Comparison

Chess vs Chess puzzles!

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

Head to head
About

Chess

Master the game of chess with this comprehensive app. Learn step-by-step, play against adaptive AI across 100 difficulty levels, and sharpen your skills with thousands of puzzles. Enjoy offline play and track your progress with an ELO rating.

Highlights
  • 100 difficulty levels
  • Interactive learning coach
  • Thousands of chess puzzles
  • Adaptive AI opponent
  • ELO rating tracker
  • Multiple game modes
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Play Chess – Learn, Train & Challenge with the Ultimate Chess App Take your chess to the next level with the ultimate chess app for iPhone and iPad. Whether you’re a beginner learning chess, an intermediate player looking to improve, or an advanced competitor training like a grandmaster, our app has everything you need. Powered by an award-winning chess engine, it feels like you’re playing against a real opponent – not just a computer. With 100 skill levels, automatic ELO rating tracking, and personalized difficulty that adapts to your style, you’ll always find the perfect challenge. No accounts. No fuss. Just download and start playing chess instantly. Key Features World Chess Champion Software 2026 Award Winner using Ginkgo 150 difficulty levels – from beginner to grandmaster strength Adaptive chess engine – plays like a human and adjusts to your skill ELO rating calculator – track your progress and growth Powerful AI – ranked 4th in the World Microcomputer Chess Championship Learn chess with a built-in coach – highlights best moves and alternatives Solve 1000s of chess puzzles – improve tactics, strategy, and endgame skills Huge book of chess openings Database of famous chess games – study, replay, and analyze the masters Multiple modes – Classic, Blitz, Training, Two-Player, and Analysis Mode Custom boards and sets – from traditional chess book style to modern themes Full chess rules supported – castling, en passant, pawn promotion, and more Minimal ads, no login required – play chess instantly without interruptions Whether you enjoy casual games, serious training, or fast-paced blitz chess, this app has you covered. Always challenging, sometimes aggressive, and never boring – just like real chess should be. Perfect for: Beginners who want to learn chess step by step Casual players who enjoy fun, relaxing games Competitive players who want to train like a grandmaster Puzzle lovers who want to sharpen their tactics End User License Agreement ("Agreement") (EULA) https://www.mastersoft.biz/eula.htm Privacy policy https://www.mastersoft.biz/privacy.htm

About

Chess puzzles!

Engage in mind-teasing chess challenges designed for all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned players. Test your strategic thinking with various puzzle difficulties and enjoy a fun variation of the classic board game.

Highlights
  • Tutorial levels for beginners
  • Simple tap and drag controls
  • Mate in 1 challenges
  • Mate in 2 challenges
  • Alternate chess challenges
  • Categorized difficulty levels
Features
Read full description

Do you love chess & puzzle challenges? Well, you’ll love Chess Puzzles! This fun variation of the chess game includes mind-teasing challenges categorized in levels that are sure to test your chess skills and problem-solving thinking. Can you pass all levels? Great for anyone! From beginner to seasoned chess player! WHY YOU’LL LOVE CHESS PUZZLES! - Tutorial levels included (great for beginners) - Simple tap & dragging controls - Mate in 1, mate in 2 challenges and some alternate challenges - Cool variation of the classic board game Now, it’s chess puzzle time! Download the app for free!

Screenshots

Chess4 screens
Chess puzzles!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Chess puzzles! at none against Chess's shown. Chess puzzles! also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (90% vs 78%). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Chess puzzles! sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess against 4.7 for Chess puzzles!. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 1.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 78% of Chess puzzles!'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ships an update every 5 days, Chess puzzles! every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Chess versus Chess puzzles!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessChess puzzles!
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.6K ratings)4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.5% of reviews — better78.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6K — better1.3K
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size276 MB15 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMastersoftErik Brandsma

Customer experience

Chess

All ratings1,556 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral3.9%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews2,036 reviews
Positive90.5%
Neutral4.1%
Negative5.5%

Chess puzzles!

All ratings1,305 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive78.0%
Neutral7.3%
Negative14.6%

User reviews

Chess

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great learning tool
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 💡 Helpful training mode
  • 👍 Challenging at higher levels
  • 👍 Customizable board and pieces

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🔍 Unclear move suggestions
  • 🤖 Computer plays too strong at times

Chess puzzles!

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Challenging and engaging puzzles
  • 👍 No ads or in-app purchases
  • 👍 Helpful for improving chess skills
  • 👍 Fun and enjoyable experience
  • 👍 Realistic and creative puzzles

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Some puzzles have no solution or are buggy
  • 🔍 Lack of explanations or feedback on wrong moves
  • 🔍 Repetitive puzzle types (e.g., queen sacrifices)
  • 🔍 Inefficient navigation between puzzles

Bugs and requests

Chess

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Pawn disappearing issue when castling
  • Ratings not updating properly after games
  • Crashes on certain iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • More detailed explanations for suggested moves
  • Option to play against other users online
  • Ability to set up custom board positions
  • Slower computer move speeds for beginners

Chess puzzles!

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Puzzle with no solution ("Mate in 3 - Queen pack - AAAAAAAY-OH")
  • Puzzle solution not recognized ("you have one move only ;)")

Requested features

4 requests
  • Reset puzzle option
  • Next puzzle button
  • Ability to make wrong moves in puzzles
  • Puzzle solution hints or explanations

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Chess

Subscriptions1
  • Chess Pro for 1 month.$2.991 Month
One-time2
  • Buy Chess Pro.$2.99
  • Upgrade to Ginkgo. 10% Off.$9.95
4 purchases

Chess puzzles!

One-time4
  • Fun pack!$0.99
  • Human vs machine$0.99
  • Funky moves$1.99
Show 1 more
  • Remove all ads$1.99

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess puzzles! free?
Chess puzzles! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess puzzles!?
Chess puzzles! is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Chess puzzles! averages 4.7 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Chess or Chess puzzles! have ads?
Chess shows ads; Chess puzzles! does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess puzzles!?
Chess ships an update every 5 days, and Chess puzzles! every 6 weeks. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 28, 2026 and Chess puzzles! on October 26, 2026.

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