Comparison

Learn with Forward Chess vs OpenFile Chess

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

Head to head
About

Learn with Forward Chess

This app is an interactive reader for chess books, allowing users to play through chess lines directly within the book. It offers a vast in-app store with over 100 chess eBooks and a growing collection of opening theory periodicals via subscription.

Highlights
  • Interactive chess book reader
  • Play through chess lines
  • In-app chess eBook store
  • Subscription for opening theory
  • Tactics training
Features
Read full description

Forward Chess is an Interactive reader of chess books. Play through the lines in the book, or try your own, it's like having a chess board and a chess book in the palm of your hand. Forward Chess includes the ability to purchase over 100 chess eBooks through our In-App Store. Check it out. Our collection is growing weekly! Forward Chess also contains the following subscription options - ChessPublishing's monthly periodical for the latest in opening theory - We offer a choice of 4 different auto-renewing subscriptions - 1 Section for 1 Year @ $19.99 USD - 3 Sections for 1 Year @ $39.99 USD - 6 Sections for 1 Year @ $69.99 USD - 12 Sections for 1 Year @ $99.99 USD - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - 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 - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period - Links to Your Privacy Policy and Terms of Use - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication. Forward Chess takes your privacy seriously See our privacy policy here: https://forwardchess.com/privacy-policy and term of use here: https://forwardchess.com/terms-of-service

About

OpenFile Chess

This app combines a chess puzzle trainer with an interactive e-reader for classic chess books. It features spaced repetition for puzzle training, thematic decks, and engine analysis. Users can also read and step through classic chess books with move-by-move annotations.

Highlights
  • Spaced repetition puzzle trainer
  • Themed puzzle decks
  • Interactive chess book reader
  • Stockfish 17 analysis
  • Move-by-move annotations
  • Explore alternate lines
Features
Read full description

OpenFile Chess is a puzzle trainer and interactive chess reader in one app. Train with thousands of puzzles powered by spaced repetition. Your rating adapts as you improve, and puzzles are organized by theme — forks, pins, mates, endgames, and more. Explore alternate lines freely, or turn on Stockfish 17 for instant analysis. Read Chess Fundamentals by José Raúl Capablanca — one of the greatest chess books ever written. Step through every example move by move with full annotations. FEATURES • Puzzle trainer with spaced repetition and ELO tracking • Dozens of themed decks: tactics, mates, endgames, phases • Explore mode to try alternate lines on any puzzle • Stockfish 17 engine analysis on any position • Full text of Chess Fundamentals (1921) • 71 interactive games with move-by-move annotations • Flip board, night mode, and board color themes

Screenshots

Learn with Forward Chess4 screens
OpenFile Chess2 screens

Verdict

The call

Learn with Forward Chess and OpenFile Chess both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of OpenFile Chess's written reviews are positive against 75% of Learn with Forward Chess's. Learn with Forward Chess's advantage is ratings volume (340 vs 6) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Learn with Forward Chess sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and OpenFile Chess sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OpenFile Chess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learn with Forward Chess has 340 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Learn with Forward Chess's written reviews are positive against 100% of OpenFile Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Learn with Forward Chess ships an update fortnightly, OpenFile Chess every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Learn with Forward Chess versus OpenFile Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLearn with Forward ChessOpenFile Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (340 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews74.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings340 — better6
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size188 MB82 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperForward Chess, LLCHriday Bhambhvani

Customer experience

Learn with Forward Chess

All ratings334 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive74.8%
Neutral9.8%
Negative15.4%

OpenFile Chess

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Learn with Forward Chess

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Login issues when changing devices
  • Books not properly filing into libraries
  • App crashing when trying to add books to libraries
  • Losing current position when switching between full screen and normal view
  • Inconsistent behavior when navigating through a book

Requested features

7 requests
  • Allow users to upload their own book PDFs
  • Implement spaced repetition learning program within books
  • Improve search and filtering options in the book store
  • Add more language support beyond English books
  • Provide better syncing of purchases across devices
Show 2 more
  • Improve text formatting and readability
  • Implement highlighting, bookmarking, and note-taking features

OpenFile Chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Learn with Forward Chess

One-time10
  • True Lies in ChessFree
  • The Power of Pawns$12.99
  • My System$13.99
Show 7 more
  • The World's Most Instructive Amateur Game Book$14.99
  • 100 Endgames You Must Know$17.99
  • Chess Tactics from Scratch$19.99
  • Pump Up Your Rating$23.99
  • Chess Structures - A Grandmaster Guide$23.99
  • The Woodpecker Method$23.99
  • Don't Study Openings w/o this Book$25.99
2 purchases

OpenFile Chess

One-time2
  • 30-Day Rental$3.99
  • Lifetime Access$9.99

Questions

Is Learn with Forward Chess free?
Learn with Forward Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OpenFile Chess free?
OpenFile Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Learn with Forward Chess or OpenFile Chess?
OpenFile Chess is rated higher. Learn with Forward Chess averages 4.8 out of 5 from 340 ratings, while OpenFile Chess averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Learn with Forward Chess or OpenFile Chess have ads?
Neither Learn with Forward Chess nor OpenFile Chess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Learn with Forward Chess or OpenFile Chess?
Learn with Forward Chess ships an update fortnightly, and OpenFile Chess every 5 weeks. Most recently, Learn with Forward Chess was updated on November 6, 2026 and OpenFile Chess on November 5, 2026.

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