Chess Notation Trainer vs Hardcore Blindfold Chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Hardcore Blindfold Chess
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Blindfold Chess hides the board and asks you to keep the position in your head. Tap the empty board, type your move or just say it, and hear the computer's reply read out loud. PLAY YOUR WAY • Three modes: Peek (hold the board for a moment, every peek counted), Hidden (no board, the move list helps) and Pure (no board, no move list). • Five opponents from Casual to Master, with a time limit and openings to start from if you want them. • Hands-free: it listens again by itself after each reply. Say "repeat", "take back" or "where is my knight?" • Takebacks, illegal moves and board questions are counted next to peeks, so a clean win means a clean win. TRAIN YOUR VISUALISATION • Blindfold puzzles: mate in 1, 2 or 3, plus a new puzzle every day. • Square colours, knight and bishop routes, and remember-the-position drills. • Famous games played move by move, with no board, and questions along the way. SEE YOURSELF IMPROVE • A blindfold rating, badges and a daily streak. • Step through any finished game and see the moments you lost track. • Open a game in Lichess for engine analysis, or export every game as PGN. • Share a picture of your result. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, no ads, no tracking. Your games stay on your device. Voice input uses your phone's built-in speech recognition. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
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Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess Notation Trainer at every 2 days against Hardcore Blindfold Chess's every 10 days. Hardcore Blindfold Chess's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.6). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Chess Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Hardcore Blindfold Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Chess Notation Trainer ships an update every 2 days, Hardcore Blindfold Chess every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Notation Trainer | Hardcore Blindfold Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (18 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 18 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nishat Majid | Click Boreal Unipessoal LDA |
In-app purchases
Chess Notation Trainer
- Full Version$4.99
Hardcore Blindfold Chess
- Hardcore Chess Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- Hardcore Chess Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Hardcore Chess Pro$59.99
Questions
Is Chess Notation Trainer free?
Is Hardcore Blindfold Chess free?
Do Chess Notation Trainer or Hardcore Blindfold Chess have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Notation Trainer or Hardcore Blindfold Chess?
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