Comparison

Chess Score Pad vs FirstMove

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

Head to head
About

Chess Score Pad

This app provides a modern, distraction-free electronic scoresheet for over-the-board chess tournament play. Record moves effortlessly, review positions, and export games in PGN or PDF formats for post-game analysis. Designed by a tournament player, it streamlines the scoring process so you can focus on the game.

Highlights
  • Effortless move recording (tap or drag)
  • Automatic game saving
  • Easy move correction
  • Step-through and slider game review
  • PGN export for analysis
  • PDF scoresheet export with diagram
  • Optional legal-move and time tracking
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Chess Score Pad A modern electronic scoresheet designed for over-the-board tournament play. Record moves effortlessly and export PGN for post-game analysis. Chess Score Pad replaces paper scoresheets with a clean, distraction-free way to record your games move by move — so you can focus on playing, not writing. Designed by a tournament player with hundreds of USCF-rated games, Chess Score Pad is built for over-the-board chess and post-game review. Record games naturally • Enter moves by tapping or dragging pieces • No coordinates to write, no notation to translate • All moves are saved automatically — no “Save” button required • Easy move correction if a mistake happens Review positions and games • Step through moves one at a time • Scrub through the game with a live position slider • On iPad, view the board and notation side by side • Quickly return to critical positions after the game Export and share • Export games as PGN for analysis in your chess database • Share via AirDrop, Mail, Messages, Files, Notes, Clipboard, and compatible chess apps • Export a professional PDF scoresheet with a position diagram Built for tournament play • Start recording immediately — game details are optional • “Next Game of Event” copies event info and increments the round • Automatically place your pieces at the bottom of the board • Optional legal-move and position checking • Optional move-time tracking Flexible notation • Long or short algebraic notation • Figurine or standard notation Important note Chess Score Pad is an electronic scoresheet and does not provide analysis or engine assistance. Chess Score Pad is not currently certified for tournament use. It may be permitted at the discretion of the tournament director. More screenshots and documentation are available at the Support URL.

About

FirstMove

Features
Read full description

FirstMove : Maîtrisez les ouvertures d'échecs L'application essentielle pour apprendre et perfectionner les ouvertures d'échecs ! FirstMove transforme l'apprentissage en une expérience visuelle et interactive. POUR TOUS LES NIVEAUX Débutant ou expert, FirstMove propose des ouvertures adaptées à votre niveau avec trois catégories : Débutant, Intermédiaire et Maître. FONCTIONNALITÉS - Échiquier interactif avec animations Visualisez chaque coup sur un échiquier élégant avec des animations qui montrent clairement les mouvements. - Navigation intuitive Parcourez les ouvertures coup par coup. Contrôlez la progression avec des boutons simples : précédent, suivant, premier coup, dernier coup. - Catalogue complet d'ouvertures Accédez à des dizaines d'ouvertures classiques, toutes avec leurs codes ECO (Encyclopédie des ouvertures d'échecs). - Descriptions détaillées Chaque ouverture inclut une explication complète de sa stratégie, de son histoire et de ses principes. - Interface moderne Profitez d'une interface élégante et épurée, optimisée pour l'apprentissage. POURQUOI CHOISIR FIRSTMOVE ? Les ouvertures déterminent souvent l'issue d'une partie d'échecs. FirstMove rend cet apprentissage accessible et visuel, que vous prépariez un tournoi ou que vous souhaitiez simplement améliorer votre jeu. Téléchargez FirstMove et donnez-vous les meilleures chances de gagner dès le premier coup !

Screenshots

Chess Score Pad3 screens
FirstMove2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: FirstMove at Free against Chess Score Pad's $9.99. FirstMove also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). Chess Score Pad's advantage is chart position (#197 vs unranked). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

FirstMove is free to download; Chess Score Pad costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Score Pad ships an update every 5 months, FirstMove every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Chess Score Pad versus FirstMove: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess Score PadFirstMove
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (178 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews64.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings178 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#197 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCalcFxC, LLCRedInnov

Bugs and requests

Chess Score Pad

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Board not accessible to voiceover users
  • Contact option on website is broken
  • Screen controls are flaky, requiring repeated attempts
  • Cost me a tournament game due to flaky controls
  • Cannot use 'Save to Files' in iPad if the result is draw (1/2)
Show 3 more
  • Shows own pieces checking own King
  • Does not show when checking opponent's King
  • App is 32bit and may not work in the future

Requested features

16 requests
  • Make board accessible to voiceover users or allow notation entry
  • Ability to enter ??, !!, !? and ?! notations
  • Cloud support (iCloud/Dropbox)
  • Option to load a game
  • Built-in player list
Show 11 more
  • Export multiple games at once
  • Different board colors or lighter dark green squares
  • Ability to save games in .pgn format automatically
  • Get app approved for USCF tournaments
  • iCloud capabilities for syncing games
  • Enhanced time controls for correspondence matches
  • Feature to make notes and annotate games
  • Review or journal mode for inputting variations and annotations
  • Standard algebraic notation
  • More tags for app store search (e.g., PGN)
  • Move notations with time

FirstMove

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Chess Score Pad

No in-app purchases

None

FirstMove

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess Score Pad free?
Chess Score Pad costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FirstMove free?
FirstMove is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Chess Score Pad or FirstMove have ads?
Neither Chess Score Pad nor FirstMove shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Score Pad or FirstMove?
Chess Score Pad ships an update every 5 months, and FirstMove every 3 days. Most recently, Chess Score Pad was updated on October 15, 2026 and FirstMove on October 19, 2026.

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