Kishmat vs Gambit/chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Kishmat
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Kishmat is a chess app for playing on the same iPhone or iPad. Play against another person locally, or switch to Solo mode and play against the built-in computer opponent. The Solo engine searches legal chess moves on the device and shows a live visual of the search while it thinks. You can choose Eco, Mid, or Max power depending on how much time you want the engine to spend per move. No accounts, no tracking, no ads, and no in-app purchases. Features: - Local two-player chess - Single-player Solo mode - Adjustable engine power - Live search visualization - Legal move highlighting - Undo, reset, and board flip - Check, checkmate, and stalemate detection - Castling, en passant, and pawn promotion
Gambit/chess
A moody, noir-styled chess game designed for quick play without account creation. Easily invite friends with a code and enjoy a streamlined experience with helpful beginner features. Practice against AI or play with others, with unlimited games available via subscription.
- Account-free play
- Private invite codes
- AI practice modes
- Legal move indicators
- Full chess rules support
- Auto-save and resume games
- Subscription for unlimited play
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a moody, noir-styled chess game built for two people who just want to play — not create accounts, remember passwords, or manage a clock. Start a game and send a short private invite code through Messages or any share sheet. Your friend taps it and you're both at the board in seconds. No email, no password, no friction. Want a handle instead? Claim a personal @handle with a live free-or-taken check as you type — still no sign-in form, ever. Beginners are genuinely welcome here. Tap any piece to see every legal move, captures marked differently, and the king glows the moment it's in check. Illegal moves are refused gently, never with a lecture. No friend online right now? Run a quick match against anyone, or practice against the app at one of three strengths that genuinely differ. Gentle wanders and leaves pieces hanging. Steady punishes obvious mistakes but misses deeper tricks. Sharp plays the strongest move it can find — and hides the legal-move dots entirely, so you read the board yourself. There are no hints anywhere in Gambit. Every game is won on your own judgment. Every rule is here: castling, en passant, promotion, check, checkmate, stalemate, repetition, and insufficient material. Follow the action in a live move list with classic notation and step-back review. Offer a draw, resign, or start a rematch with colours flipped. Left mid-game? Gambit remembers exactly where you were, even after losing signal, so you can pick the position back up whenever you're ready. Your first three games are free — no card and no sign-up. Spend them however you like, practice or against a friend. After that, Gambit Club unlocks unlimited games for $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year. A board you have already started always stays playable. Gambit Club is an auto-renewing subscription that continues until you cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ No clocks. No puzzles. No ratings. No spectators. Just an atmospheric, confident board and the people you choose to sit down at it with. Download Gambit and send your first invite code tonight.
Screenshots
Verdict
Kishmat and Gambit/chess are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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.
Kishmat ships an update every 4 days, Gambit/chess every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Kishmat | Gambit/chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Arash Parnia | heather sherry |
In-app purchases
Kishmat
No in-app purchases
Gambit/chess
No in-app purchases









