Comparison

Chess vs Chess ◧

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 ◧

Engage in classic chess matches on your iPhone or iPad. Play against a computer with adjustable difficulty, challenge a friend in two-player mode, or utilize helpful features like move undo and hints. Enjoy an attractive user interface for a smooth gaming experience.

Highlights
  • Play against computer
  • Two player mode
  • Adjustable computer strength
  • Undo moves
  • Hint option
  • Attractive UI
Features
Read full description

FREE Chess game for the iPhone and iPad FEATURES - Play agains the computer - Two player mode - Change computer strength - Undo moves - Rotate board - Hint option - Attractive UI --------------------------------------------------- TAPMEDIA PRO SUBSCRIPTION - You will receive access to the apps in the TapMedia PRO bundle for the duration of the subscription. - Subscription length: Monthly (includes one week free trial). - Subscriptions with a free trial period will automatically renew to a paid subscription. - Payments will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period and identify the cost of the renewal. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. - All prices are subject to change without notification. We occasionally run promotion prices as incentives or limited time opportunities for qualifying purchases made during the promotional time period. Due to the time sensitive and promotional nature of these events, we are unable to offer price protection or retroactive discounts or refunds for previous purchases in the event of a price reduction or promotional offering. - Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription - You may cancel a subscription during its free period via the subscription setting through your iTunes Account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Please visit http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4098 Privacy Policy: http://tapmedia.co.uk/privacy.htm Terms of Use: http://tapmedia.co.uk/terms.htm

Screenshots

Chess4 screens
Chess ◧3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess at 90% against Chess ◧'s 53%. Chess also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 12 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Chess ◧'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.1). 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

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 ◧ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 410 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 53% of Chess ◧'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ships an update every 5 days, Chess ◧ every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and August 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Chess versus Chess ◧: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessChess ◧
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.6K ratings) — better4.3 (410 ratings)
Positive reviews90.5% of reviews — better52.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6K — better410
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 12 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.19.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size277 MB64 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperMastersoftTapMedia Ltd

Customer experience

Chess

All ratings1,553 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral3.9%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews2,035 reviews
Positive90.5%
Neutral4.1%
Negative5.5%

Chess ◧

All ratings410 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral5.1%
Negative12.4%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive52.9%
Neutral14.7%
Negative32.4%

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 ◧

From 410 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to play
  • 👍 Highly entertaining
  • 👍 Strong and flexible chess engine
  • 👍 Gameplay is human-like
  • 👍 Great for avoiding opening traps

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Two player mode broken
  • 🐛 Program is impenetrable for beginners
  • 🐛 Hints lead to losing
  • 🐛 Board color changed to brown
  • 🐛 Too many ads

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 ◧

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Two player mode doesn't work
  • Choosing '2 Player' does nothing
  • Many glitches
  • Cannot move a piece and make a change with king and tower
  • Slaughters battery life

Requested features

4 requests
  • Fix two player mode
  • Option to change board color back to black and white
  • Make the game easier for beginners
  • Allow viewing opponent's pawns

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
2 purchases

Chess ◧

Subscriptions1
  • TapMedia PRO - 1 Month3 Days trial$4.991 Month
One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess ◧ free?
Chess ◧ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess ◧?
Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Chess ◧ averages 4.3 from 410 ratings.
Do Chess or Chess ◧ have ads?
Chess shows ads; Chess ◧ does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess ◧?
Chess ships an update every 5 days, and Chess ◧ every 12 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 1, 2026 and Chess ◧ on August 30, 2026.

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