Comparison

FirstMoves vs Chess Opening Trainer & Drills

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

Head to head
About

FirstMoves

Features
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============================== Master chess openings and take your game to the next level with FirstMoves — the interactive chess opening trainer designed for players of all skill levels. LEARN OPENINGS THE RIGHT WAY Stop memorizing moves you don't understand. FirstMoves teaches you the "why" behind every move with clear explanations that help you remember and apply what you learn in real games. FEATURES • 50+ Chess Openings — From beginner-friendly openings like the Italian Game and London System to advanced lines like the Sicilian Najdorf and King's Indian Defense. • Interactive Lessons — Step through each opening move-by-move on a beautiful, responsive chessboard. See the position develop as you learn. • Move Explanations — Understand the purpose of every move. Learn the ideas, plans, and tactics behind each opening. • Progress Tracking — Track which openings you've studied and your mastery level. Pick up right where you left off. • Offline Mode (Premium) — Download openings and study anywhere, even without an internet connection. • Difficulty Levels — Openings are categorized as Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced so you can find the right challenge. OPENINGS INCLUDED White Openings: • Italian Game & Giuoco Piano • Ruy Lopez (Spanish Opening) • Queen's Gambit • London System • King's Indian Attack • English Opening • And many more... Black Defenses: • Sicilian Defense (multiple variations) • French Defense • Caro-Kann Defense • King's Indian Defense • Nimzo-Indian Defense • Dutch Defense • And many more... PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION Upgrade to Premium for unlimited access: • Unlimited study sessions (no daily limits) • Access to all 50+ openings • Offline mode — learn anywhere • Detailed analytics and progress tracking • Full move explanations for every line SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS • Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Manage and cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings Whether you're preparing for your first tournament or looking to expand your repertoire, FirstMoves helps you build a solid opening foundation. Download now and make your first moves count.

About

Chess Opening Trainer & Drills

Features
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You know how the pieces move. You still get lost by move six. ChessOpen is the fast way to fix that: the main lines and ideas of the classic chess openings, cut down to what you can actually memorize. This is not a course platform and not a chess engine. It is a pocket file of 20 classic openings — Ruy Lopez, Sicilian Najdorf, Queen's Gambit, London System, King's Indian and more — each with its engine-verified main line on a replayable board, one paragraph on what the moves do, and one on the plan that usually follows. Five focused minutes at a time, entirely offline. WHAT YOU GET • Play through the Ruy Lopez, Sicilian Najdorf, Queen's Gambit and 17 more main lines move by move on a full board • Know WHY each move is played — every opening carries the idea behind the line and the typical middlegame plan • Quiz yourself on the next book move — every wrong option is a legal move in that exact position, so lucky guessing never works • Watch your recall climb: questions answered and percent correct, tracked right in the app • Find any line in seconds — search by opening name, ECO code or the moves themselves • Study on the train, on a plane, anywhere — the whole library works offline, no account, no sign-up PERFECT FOR • Club and online players who know the rules but drift out of book by move six • Beginners picking a first opening for White and a first defense for Black • Returning players who once knew their lines and want them back • Anyone who prefers ten focused minutes to an hour of video lessons WHY NOT JUST A COURSE PLATFORM? Course platforms are built for people with hours to spend and a syllabus to follow. ChessOpen is the pocket version: the openings that actually appear in your games, each reduced to the line, the idea and the plan — a library small enough to finish. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Everything runs on your iPhone. No account, no tracking, no data leaves the device. Your saved openings and quiz record stay yours. FULL ACCESS ChessOpen Pro unlocks the complete index: all 20 opening files with their full lines, board replay, ideas, plans and quizzes. Choose a Weekly or Yearly auto-renewing subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase. Download ChessOpen, open the Ruy Lopez file and step through the first eight moves — tonight's games will feel different. Terms of Use: https://leanstudio.asia/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://leanstudio.asia/privacy-policy Support: support@leanstudio.asia

Screenshots

FirstMoves4 screens
Chess Opening Trainer & Drills4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: FirstMoves at 3 against Chess Opening Trainer & Drills's 1. FirstMoves also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. FirstMoves sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Chess Opening Trainer & Drills sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 3 level
FirstMoves versus Chess Opening Trainer & Drills: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirstMovesChess Opening Trainer & Drills
PriceFreeFree
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJEFFREY ROBERT SANCHEZLEAN ASIA CO., LTD

In-app purchases

2 purchases

FirstMoves

Subscriptions2
  • FirstMoves Premium Monthly$4.991 Month
  • FirstMoves Premium Yearly$29.991 Year
3 purchases

Chess Opening Trainer & Drills

Subscriptions2
  • Theory Quiz Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Flashcards Yearly$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Repertoire Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is FirstMoves free?
FirstMoves is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Opening Trainer & Drills free?
Chess Opening Trainer & Drills is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FirstMoves or Chess Opening Trainer & Drills have ads?
Neither FirstMoves nor Chess Opening Trainer & Drills shows ads.

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