Mastersoft Chess vs Chess Tactics and Lessons
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mastersoft 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.
- 100 difficulty levels
- Interactive learning coach
- Thousands of chess puzzles
- Adaptive AI opponent
- ELO rating tracker
- Multiple game modes
- Offline play
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Chess – Learn Chess, Play Chess & Train Like a Grandmaster Learn chess step by step, play chess at any level, and train with the ultimate chess app for iPhone and iPad. Whether you’re a complete beginner learning chess or a competitive player mastering advanced tactics, this chess trainer gives you everything you need. Powered by an award-winning chess engine, you can play chess at up to 150 difficulty levels – from beginner to grandmaster. With adaptive AI, automatic ELO ratings, multiplayer modes, and thousands of chess puzzles, every match is a new challenge. No account required. Just download and start playing chess instantly. Key Features • 150 Levels of Chess – from beginner to expert strength and way beyond. • Learn Chess Easily – built-in trainer and interactive coach. • Adaptive AI – feels like playing against a real opponent. • Chess Puzzles & Tactics – thousands of puzzles to sharpen skills. • ELO Rating Tracker – follow your progress and growth. • Openings & Famous Games – study proven strategies. • Multiple Modes – Classic, Blitz, Training, 2-Player, and Analysis. • Custom Boards & Sets – from traditional to modern themes. • Full Chess Rules – castling, pawn promotion, en passant, and more. • Offline Play – play chess anywhere, no login or internet needed. Why Choose This Chess App? • Beginners can learn chess step by step. • Casual players can play chess for fun or practice. • Puzzle lovers can solve thousands of chess tactics. • Competitors can train like grandmasters with real challenge. Whether you enjoy slow strategy, fast blitz chess, or deep puzzle-solving, this chess app adapts to your style. Always challenging, always fun. End User License Agreement ("Agreement") (EULA) https://www.mastersoft.biz/eula.htm Privacy policy https://www.mastersoft.biz/privacy.htm
Chess Tactics and Lessons
Master chess strategy and openings with this app. Practice unlimited tactics, follow detailed lessons, and save your favorite openings. Create your own content and learn from a supportive community.
- Unlimited tactics practice
- Detailed chess lessons
- Opening practice and saving
- Create custom tactics and lessons
- Learn from mistakes with explanations
- Community comments and discussion
- Customizable board design
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“Chess is 99% tactics” (R. Teichmann.) From beginner to expert, practicing tactics is hands-down the best way to master the game. Our app provides tactics, lessons, and openings and adjusts to your ability as you play. Join thousands of users who improve their game with tactics every day: "This app is a must have for any chess player - student or master." -Tom Taylor, USA "This is easily the best purchase I've made since owning a smartphone." -Miles C. Samuels, USA "This app has improved my game tremendously!" - anonymous fandom on the App Store FEATURES - Tactics: Play as many tactics as you want, for free. - Lessons: Get deeper into strategy with detailed lessons including positions from Netflix's 'The Queen Queen's Gambit' and the 2018 World Championship. - Openings: Practice makes perfect -- save and practice openings from the Grandmasters and more. - Create your own tactics, lessons, and openings for others to try. Compete with others to make the leaderboard for the toughest ones. - Learn from your mistakes. When you get something wrong, you can see the solution, see an explanation for the tactic, and talk to others in the comments. - Join the community: comment on tactics and learn from other users. - Customize your board design. New tactics are added every day, so you'll never run out. ------ Chess Tactics PRO subscriptions will be charged to your iTunes account upon purchase. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled within 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime with your iTunes account settings. See Privacy Policy and Terms of Service for more information. Privacy Policy: https://chesstacticsapp.com/privacy.html Terms of Service: https://chesstacticsapp.com/terms.html Acknowledgements: Chess Pieces by jurgenwesterhof on WikiCommons (adapted from work of Cburnett) Icons by bezier master, Cutiecon, and Shawn Wong from the Noun Project.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Mastersoft Chess at every 5 days against Chess Tactics and Lessons's every 5 weeks. Chess Tactics and Lessons's advantage is ratings volume (5K vs 1.5K) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, review sentiment 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
Both are free to download. Mastersoft Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Chess Tactics and Lessons sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Mastersoft Chess against 4.8 for Chess Tactics and Lessons. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Mastersoft Chess's written reviews are positive against 84% of Chess Tactics and Lessons's.
Mastersoft Chess ships an update every 5 days, Chess Tactics and Lessons every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mastersoft Chess | Chess Tactics and Lessons |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.5K ratings) | 4.8 (5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.5% of reviews — better | 83.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K | 5K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 277 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mastersoft | Lockwood Productions, LLC |
Customer experience
Mastersoft Chess
Chess Tactics and Lessons
User reviews
Mastersoft Chess
From 1.5K App Store ratingsWhat 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 Tactics and Lessons
From 5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 😃 Great for learning tactics
- 👍 Enjoyable and addictive
- 🚀 Excellent training tool
- 🤗 Helpful for improving chess skills
- 💯 Best tactics app
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy after updates
- 💰 Subscription model too expensive
- 🤔 Some tactics are questionable
- 🙄 Too many queen sacrifices
- 😣 Difficult to navigate
Bugs and requests
Mastersoft 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 Tactics and Lessons
Reported bugs
4 issues- Server connection issues
- White screen after updates
- Inability to delete account
- Incorrect move explanations
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to save tactics
- Offline mode
- Difficulty filtering
- Improved user interface
- More comprehensive lessons
In-app purchases
Mastersoft Chess
- Chess Pro for 1 month.$2.991 Month
- Buy Chess Pro.$2.99
- Upgrade to Ginkgo. 10% Off.$9.95
Chess Tactics and Lessons
- Monthly PRO Subscription$3.991 Month
- Annual Pro Subscription$29.991 Year
- Marble Chess Board$0.99
- Orange Chess Board$0.99
- Remove ads$0.99
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- Green Chess Board$0.99
- Enable Saved Puzzles$1.99
Questions
Is Mastersoft Chess free?
Is Chess Tactics and Lessons free?
Which has better reviews, Mastersoft Chess or Chess Tactics and Lessons?
Do Mastersoft Chess or Chess Tactics and Lessons have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mastersoft Chess or Chess Tactics and Lessons?
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