Comparison

Blindfold Chess vs Chessnut Next

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

Head to head
About

Blindfold Chess

Master chess visualization and memory by playing games entirely in your mind. This app guides you through step-by-step training, from basic square recognition to complex positions, using voice commands and offline play.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step blindfold chess training
  • Voice-controlled move input
  • Offline gameplay
  • Visualization drills (square colors, coordinates, knight moves)
  • Play against AI with adjustable difficulty
  • Replay famous chess games
  • Blindfold chess puzzles
Features
Read full description

Play a full game of chess out loud, without ever seeing the board. DarkSquares teaches you blindfold chess step by step, so you can hold a whole position in your mind, track every piece from memory and play your moves by voice. No pieces, no problem. Whether you are a beginner who can barely picture one square or a club player looking to sharpen your calculation, this is visualization training that actually sticks. A GUIDED JOURNEY - Start at your very first square and build up to full blindfold chess - Earn Bronze, Silver and Gold as your inner board gets stronger - Clear, bite-sized steps so you are never lost VISUALIZATION DRILLS - Square colors: instantly tell light squares from dark - Coordinates and quadrants: lock the grid into memory - Knight moves: master the hardest piece to picture - Memory drills: hold entire positions in your head PLAY BLINDFOLD VS AI - Choose your difficulty: full board, faded disks, or a fully blank board - Type your moves, or speak them out loud - On-device speech recognition. Your voice stays private, always REPLAY FAMOUS GAMES - Walk through Morphy, Fischer, Kasparov and more, move by move - Rebuild the legendary games entirely in your mind BLINDFOLD PUZZLES - Follow a few moves in your head, then find the tactic - A puzzle rating that adjusts to your level FREE AND OFFLINE - Free to start, no account required - Works fully offline, so you can train anywhere Blindfold chess is the ultimate test of chess vision. Train it daily and your over-the-board calculation, memory and confidence grow with it. Train your mind to see the invisible board.

About

Chessnut Next

Enhance your chess experience by connecting a smart board to digitally record, analyze, and practice your games. Play against AI, review your moves with detailed reports, and train your skills with puzzles and human-like engines.

Highlights
  • Smart board connection
  • Play against chess engines
  • Online chess support
  • Automatic game recording
  • Local Stockfish analysis
  • Tactical training
  • Game review reports
Features
Read full description

Chessnut Next is the companion app for Chessnut smart chessboards, bringing physical chess and digital tools together in one seamless experience. Connect a compatible Chessnut board to play naturally with real pieces while the app synchronizes positions, records moves, and saves your games automatically. Whether you are playing against a computer, practicing tactics, reviewing a finished game, or playing face-to-face, Chessnut Next helps you get more from every move. Key Features • Smart Board Connection Connect a compatible Chessnut electronic chessboard and synchronize physical positions with the app in real time. • Play Against Chess Engines Challenge computer opponents with different strengths and playing styles using either a physical board or the on-screen board. • Online Chess Support Use a compatible physical board with supported online chess platforms for a more natural playing experience. • Automatic Game Recording Create and save complete PGN records, including moves, players, results, and time information. • Local Stockfish Analysis Review games with on-device Stockfish analysis to explore evaluations, recommended moves, and critical mistakes. • Maia and Personalized Practice Train against human-like chess engines designed to provide realistic play across different skill levels. • Game Review Reports Generate easy-to-understand reports that highlight strong moves, mistakes, turning points, and opportunities to improve. • Puzzles and Tactical Training Improve calculation, pattern recognition, and practical decision-making with chess puzzles and focused exercises. • Board Editor and Position Recognition Create custom positions manually or use supported image-recognition features to extract a chess position from a photo. • Voice Moves In supported game modes, speak origin and destination squares to enter moves hands-free. • Chess Clock and Over-the-Board Play Record face-to-face games and manage player time with compatible Chessnut devices. • Game Library and Sharing Browse saved games, filter records by source, refresh game data, and share games or review results. • Multiple Languages Choose from a range of interface and content languages. From your first move to detailed post-game review, Chessnut Next combines smart-board connectivity, game recording, engine analysis, and training tools in one app.

Screenshots

Blindfold Chess4 screens
Chessnut Next4 screens

Verdict

The call

Blindfold Chess and Chessnut Next both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Blindfold Chess's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chessnut Next's. Blindfold Chess also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Chessnut Next's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Blindfold Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chessnut Next asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Blindfold Chess against 5.0 for Chessnut Next. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 33 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Blindfold Chess's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chessnut Next's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blindfold Chess ships an update weekly, Chessnut Next every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Blindfold Chess versus Chessnut Next: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlindfold ChessChessnut Next
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (25 ratings)5.0 (33 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2533 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size87 MB369 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAntoine TamanoXenx Technology Limited

Customer experience

Blindfold Chess

All ratings24 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Chessnut Next

All ratings27 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Blindfold Chess

One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$44.99
None

Chessnut Next

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Blindfold Chess free?
Blindfold Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chessnut Next free?
Chessnut Next is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Blindfold Chess or Chessnut Next?
Chessnut Next is rated higher. Blindfold Chess averages 4.9 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Chessnut Next averages 5.0 from 33 ratings.
Do Blindfold Chess or Chessnut Next have ads?
Neither Blindfold Chess nor Chessnut Next shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blindfold Chess or Chessnut Next?
Blindfold Chess ships an update weekly, and Chessnut Next every 3 weeks. Most recently, Blindfold Chess was updated on November 9, 2026 and Chessnut Next on November 10, 2026.

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