Chess Studio Lite vs ChessRiddle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess Studio Lite
Manage and analyze chess games and databases in PGN format. Study openings, practice against engines, and solve puzzles with advanced analysis tools. Supports multiple devices and cloud storage integration.
- PGN database management
- Game analysis with Stockfish 18
- Opening book creation and import
- Diagram recognition
- Cloud storage integration
- Play against engine (standard & Chess 960)
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Chess Studio is the first and only application for iPhone and iPad able to completely manage chess database and games in PGN format. Chess Studio is an application designed and built for those players who really want to deepen their knowledge in the field of chess, studying chess regularly and participate in tournaments. Chess Studio allows you to: • Read database and games in PGN format (also with extended notation of moves). • Create, delete and modify folders and databases. • View games with annotations and textual comments and keep track of the displayed games. • Use a double chessboard on the same screen for better game analysis. • Visualize moves and variants in compact mode or indented mode. • Modify existing games with move annotation and textual comments. • Insert new games and positions. • Insert moves with annotations and textual comments. • Insert variation, subvariations etc. • Insert and visualize graphical annotation (colored arrows and highlighted squares). • Share Databases and Games through Airdrop. • Download chess database from internet. • Download chess database from PGN Mentor site. • Import games, database and Opening Books from other applications. • Merge two or more databases. • Copy/Paste games and positions. • Analyze games with Stockfish 19 Engine with the support of the Neural Networks (up to 5 lines of analysis simultaneously) and see the results also through the Engine Evaluation Bar. • See graphic visualization of moves suggested by Stockfish 19 engine. • See Win-Draw-Loss (WDL) probabilities during engine analysis. • Replay games automatically. • Visualize Pawn structure. • Manage Variations and sub-variatons: delete and promote variations. • Read the weekly Magazine The Week In Chess and download the games. • Uploading and Downloading PGN database to/from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive. • Three different modes for moving pieces. • Analyse endgames with Endgame Tablebases. • Analyse and study Chess Openings. • Creation and management of Opening Books in Polyglot format. • Import and management of ChessBase Opening Books (ctg, cto, ctb format). • Automatically classify a database according to ECO code. • Replay, enter and analyze Chess 960 games (Fischer Random Chess). • Play against the engine both in standard mode and in Chess 960 mode. • Solving Puzzles. • Diagram Recognition: this feature allows the user to take and/or upload photos of chess diagrams and convert them into PGN format positions. Other features and technical details: • Modify the board size tapping on the board or through the Settings menu. • Professional chess fonts and figurines for moves notation and annotation. • Preview of the game in the board tapping the Info button. • Advanced search feature. • Visualization of ECO code and Opening during game replay or game insertion. • Visualization of Book Openings during game replay or game insertion. • Complete management of Null Moves with Tutorial. • Portrait/Landscape mode for all devices. • Support of Slide Over and Split View mode. • Function to move up within variants and subvariants. • Online manual frequently updated. • iOS 26 compatible and optimized for all the devices. • Sharing of databases across devices via iCloud Drive. • Sound option. • Support for iPad Pro Keyboard or bluetooth keyboard. • VoiceOver/Accessibility support. • Direct contact via email with the developer. • Languages: English, Italian, Spanish and German. Complete description at the following address: https://chessstudio.wordpress.com/chess-studio/ The application is continuously updated with new features and improvements. Chess Studio Lite is a smaller version of Chess Studio where some features are limited. To view the terms of service visit https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ No registration! No advertising! No sharing of personal data! If you own an iMac or a MacBook try the new Chess Lab!
ChessRiddle
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ChessRiddle is not your average tactics trainer. Instead of guessing single moves, you train real calculation – as close to a real game as possible. WHAT MAKES CHESSRIDDLE DIFFERENT • The board stays static: you calculate the whole line in your head instead of trying moves on the board. • You enter the complete variation tree to prove you calculated the entire line – no move-guessing. • Mixed Mode: tactics and positional play combined, just like a real game – you first decide whether the position is tactical or positional. • Every solution is validated server-side with Stockfish. That sets ChessRiddle apart from the hundreds of pure tactics trainers where a well-guessed first move is enough. SIX TRAINING MODES • Tactics – Find classic combinations and tactical motifs • Mixed – Tactics and positional play in one mode: assess first, then solve – just like at the board • Pieceless – Solve puzzles without visible pieces and train your board vision • Visualization – Calculate announced moves (pre-moves), then solve the position • Opening Blunder – Spot and punish typical opening mistakes • Position Evaluation – Estimate who stands better TRAINING PLANS Structured training sessions of warm-up, main part and cool-down – automatically assembled by duration and focus. COLLECTIONS Build puzzle collections and edit them in bulk – for your own training or for students. TRAIN TOGETHER In a shared session a trainer and a student work through the same positions. DUELS Challenge a friend to the same puzzles at your own pace. The more accurate player wins, not the faster one. Full history and a faster way to create a duel. NOTIFICATIONS Get notified about duels, friend requests and shared sessions. COORDINATES TRAINING Sharpen your board vision: find and name squares – timed or as a streak. PERSONAL RATING Track your progress with an individual rating system. Every mode has its own rating, so you can target your weaknesses. DETAILED STATISTICS Analyze your performance with in-depth statistics and follow your development over time. LEADERBOARD Measure yourself against other players and climb the rankings. STREAK MODE Solve as many puzzles in a row as you can without a mistake and keep your streak alive. FRIENDS Connect with friends and compare your stats. ENGINE ANALYSIS Analyze positions with the built-in Stockfish engine. HISTORY Revisit solved and missed puzzles to learn from your mistakes. With Practice Mistakes you replay exactly the positions you got wrong. ChessRiddle is the ideal app for chess players who take their training seriously and want to improve in a game-like way – from beginner to advanced. Train like you play. Prove your calculation.
Screenshots
Verdict
Chess Studio Lite and ChessRiddle 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.
Chess Studio Lite ships an update every 2 weeks, ChessRiddle every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Studio Lite | ChessRiddle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (11 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 63.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 11 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 237 MB | 64 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Giordano Vicoli | Felix Andreas Beck |
In-app purchases
Chess Studio Lite
No in-app purchases
ChessRiddle
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chess Studio Lite free?
Is ChessRiddle free?
Do Chess Studio Lite or ChessRiddle have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Studio Lite or ChessRiddle?
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