Comparison

Koch vs ChessImprover

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

Head to head
About

Koch

Features
Read full description

Koch-Chess is a feature-rich chess app built for players of all levels. Play Your Way Challenge the built-in engine at 5 difficulty levels (D8 to D20), play online against friends, or sit back and watch engine vs engine battles unfold. Learn & Improve Explore 9 chess openings with guided lessons, including the Sicilian Defense, Italian Game, King's Indian, and more. Train & Practice Sharpen your skills with dedicated practice and training modes designed to build pattern recognition and tactical awareness. Clean, Fast Interface A distraction-free board with smooth controls, multiple themes, and a layout designed for mobile play. Features Solo play vs AI engine (5 depth levels) Online multiplayer with invite links Engine vs Engine watch mode 9 opening lessons with move guides Practice and training modes Multiple board themes Geo and Animal themed piece sets

About

ChessImprover

Enhance your chess skills with a comprehensive training app. Play with an AI coach, solve thousands of puzzles, build opening repertoires, and master endgames. All features run offline on your device.

Highlights
  • AI coach with spoken commentary
  • Adjustable engine strength (500-2900 Elo)
  • Game review with plain English explanations
  • 23,000 tactical puzzles
  • Opening repertoire builder
  • Endgame drills
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

ChessImprover is a complete chess training app: play with a coach by your side, solve puzzles, build an opening repertoire, and master the endgames — powered by a strong engine that runs entirely on your device. PLAY WITH A COACH — NEW Relaxed, untimed games with a coach commenting on every move you make — in plain words, not chess notation. The coach speaks its advice out loud (you can turn the voice off), names the openings you play, and when something goes wrong it offers to take the move back and try again, with a hint if you're stuck. PLAY AT YOUR LEVEL Challenge the built-in engine anywhere from 500 to 2900 Elo. Climb the ladder of 25 rated bots, or play relaxed unrated games with no clock. Stuck? Ask for a hint. REVIEW EVERY GAME Every move explained in plain English — what worked, what didn't, and what your opponent's move set up. Inaccuracies, mistakes and blunders are flagged move by move, the summary shows the turning point and what to train next, and you can watch the whole game back as a narrated replay. See exactly where you left your opening prep, and explore alternatives on the analysis board. SOLVE 23,000 PUZZLES Tactics from real games, matched to your level. Rated mode tracks your own puzzle rating, timed mode races the clock in 3, 5, and 10-minute rushes, and custom mode lets you pick a difficulty and solve at your own pace. BUILD A REAL OPENING REPERTOIRE Answer a few questions and the wizard assembles an opening repertoire for White or Black — real lines with clear explanations, from simple beginner systems to a full club repertoire. Then drill your lines with spaced repetition so they stick. MASTER THE ENDGAMES THAT DECIDE GAMES Curated drills for the endgames every player must know: queen and rook checkmates, king-and-pawn opposition, and the Lucena and Philidor rook endings. Win the winning ones, hold the draws. LEARN FROM ZERO New to chess? A built-in guide teaches the rules from the very first move. Private by design: no account, no sign-up. Everything — the engine, the puzzles, even the coach's voice — runs offline on your device. Questions or feedback? chessimproverapp@gmail.com

Screenshots

Koch3 screens
ChessImprover4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Koch at 15.1 against ChessImprover's 17.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Koch versus ChessImprover: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKochChessImprover
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequency—Every 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB116 MB
Age rating17+4+
Developeritch kochMARTIN BERNT ANDERSSON

In-app purchases

None

Koch

No in-app purchases

None

ChessImprover

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Koch free?
Koch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ChessImprover free?
ChessImprover is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Koch or ChessImprover have ads?
Neither Koch nor ChessImprover shows ads.

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