Chess Deluxe vs Simple Chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess Deluxe
Enjoy a classic chess experience with a beautiful interface and adaptive AI. Play against smart opponents, challenge friends locally or online, and track your progress with detailed game history. This app offers a distraction-free environment for pure chess enjoyment across multiple devices.
- Smart AI opponents (Easy, Medium, Hard)
- Local multiplayer (same device)
- Online matches via Game Center
- Unlimited undo/redo
- Move history in Standard Algebraic Notation
- Light and dark themes
- iCloud settings sync
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Experience the timeless game of chess with beautiful design and intelligent gameplay. Chess Deluxe brings the classic strategy game to life with a modern, elegant interface and responsive AI that adapts to your skill level. Whether you're learning your first moves or honing your tactics, enjoy chess exactly how you want to play it - with no ads, no distractions, just pure chess. Play Your Way: - Smart AI opponents with Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulties that provide quick, challenging gameplay - Local multiplayer for face-to-face games on the same device - Game Center integration for online matches with friends anywhere - Flexible move controls with unlimited undo/redo and move highlighting - Complete game tracking with move history in Standard Algebraic Notation Beautiful & Intuitive: - Clean, distraction-free interface designed for pure chess enjoyment - Smooth animations and satisfying piece movement - Board rotation for comfortable two-player games - Captured pieces display and game timer with customisable durations - Light and dark themes to match your preference - Crisp sounds that enhance gameplay without interruption Seamlessly Connected: - Settings sync across all your devices with iCloud - Navigate through your game history by selecting any completed move - No advertisements to interrupt your focus - Universal purchase includes iOS, iPadOS, and macOS versions Chess Deluxe is crafted for chess lovers who appreciate thoughtful design and straightforward gameplay. From quick casual games to focused strategy sessions, experience chess the way it should be - simple, beautiful, and always ready when you are.
Simple Chess
Master the game of chess with this intuitive application. It offers a straightforward approach to learning and playing, making it accessible for beginners. Enjoy a clean interface designed for ease of use.
- Easy learning method
- Simple gameplay
- Beginner-friendly
- Intuitive interface
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Learn to play chess on a easy way
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Simple Chess at 100% against Chess Deluxe's 33%. Simple Chess also leads on price (Free vs $2.99) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Chess Deluxe's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 20 months) and ratings volume (190 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases 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
Simple Chess is free to download; Chess Deluxe costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Simple Chess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Deluxe has 190 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Chess Deluxe's written reviews are positive against 100% of Simple Chess's.
Chess Deluxe ships an update every 2 months, Simple Chess every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Deluxe | Simple Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (190 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 32.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 190 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 20 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 15.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nicholas Cooke | Leon van der Linden |
Customer experience
Chess Deluxe
Simple Chess
Bugs and requests
Chess Deluxe
Reported bugs
28 issues- Computer won't let you win
- Computer moves king to white king
- Game says won when losing
- All pieces are black
- Cannot castle king and rook
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- Hard version is easy to beat
- Movements don't feel good
- Sound isn't good
- Cannot play online without crashing
- No way to start a game
- No play button
- Unable to use program
- Doesn't work on iPad
- Doesn't seem to work on IOS 9
- Unable to go past add player name screen
- Game ends with incorrect checkmate
- Rook unable to move to corner piece
- Check counted as checkmate
- Stalemate called incorrectly
- Computer castles illegally
- Computer throws pieces away
- Internet mode doesn't work
- Cannot find users online
- King turns into opponent's queen
- Valid moves blocked
- Cannot play online without redoing moves
- Castling doesn't work
- Cannot resign or remove game
Requested features
8 requests- How to record a game
- Intermediate difficulty level
- Option to turn off timer
- See board labels (g column cut off)
- Board labels visible with pieces
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- Cross-platform compatibility (iPhone/Mac)
- Sound effects for piece movements
- Online play beyond Wi-Fi proximity
Simple Chess
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Chess Deluxe
No in-app purchases
Simple Chess
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chess Deluxe free?
Is Simple Chess free?
Which has better reviews, Chess Deluxe or Simple Chess?
Do Chess Deluxe or Simple Chess have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Deluxe or Simple Chess?
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