Chess Duel vs Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess Duel
Engage in a classic game of chess with a friend using only a local WiFi connection. Each player views the board from their perspective on their own device. No internet or external servers are required for gameplay.
- Play chess with nearby friends
- Direct peer-to-peer WiFi connection
- Automatic WiFi connection
- Automatic game resume
- Legal move highlighting
- Customizable chess clock
- Request takebacks
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Play chess with nearby friends via local WiFi. Play with your iPhone against a friend with an iPhone. Each player is seeing the board from his point of view (white / black) on the own device. Works on iPhone, iPad and iPod. To use the app, you need two devices with iOS 9.3 or newer. There is no engine included, which means that you can not play chess vs. this app. When you start chess duel on two devices, the devices do connect automatically. If WiFi is activated and the devices are nearby or they are on the same WiFi network. You don't need an account. Connection over the internet is not possible. Features - play chess with nearby friends - direct nearby peer to peer connection via WiFi or WiFi network, no chess server involved - automatically connects via wifi - you can safely close the app during a game, chess duel automatically resumes the game when reconnected - on interruption due to a phone call or an incoming message, the game is paused on both devices and resumes when you get back to the app - shows legal moves when you tap a chess piece - does not use gamecenter - no internet connection required - time control: you can setup the chess clock arbitrary for white and black, increment is supported as well - request takebacks, the opponent can accept or decline - give opponent additional time - universal app: iPhone / iPod / iPad - best chess app for nearby connections documentation: snugdev.de/chessduel/documentation.html
Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf
This app provides personalized chess coaching with an AI companion who explains moves, identifies mistakes, and offers interactive lessons. It caters to beginners and intermediate players with a comprehensive curriculum and adaptive difficulty.
- Personalized AI coaching
- Audible explanations of moves
- Over 50 interactive lessons
- Mistake correction and analysis
- Adaptive difficulty levels
- Multiple coach personalities
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Looking to learn how to play chess? Meet Dr. Wolf, the ideal chess coach and companion. Dr. Wolf explains everything to you step-by-step, points out strategic ideas, and alerts you to your mistakes. Whether you are a chess beginner eager to learn the basics or an intermediate player looking to refine your strategy, Dr. Wolf tailors the learning experience to your individual needs, offering over 50 comprehensive chess lessons and interactive guidance at every step. **Why Choose Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf?** - **Personalized Coaching:** Experience the unique teaching method of Dr. Wolf, who not only instructs but also plays alongside you, providing insights into every move. He will introduce topics to you as you play chess, ensuring you grasp the “why” behind each move. - **Audible Coaching**: Dr. Wolf speaks out-loud. Actual audio! Experience the unique advantage of having Dr. Wolf speak to you while you look at the board, offering clear, spoken explanations for every move. - **A Comprehensive Chess Curriculum:** Engage with an extensive suite of over 50 interactive chess lessons. Starting from foundational concepts, you'll progress through to advanced strategies and tactics, all structured to enhance your understanding and performance in chess. - **Mistake Correction and Practice:** Learn from your mistakes in a constructive environment. Dr. Wolf remembers all your moves and goes over them again with you so you don’t make the same mistakes again. - **Diverse Coaching Personalities:** Choose from four distinct coach profiles, each with a unique voice, teaching style and personality. You’ll be sure to find the right chess coach for you. - **Gradual Learning of Chess Vocabulary:** Expand your vocabulary and understanding of key terms and concepts at a comfortable pace. - **Adaptive Difficulty Level:** Choose from a variety of skill levels, ensuring you're always challenged but never overwhelmed. - **Multilingual Support**: Available in English, Spanish, French, and German. **Learn the game and how to win.** "Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf" blends comprehensive lessons, personalized feedback, and interactive learning, offering a standout experience for those new to chess or aiming to enhance their skills. Whether your goal is to understand chess better, win more games, or simply enjoy this timeless strategy game more deeply, Dr. Wolf is here to guide you every step of the way. --------------------------------------------- Dr. Wolf will coach you for free for 3 games of chess so that you can appreciate his style of in-game teaching. Then, to continue learning, you can subscribe to Coaching. With Coaching, Dr. Wolf teaches while you play chess, pointing out good moves and bad — both yours and his — and the reasoning behind them. At times, he'll gently suggest you reconsider a move, or ask a question at a critical moment. Plus, you get unlimited hints, unlimited undos, and unlimited access to our Lesson Library, with over thirty lessons in Dr. Wolf's unique style. Whether or not you choose to subscribe, Dr. Wolf will always play with you. He loves chess too much to turn down a good game. ** TERMS & DETAILS ** Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged the same amount for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a Free Trial, if offered, is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Prices may vary by location. Terms of Use: https://www.learnchesswithdrwolf.com/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://www.learnchesswithdrwolf.com/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf at 4.8 against Chess Duel's 3.3. Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (27K vs 7). Chess Duel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 13.0). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Chess Duel asks for nothing beyond the download.
Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf has 27K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Chess Duel's written reviews are positive against 82% of Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf's.
Chess Duel ships an update every 5 months, Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Duel | Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (7 ratings) | 4.8 (27K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 67.6% of reviews | 81.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 27K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #115 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.3 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 101 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lothar Heinrich | Chess.com |
Customer experience
Chess Duel
Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf
Bugs and requests
Chess Duel
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf
Reported bugs
2 issues- Freezing or crashing when switching between apps
- Subscription status not syncing across devices
Requested features
5 requests- More detailed explanations for suggested moves
- Additional difficulty levels between beginner and expert
- Ability to practice specific openings
- Option to review full game history
- Accessibility features for visually impaired users
In-app purchases
Chess Duel
No in-app purchases
Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf
- Dr. Wolf Coaching - Monthly14 Days trial$5.991 Month
- Dr. Wolf Coaching - Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
- Dr. Wolf Coaching - Individual7 Days trial$5.991 Month
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- Dr. Wolf Coaching - Yearly14 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Dr. Wolf Coaching - Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Dr. Wolf Coaching - Individual14 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Dr. Wolf Coaching - Family14 Days trial$49.991 Year
- 30 Days of Coaching$4.99
Questions
Is Chess Duel free?
Is Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf free?
Which has better reviews, Chess Duel or Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf?
Do Chess Duel or Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Duel or Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf?
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