 🔀 Inability to accept alternative winning solutions

Bugs and requests

Chess HD ∙

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Pieces disappearing during gameplay
  • Incorrect checkmate/stalemate detection
  • Computer making illegal moves
  • Game freezing or crashing
  • Inability to undo after checkmate/stalemate

Requested features

5 requests
  • Landscape mode support
  • Ability to track wins/losses/draws
  • More customization options (piece designs, board colors, etc.)
  • Tutorials or lessons for beginners
  • Multiplayer mode with friends

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes or freezes
  • Incorrect move validation in some cases

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add option to see captured pieces
  • Provide more context and analysis for puzzles
  • Improve difficulty categorization of puzzles
  • Allow for user feedback on puzzle issues

In-app purchases

None

Chess HD ∙

No in-app purchases

11 purchases

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)

One-time11
  • Easy mates$1.99
  • Intermediate mates$1.99
  • Hard mates$1.99
Show 8 more
  • Easy tactics$1.99
  • Intermediate tactics$1.99
  • Hard tactics$1.99
  • Mates in 2, 3 and 4 moves$1.99
  • Intermediate Tactics - Vol. 2$1.99
  • Hard Tactics - Vol. 2$1.99
  • Easy Tactics - Vol. 2$1.99
  • All-Access Pass$9.99

Questions

Is Chess HD ∙ free?
Chess HD ∙ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) free?
Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess HD ∙ or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)?
Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) is rated higher. Chess HD ∙ averages 4.4 out of 5 from 8.1K ratings, while Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) averages 4.7 from 3.7K ratings.
Do Chess HD ∙ or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) have ads?
Both Chess HD ∙ and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) show ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess HD ∙ or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)?
Chess HD ∙ ships an update every 5 months, and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) every 2 months. Most recently, Chess HD ∙ was updated on October 20, 2026 and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) on October 22, 2026.

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