Comparison

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.

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

Hardcore Blindfold Chess

Features
Read full description

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/

Screenshots

Chess Notation Trainer4 screens
Hardcore Blindfold Chess3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Chess Notation Trainer versus Hardcore Blindfold Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess Notation TrainerHardcore Blindfold Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (18 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings18 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNishat MajidClick Boreal Unipessoal LDA

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Notation Trainer

One-time1
  • Full Version$4.99
3 purchases

Hardcore Blindfold Chess

Subscriptions2
  • Hardcore Chess Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Hardcore Chess Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Hardcore Chess Pro$59.99

Questions

Is Chess Notation Trainer free?
Chess Notation Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hardcore Blindfold Chess free?
Hardcore Blindfold Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chess Notation Trainer or Hardcore Blindfold Chess have ads?
Neither Chess Notation Trainer nor Hardcore Blindfold Chess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Notation Trainer or Hardcore Blindfold Chess?
Chess Notation Trainer ships an update every 2 days, and Hardcore Blindfold Chess every 10 days. Most recently, Chess Notation Trainer was updated on October 30, 2026 and Hardcore Blindfold Chess on October 31, 2026.

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