Comparison

Chess Notation Trainer vs Chessnut Next

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

Head to head
About

Chess Notation Trainer

Master chess squares and notation with this training app. Improve your ability to identify coordinates, translate moves, and visualize the board, even without one. Ideal for serious players looking to enhance calculation speed and chess understanding.

Highlights
  • Identify squares by coordinate
  • Translate move sequences to notation
  • Determine square color instantly
  • Stay oriented on the board
  • Follow chess tutorials without a board
  • Speed up calculation
  • Practice blind chess
Features
Read full description

Serious about chess? But struggling to identify the squares, remembering sequences and follow chess notations? Well, you just landed on the perfect app! This training app is designed to dramatically uplift your mastery over chess squares. There are 5 training sessions. A small dose of regular practice will make you: 1. Spot a square as soon as you hear or see its coordinate 2. Translate a sequence of moves into their notation at ease 3. Immediately identify the color of a square 4. Stay oriented regardless of you facing white or black 5. Follow along with chess tutorials, books or any discussion without a board 6. Massively speedup your thought process on any calculation 7. Finally, start playing blind chess! Don't be surprised if you see a sudden surge of rating simply increasing your strength on square reading. The free version is already good enough to cause a major spike in your chess career. However, a one time purchase will unlock the full version which includes: - Extended time controls - Untimed practice mode - Milestones and achievements - Board assistance during training - And a complete visualization of your records There will be no ads, neither in the full version nor in the free one. Just a beautiful and satisfyingly addictive way to your square mastery. Caution: If you are rated below 1500, this app is probably not gonna be as useful for you, and tactics training is something you should prioritize.

About

Chessnut Next

Enhance your chess experience by connecting a smart board to digitally record moves, play against AI, and analyze games. Offers tactical training, custom position creation, and voice input for hands-free play. Review your games with detailed reports and share your progress.

Highlights
  • Smart board connection
  • Play against chess engines
  • Automatic game recording
  • On-device Stockfish analysis
  • Tactical training and puzzles
  • Board editor and position recognition
  • Voice move input
Features
Read full description

Chessnut Next is the companion app for Chessnut smart chessboards, bringing physical chess and digital tools together in one seamless experience. Connect a compatible Chessnut board to play naturally with real pieces while the app synchronizes positions, records moves, and saves your games automatically. Whether you are playing against a computer, practicing tactics, reviewing a finished game, or playing face-to-face, Chessnut Next helps you get more from every move. Key Features • Smart Board Connection Connect a compatible Chessnut electronic chessboard and synchronize physical positions with the app in real time. • Play Against Chess Engines Challenge computer opponents with different strengths and playing styles using either a physical board or the on-screen board. • Online Chess Support Use a compatible physical board with supported online chess platforms for a more natural playing experience. • Automatic Game Recording Create and save complete PGN records, including moves, players, results, and time information. • Local Stockfish Analysis Review games with on-device Stockfish analysis to explore evaluations, recommended moves, and critical mistakes. • Maia and Personalized Practice Train against human-like chess engines designed to provide realistic play across different skill levels. • Game Review Reports Generate easy-to-understand reports that highlight strong moves, mistakes, turning points, and opportunities to improve. • Puzzles and Tactical Training Improve calculation, pattern recognition, and practical decision-making with chess puzzles and focused exercises. • Board Editor and Position Recognition Create custom positions manually or use supported image-recognition features to extract a chess position from a photo. • Voice Moves In supported game modes, speak origin and destination squares to enter moves hands-free. • Chess Clock and Over-the-Board Play Record face-to-face games and manage player time with compatible Chessnut devices. • Game Library and Sharing Browse saved games, filter records by source, refresh game data, and share games or review results. • Multiple Languages Choose from a range of interface and content languages. From your first move to detailed post-game review, Chessnut Next combines smart-board connectivity, game recording, engine analysis, and training tools in one app.

Screenshots

Chess Notation Trainer4 screens
Chessnut Next4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess Notation Trainer at 100% against Chessnut Next's 0%. Chess Notation Trainer also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). Chessnut Next's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ratings volume, ads 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 Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chessnut Next asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chessnut Next holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 24 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Chess Notation Trainer's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chessnut Next's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Notation Trainer ships an update every 2 days, Chessnut Next monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Chess Notation Trainer versus Chessnut Next: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess Notation TrainerChessnut Next
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (18 ratings)5.0 (24 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1824 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.616.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB369 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNishat MajidXenx Technology Limited

Customer experience

Chess Notation Trainer

All ratings18 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Chessnut Next

All ratings24 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Notation Trainer

One-time1
  • Full Version$4.99
None

Chessnut Next

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess Notation Trainer free?
Chess Notation Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chessnut Next free?
Chessnut Next is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess Notation Trainer or Chessnut Next?
Chessnut Next is rated higher. Chess Notation Trainer averages 4.4 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Chessnut Next averages 5.0 from 24 ratings.
Do Chess Notation Trainer or Chessnut Next have ads?
Neither Chess Notation Trainer nor Chessnut Next shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Notation Trainer or Chessnut Next?
Chess Notation Trainer ships an update every 2 days, and Chessnut Next monthly. Most recently, Chess Notation Trainer was updated on October 14, 2026 and Chessnut Next on October 21, 2026.

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