Comparison

Chess Tactics and Lessons vs Reality Check Chess

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

“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.

About

Reality Check Chess

This app focuses on improving your chess game by presenting you with random, realistic game positions from top-level play. It helps you assess your overall playing strength beyond just tactical puzzles, offering various modes to challenge your consistency and strategic thinking.

Highlights
  • Random, realistic game positions
  • Focus on overall playing strength
  • Variety of playing modes
  • Improves consistency and strategy
  • Accurate evaluation of playing strength
Features
Read full description

REALITY CHECK CHESS - Train on real positions. Get an honest measure of your game. Tactical puzzles are fun but do they actually make you stronger? Most of your real games aren't lost to missed brilliancies. They're lost to ordinary blunders in ordinary positions. Reality Check trains you where it counts: authentic positions from top-level games, where you must find the best move — whether it's a tactic, a quiet positional improvement, or just a solid practical choice. No contrived setups. Just an honest read on how strong you really are. WHY REALITY CHECK • Train on real positions from master games - not artificial puzzles • Get a precise evaluation of your true playing strength • Build consistency in the positions you actually face • Sharpen the "normal" moves that decide most games GAME MODES • Endgame Academy - NEW! Master essential checkmates & endgame technique through guided, adaptive drills with star ratings • Masters - test yourself in positions from elite games • Tactical Racer - race the clock to find the best moves • Daily Challenges - a fresh test every day • Blunder Check - stop giving games away • Simulator & Study - analyze, learn, and play freely • Puzzles - classic tactics when you want them BUILT FOR REAL IMPROVEMENT A redesigned premium interface with smooth board animations, progress tracking, and a powerful engine for instant analysis. Get your reality checked - and become a genuinely better chess player. Premium is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/live/d53d968e-a742-4176-abbf-0a7ca662041d

Screenshots

Chess Tactics and Lessons4 screens
Reality Check Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Reality Check Chess at none against Chess Tactics and Lessons's shown. Reality Check Chess also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 5 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 85%). Chess Tactics and Lessons's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (5K vs 7). 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 Tactics and Lessons sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Reality Check Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Tactics and Lessons holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Tactics and Lessons has 5K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Chess Tactics and Lessons's written reviews are positive against 100% of Reality Check Chess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Tactics and Lessons ships an update every 5 weeks, Reality Check Chess every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and August 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Chess Tactics and Lessons versus Reality Check Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess Tactics and LessonsReality Check Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5K ratings) — better4.4 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews85.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5K — better7
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB194 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLockwood Productions, LLCMarko Milosevic

Customer experience

Chess Tactics and Lessons

All ratings4,981 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews280 reviews
Positive85.0%
Neutral4.6%
Negative10.4%

Reality Check Chess

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

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

Reality Check Chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Chess Tactics and Lessons

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly PRO Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Annual Pro Subscription$29.991 Year
One-time5
  • Marble Chess Board$0.99
  • Orange Chess Board$0.99
  • Remove ads$0.99
Show 2 more
  • Green Chess Board$0.99
  • Enable Saved Puzzles$1.99
2 purchases

Reality Check Chess

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Month7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Premium Year7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Chess Tactics and Lessons free?
Chess Tactics and Lessons is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Reality Check Chess free?
Reality Check Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess Tactics and Lessons or Reality Check Chess?
Chess Tactics and Lessons is rated higher. Chess Tactics and Lessons averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5K ratings, while Reality Check Chess averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.
Do Chess Tactics and Lessons or Reality Check Chess have ads?
Chess Tactics and Lessons shows ads; Reality Check Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess Tactics and Lessons or Reality Check Chess?
Chess Tactics and Lessons ships an update every 5 weeks, and Reality Check Chess every 6 days. Most recently, Chess Tactics and Lessons was updated on September 30, 2026 and Reality Check Chess on August 30, 2026.

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