Comparison

Dark Chess Pro vs iChess App

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

Head to head
About

Dark Chess Pro

Features
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Offline Banqi with 5 AI levels from Easy to Grandmaster. New Wuxia Story Mode: 23 lessons, 13 opponents, visual-novel dialogue. Review every match move by move. No coins, no gambling. —— HOW IT WORKS —— Chinese Dark Chess (Banqi) is a classic Chinese board game on a 4×8 grid: • 32 pieces start face-down — flip one to reveal it • Pieces follow a rank hierarchy: General > Advisor > Elephant > Chariot > Horse > Cannon > Soldier • Higher rank captures lower, but Soldiers can capture the General • The Cannon jumps over pieces to capture — the wildcard • Win when your opponent has no pieces or no legal moves —— NEW TO BANQI? —— ◆ Learn in One Game • Interactive tutorial — learn to flip, move, and capture • Start with the easiest AI while you learn • Post-game review marks your best moves and mistakes —— EXPERIENCED PLAYER? —— ◆ Five AI Levels That Push You • Easy → Novice → Knight → Master → Grandmaster • Stronger AI makes sharper decisions in complex positions • Precise endgame verdicts show win, draw, or loss at a glance • Move-by-move review finds what you missed ◆ Story Mode — The Veiled Path • From apprentice to grandmaster — a wuxia journey through the art of Dark Chess • 23 lessons, 13 matches, 3 endings • 13 unique opponents with visual-novel style dialogue ◆ Six Variant Rules • Chariot Charge — captures distant pieces along an open rank or file regardless of rank • Diagonal Knight — moves diagonally and captures regardless of rank • Cannon Jump toggle — standard or no-jump mode • Blind Capture — attack face-down pieces and see what happens • Chain Capture — keep capturing if your piece can strike again • Equal Exchange — same-rank pieces destroy each other • Mix and match all six for free to create fresh challenges ◆ 52 Achievements • Gameplay milestones: first win, win streaks, difficulty breakthroughs • Story achievements: chapter completions, hidden endings ◆ Polished Experience • Satisfying flip animations with haptic feedback • Sound effects and clear status cues • Detailed rules include perpetual-chase restrictions • Adaptive phone and tablet layouts • Offline, no account — just open and play ◆ Free / One-Time Pro Unlock • Free with ads • Pro: remove ads and unlock the full story, stronger AI, unlimited hints and undo, precise endgame guidance, and unrestricted review Dark Chess is also known as Banqi or Half Chess — a beloved Chinese board game where strategy, hidden information, and sharp tactics make every game unique.

About

iChess App

Read full description

Welcome to iChess, the sleek and modern way to play the world's greatest strategy game! Whether you are a chess grandmaster or just learning how to move the pawns, iChess provides a beautiful and seamless experience. PLAY ONLINE Test your skills against players from around the world in real-time matchmaking. Win games to increase your Elo rating and prove you are the best on the Global Leaderboards! PLAY WITH FRIENDS Add your friends, send them match requests, and battle it out on the board to see who the true chess master is. OFFLINE MODE No internet? No problem! Play offline local matches anytime, anywhere. CUSTOM PROFILES Create your own unique identity. Upload your own custom profile avatar, track your match history, and analyze your past games to improve your strategy. BEAUTIFUL DESIGN Enjoy a clean, ad-free, and natively designed interface that makes playing on your iPhone a breeze. Customize your board settings and enjoy buttery-smooth piece animations. Download iChess today and make your move!

Screenshots

Dark Chess Pro4 screens
iChess App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: iChess App at none against Dark Chess Pro's 2. iChess App also leads on ads (none vs shown). Dark Chess Pro's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). On price, device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Dark Chess Pro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. iChess App asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dark Chess Pro ships an update every 2 days, iChess App monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Dark Chess Pro versus iChess App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDark Chess ProiChess App
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterMonthly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size258 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReputation Software CO., LTD.Braj Lal Suthar

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Dark Chess Pro

One-time1
  • Pro Unlock2 variants$4.99
None

iChess App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dark Chess Pro free?
Dark Chess Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is iChess App free?
iChess App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Dark Chess Pro or iChess App have ads?
Dark Chess Pro shows ads; iChess App does not.
Which is updated more often, Dark Chess Pro or iChess App?
Dark Chess Pro ships an update every 2 days, and iChess App monthly. Most recently, Dark Chess Pro was updated on October 31, 2026 and iChess App on November 5, 2026.

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