Comparison

Chess 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

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 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

Chess4 screens
Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess at every 5 days against Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)'s every 2 months. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 2 one-off in-app purchases and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) sells 10 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 Tactics Pro (Puzzles). Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 3.7K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 90% and 90% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ships an update every 5 days, Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Chess versus Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessChess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.6K ratings)4.7 (3.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.5% of reviews — better90.1% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6K3.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.1 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size276 MB13 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMastersoftEmmanuel Mathis

Customer experience

Chess

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

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

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 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

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 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

2 purchases

Chess

One-time2
  • Buy Chess Pro.$2.99
  • Upgrade to Ginkgo. 10% Off.$9.95
10 purchases

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)

One-time10
  • Easy mates$1.99
  • Intermediate mates$1.99
  • Hard mates$1.99
Show 7 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
  • All-Access Pass$9.99

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) free?
Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)?
Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) averages 4.7 from 3.7K ratings.
Do Chess or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) have ads?
Both Chess and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) show ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)?
Chess ships an update every 5 days, and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) every 2 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on November 13, 2026 and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) on November 11, 2026.

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