Comparison

OpenChess vs Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx

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

Head to head
About

OpenChess

Master chess openings by playing against a specialized AI. Explore specific defenses or move sequences, and gain insights into positional advantages and piece values. Improve your game from the very first moves.

Highlights
  • Learn specific chess openings
  • Play against AI focused on opening lines
  • Analyze positional advantages
  • Evaluate piece values and mobility
  • Understand pawn structure
  • Track defended and attacked pieces
Read full description

Learn chess openings with OpenChess: An Opening Explorer. Play against the computer, or play as both sides, and be shown the lines that are within any opening that you are interested in learning. Want to learn the Sicilian Defense or the Queen’s Gambit? Choose that category and play against that a computer that only follows lines within that opening category. Wany to focus on learning all of the openings that start with a specific move, such as pawn to “e4”? This category can also be selected, and you can play against a computer that only plays lines that start with “e4”. The chess engine in this app is not Stockfish, and it does not look very far ahead. It is meant to provide a decent base evaluation and allow the majority of the reason behind the evaluation of the current position to be shown to the user. The following information can be shown to the user: • Positional advantages for each piece type (pawn, knight, bishop, rook, queen and king) • Piece value advantages for each color • Mobility scores for each piece where mobility plays a big role (bishop, rook, queen, king) • Pawn advantages and disadvantages (passed pawns, isolated pawns, backwards pawns, doubled pawns) • Total value of pieces attacked by each color as well as total value of pieces defended by each color A lot of chess games are won and lost within the opening moves, this app was designed to help players learn solid openings that either help them gain a winning advantage out of the opening, or at the very least help them not lose due to the opening moves played. Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx

Master chess openings with interactive training. This app helps you learn and retain opening theory faster by actively playing the moves, leading to real game improvement.

Highlights
  • Interactive opening training
  • Active learning for retention
  • Faster improvement
  • Real game results
  • Opening theory mastery
Features
Read full description

ChessMaxx - Master Chess Openings Through Interactive Training Transform your chess game by mastering openings the smart way. ChessMaxx uses interactive, hands-on training to help you learn and retain chess openings faster than ever before Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q-mALK_tyRK_kFq70HuLJd8Yk88tvsnTtQJw1wS0YQQ/edit?usp=sharing WHY CHESSMAXX? Most chess players struggle to remember opening theory. ChessMaxx solves this by making you play the moves, not just read them. Active learning means better retention, faster improvement, and real results in your games.

Screenshots

OpenChess4 screens
Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: OpenChess at 3 against Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx's 1. OpenChess also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. OpenChess sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for OpenChess against 5.0 for Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OpenChess ships an update fortnightly, Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
OpenChess versus Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenChessLearn Chess Openings ChessMaxx
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Number of ratings24 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid BryantIrakli Grigolia

Customer experience

OpenChess

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

OpenChess

One-time10
  • Tarrasch Defense Opening$0.99
  • Trompowsky Attack Opening$0.99
  • Scandinavian Defense Opening$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Three Knights Opening$0.99
  • Zukertort Opening$0.99
  • Van't Kruijs Opening$0.99
  • Vienna Game Opening$0.99
  • Ware Opening$0.99
  • Opening Explorer$4.99
  • OpenChess Premium$19.99
2 purchases

Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Premium$1.997 Days
  • Yearly Premium$24.991 Year

Questions

Is OpenChess free?
OpenChess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx free?
Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, OpenChess or Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx?
OpenChess and Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do OpenChess or Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx have ads?
Neither OpenChess nor Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OpenChess or Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx?
OpenChess ships an update fortnightly, and Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx every 11 days. Most recently, OpenChess was updated on October 30, 2026 and Learn Chess Openings ChessMaxx on November 5, 2026.

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