Chess Combinations vs PGN Trainer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess Combinations
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The application offers solving chess problems, divided into sections by openings and their variations or types of tactical techniques. The goal of each task is to find a combination to mate the king, achieve an advantage, and win pieces. In most sections of the application, after solving each problem, you can see the entire chess game from which the position was obtained.
PGN Trainer
Master chess openings with a personalized repertoire builder. Import PGNs, download studies, and train using spaced repetition and engine analysis. Syncs across devices.
- Build custom chess opening repertoires
- Import PGN files and download studies
- Search openings by move sequence or ECO
- Train with spaced repetition
- Analyze games with engine integration
- Sync library across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
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As an adult improver who reached a 2100+ rating in my 50s, I founded PGN Trainer to solve my own problem: I needed a better way to truly master my openings without relying on expensive, proprietary courses. By building and training my custom repertoire with these exact tools, I shattered my plateau and raised my rating by over 300 points. Whether you are a young club player crafting your first set of openings or a veteran organizing deep theoretical preparation, this is the all-in-one tool designed to help you do the exact same thing. BUILD & ORGANIZE YOUR LIBRARY • Create Your Way: Import your own PGN files, analyze and build a repertoire from the ground up, or download from our rich built-in library of effective, popular openings. • Tailored to You: Find downloadable studies that perfectly match your playing level (Intermediate, Advanced, or Master) and your personal style (whether you prefer Dominating attacks or Solid/Defensive setups). • Total Control: Reorganize your library effortlessly. Separate files, merge repertoires together, or edit and expand your lines directly using deep engine analysis. ADVANCED SEARCH & DISCOVERY • Find Any Line: Search your entire library by specific move sequences, official ECO names (e.g., "Sicilian"), or ECO numbers (e.g., "B90"). • Spotty Search: Use wildcard "spotty" moves to skip moves in your search and easily find transpositions. • Position Matching: Instantly search your custom repertoire for matching positions while you are analyzing your actual, real-world games. STUDY, TRAIN, AND ANALYZE • Three Seamless Modes: Effortlessly surf between Studying the theory, Training your memory, and Analyzing with the engine—all in one fluid experience to enhance your learning. • Spaced Repetition: Train your customized lines using smart spaced repetitions, ensuring you focus your time exactly on the variations you struggle to remember. • Active Learning: Play your prepared responses directly against the engine so you are fully prepared when you sit down at the board. GENEROUS FREE TIER & CLOUD SYNC • Truly Free for Most Players: Enjoy access to intermediate libraries, full study modes, and active training completely for free. We only require a premium upgrade for massive, master-level studies containing more than 2,000 total moves. • iCloud Sync: Your complete opening library syncs automatically across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Build a study on your Mac, and train it on your iPhone during your commute! Stop renting your chess knowledge. Build your ultimate repertoire, train your exact lines, and step up to the board with total confidence. Download PGN Trainer today! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://chesspgntrainer.smartworldinnovations.com/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: PGN Trainer at every 4 days against Chess Combinations's every 2 weeks. Chess Combinations's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). 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 Combinations sells 23 one-off in-app purchases and PGN Trainer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Chess Combinations ships an update every 2 weeks, PGN Trainer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Combinations | PGN Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 121 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Maksim Kolosov | Smart World Innovations LLC |
In-app purchases
Chess Combinations
- Knight forks$1.99
- Sacrifice on e6$3.99
- Scandinavian Defense (white)$4.99
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- Italian Opening, black pieces$4.99
- Queen Sacrifice$4.99
- Caro-Kann (white pieces)$4.99
- Sicilian Defense (Dragon)$5.99
- Sicilian Defense (Najdorf)$5.99
- Italian Opening, white pieces$5.99
- Scandinavian Defense$5.99
- Classic Caro-Kann$5.99
- Sicilian Defense (Paulsen)$5.99
- Sicilian Defense, white pieces$5.99
- Scottish Gambit$5.99
- Budapest Gambit$6.99
- Grob's Attack$6.99
- Slav Defense$6.99
- Ruy Lopez Opening$6.99
- London System$6.99
- King's Indian defense$6.99
- Queen's Gambit, black pieces$6.99
- Catalan Opening$7.99
- King's Gambit$8.99
PGN Trainer
- QueenBeak$7.991 Year
- KnightBeak$5.99
- KingBeak$19.99
Questions
Is Chess Combinations free?
Is PGN Trainer free?
Do Chess Combinations or PGN Trainer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Combinations or PGN Trainer?
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