Comparison

Chess Notation Trainer vs CH3TRIS

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

CH3TRIS

Features
Read full description

CH3TRIS (pronounced che-tris) is the most addictive challenge on a 3×3 chessboard: rearrange the pieces below on your board into the layout and number of moves indicated above to make CH3TRIS. HOW TO PLAY • At the top you see the target layout and the number of moves. • Below, your 3×3 board with the pieces. • Move the pieces following chess rules until you recreate the indicated layout within that number of moves. If you do… you've made CH3TRIS! IMPROVE YOUR CHESS • Train board vision, calculation and piece coordination in quick, seconds-long puzzles. • Perfect for every level: all you need to know is how the pieces move. THE DAILY CHALLENGE (#dailych3tris) • A new puzzle every day, the same for everyone, always free. • 60 seconds to solve it. Share your result and compete with your friends. FEATURES • No accounts: just play. • Works offline too. • Available in English and Spanish (switch language in the menu). • Elegant design inspired by classic chessboards. FULL VERSION You get 3 free games every day (the Daily Challenge doesn't count — it's always free). A single one-time purchase unlocks unlimited games forever. No subscriptions: pay once, it's yours. Terms: https://ch3tris.com/terms.html Privacy: https://ch3tris.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

Chess Notation Trainer4 screens
CH3TRIS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: CH3TRIS at 15.0 against Chess Notation Trainer's 18.6. On price, update cadence, 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. Chess Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and CH3TRIS sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Notation Trainer ships an update every 2 days, CH3TRIS every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Chess Notation Trainer versus CH3TRIS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess Notation TrainerCH3TRIS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (18 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings18 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNishat MajidRamon Buzon

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Notation Trainer

One-time1
  • Full Version$4.99
1 purchases

CH3TRIS

One-time1
  • Full Version$3.00

Questions

Is Chess Notation Trainer free?
Chess Notation Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CH3TRIS free?
CH3TRIS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chess Notation Trainer or CH3TRIS have ads?
Neither Chess Notation Trainer nor CH3TRIS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Notation Trainer or CH3TRIS?
Chess Notation Trainer ships an update every 2 days, and CH3TRIS every 3 days. Most recently, Chess Notation Trainer was updated on November 8, 2026 and CH3TRIS on October 31, 2026.

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