ScrollChess vs Gambit/chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ScrollChess
Read full descriptionHide full description
Chess on Apple Watch you cannot mis-tap. A chess square on a watch is about half the size Apple's own guidelines set as the minimum for anything you tap. So ScrollChess does not ask you to tap one. The Digital Crown moves a crosshair from one legal option to the next, and a tap — anywhere on the screen — confirms it. Nothing on the board is a touch target, so there is nothing to miss. ON YOUR WRIST • Play a full game against a chess engine written for this app, at four levels — from beginner to a strong club player • A daily puzzle that takes about twenty seconds, with a streak. 1,048 of them are in the app, which is a new one every day for nearly three years • Add a complication and today's puzzle is one tap from the watch face • It all runs on the watch alone — no phone nearby, no signal, no account ON YOUR IPHONE • The same engine and the same daily puzzle, with direct taps on a larger board • Take a move back, replay it, and step through the game move by move • Pass and play: hand the phone to someone else and the board turns itself around between moves AN OPPONENT THAT PLAYS LIKE A PERSON The four levels are not one engine with the brakes on. A weaker level chooses among moves the search already approved, so it plays inaccurately rather than absurdly — it will punish a blunder but it will not hand you a queen for nothing. It also takes a moment to answer, because an opponent that replies instantly to a move you thought about is not an opponent, it is a machine. BUILT FOR THE WATCH FIRST Every number in this app came off a wrist rather than a monitor. The board fills the screen, the haptics are tuned so one pulse means one step of the crosshair, and the puzzles were filtered for lines short enough to solve while your arm is up. ACCESSIBILITY The board is fully navigable with VoiceOver on both platforms: every square announces where it is, what stands on it and what is happening to it, and can be played directly. NO ACCOUNTS, NO ADS, NO TRACKING There is nothing to sign into and nothing to switch off. The engine, the puzzles and your games live on your device. No analytics, no advertising, no data leaves the app — it works the same in Airplane Mode. WHAT IT DOES NOT DO There is no online play and no matchmaking with strangers. This is a game against the engine, a daily puzzle, and a board you can hand to the person next to you. The watch and the phone each keep their own games and their own streak — nothing syncs between them yet. One purchase. No subscription, no in-app purchases. Questions: hey@scrollchess.com
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
Read full descriptionHide full description
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
The clearest difference is price: Gambit/chess at Free against ScrollChess's $6.99. On ads, in-app purchases, 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
Gambit/chess is free to download; ScrollChess costs $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | ScrollChess | Gambit/chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | — | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | ANDRII BONDAR | heather sherry |
In-app purchases
ScrollChess
No in-app purchases
Gambit/chess
No in-app purchases









