Chess by Staple Games vs Border Chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess by Staple Games
Experience classic chess with a beautifully crafted app designed for all Apple devices. Enjoy solo practice against AI, local multiplayer, or online matches. Features include all official rules, accessibility options, and progress tracking.
- AI challenges with 6 difficulty levels
- Pass & Play for local face-to-face games
- Online multiplayer via Game Center
- Local wireless play over Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
- Full implementation of all chess rules
- Cross-device compatibility (iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.)
- Accessibility features (VoiceOver, high contrast)
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Chess. Nothing more. Nothing less. We built the chess app we always wanted—one that respects the game and respects your time. No subscriptions. No ads interrupting your concentration. No bloated features you'll never use. Just chess, beautifully crafted for every Apple device you own. PLAY YOUR WAY • Solo Practice — Challenge our AI across 6 difficulty levels, from casual beginner to near-unbeatable expert. • Pass & Play — Hand your device to a friend and play face to face. • Online Multiplayer — Connect through Game Center to challenge friends or get matched with players worldwide. • Local Wireless — Play with someone nearby over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. No internet required. REAL CHESS. ALL THE RULES. Every rule, implemented correctly: • Castling (kingside and queenside) • En passant captures • Pawn promotion to any piece • Check, checkmate, and stalemate • Threefold repetition draws • Fifty-move rule ONE APP. EVERY APPLE DEVICE. iPhone. iPad. Mac. Apple TV. Apple Watch. Vision Pro. DESIGNED FOR EVERYONE • Full VoiceOver support with voice-guided gameplay • High contrast and colorblind modes • Large text and zoomed display options • 5 beautiful board themes • Dark mode TRACK YOUR JOURNEY • Climb through 10 ranks from Beginner to Mythic • Track your win streaks and daily play habits • Game Center achievements and leaderboards THE STAPLE GAMES PROMISE We make games the way they should be made. Simple interfaces. Thoughtful design. No dark patterns. Just quality software you can rely on. Download Chess by Staple Games. Play a match. That's it.
Border Chess
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Border Chess is chess with room to breathe. The board is 10×10: standard FIDE chess on the inner 8×8, plus one empty square on every side. Kings, queens, and edge pawns can use the border for extra maneuvering — same rules you know, with new tactical possibilities. PLAY VS BOT Challenge Fairy-Stockfish, tuned for the border board. Choose your difficulty and improve your game against a strong computer opponent. PLAY WITH FRIEND Pass-and-play on one iPhone. The board automatically flips each turn so both players see the game from their side. BUILT FOR CHESS PLAYERS • Standard rules: castling, en passant, promotion, check, checkmate, stalemate, 50-move rule • Legal move hints, last-move highlight, and check highlight • Clean, modern board inspired by chess.com • Portrait mode, optimized for iPhone NO ONLINE MULTIPLAYER (YET) v1 is offline on your device — bot mode and local two-player only. No account required. OPEN SOURCE Border Chess is free software under the GNU GPL v3. Source code and license: https://github.com/sahasrarjn/chess-app The bot engine uses Fairy-Stockfish (GPL v3). Chess piece artwork from the Lichess Maestro set. Play in your browser too: https://borderchess.org
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Border Chess at every 2 days against Chess by Staple Games's every 5 months. Chess by Staple Games's advantage is device support (6 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Chess by Staple Games ships an update every 5 months, Border Chess every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess by Staple Games | Border Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (6 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Staple Games | Sahasra Ranjan |
In-app purchases
Chess by Staple Games
No in-app purchases
Border Chess
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chess by Staple Games free?
Is Border Chess free?
Do Chess by Staple Games or Border Chess have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess by Staple Games or Border Chess?
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