Comparison

Chess vs Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles

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

Head to head
About

Chess

Features
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Chess-3D helps add new layers of flexibility to your brain’s perceptual machinery as you exercise your mind planning strategic defenses and bold attacks into another dimension. All pieces move in the same basic formations as 2D chess, but now with the option of vertical-movement components in 3D-space. Simply select a piece with a mouse-click, select the squares distance to move it and then a 3D or 2D directional arrow to reach the square you are targeting. Invalid moves are rejected. It really is that simple. You can play against someone on one device as the boards rotate after each move, online against friends via Game Centre or against the computer AI. For visual clarity red pieces are traditional-chess white pieces and blue is black. User controls allow you to rotate and zoom to easily see piece positions. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles

Features
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You don't lose chess games because you don't know the tactics. You lose because you don't see them in time. Disco Chess trains you to see them instantly. WOODPECKER METHOD-INSPIRED TRAINING BUILT IN Named for how a woodpecker hammers the same spot until it breaks through, the method is simple and relentless: instead of solving thousands of puzzles once, you work a smaller set over and over. You stop chasing variety and drill the same patterns until they fire on sight, each pass moving them from calculated to automatic, until a knight fork or a weak back rank hands you the answer before you have finished looking. It is the method Hans Tikkanen used to earn three Grandmaster norms in seven weeks. Disco Chess runs the method for you. You solve; it handles set selection, timing, and tracking. • Fixed puzzle sets at five levels, the same set every cycle, so the repetition that makes the method work is built in • Automatic cycle tracking with per-puzzle timing and speed analytics, so you watch patterns go from slow and calculated to instant and automatic • 18 tactical themes, from forks and pins to discovered attacks and deflection, as mixed or single-theme sets • Missed tactics from your own games: link your online chess account and Disco Chess scans your games, finds the tactics you missed, and adds them to your review queue • Anki-style Mistake Review: the puzzles you get wrong return on a spaced-repetition schedule until they stick • Opening drills with video lessons to build a repertoire you actually remember • A full Stockfish analysis board to take apart any position • Daily streaks, leaderboards, and per-theme stats, with one account synced across iPhone, iPad, and the web Tailored to all levels: whether you are chasing your first 1000 rating or drilling toward master-level pattern recognition, Disco Chess turns "I should have seen that" into "I saw it instantly." Start with a free account and solve your first set today! Disco Chess Premium (optional subscription) ================================= Unlock unlimited hearts, 1000-puzzle packs, and early access to new features. - Plans: Monthly and Annual. The exact price is shown in the app before you buy. - Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. - Renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. - Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.discochess.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.discochess.com/privacy

Screenshots

Chess3 screens
Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles at 15.0 against Chess's 17.6. 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 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Chess versus Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessDisco Chess Tactics Puzzles
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB78 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGareth CostaOrdinary Ventures MB

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Chess

Subscriptions2
  • Chess-3D Premium$0.991 Month
  • Chess-3D Premium Yearly14 Days trial$4.991 Year
2 purchases

Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles free?
Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chess or Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles have ads?
Neither Chess nor Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles?
Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, and Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles every 2 weeks. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 9, 2026 and Disco Chess Tactics Puzzles on October 25, 2026.

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