Comparison

Dr. Chess vs Chess Deluxe

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

Head to head
About

Dr. Chess

Engage in real-time online chess matches with players globally. Learn the rules and strategies of this classic two-player board game, aiming to checkmate your opponent's king. Compete in a world of millions of chess enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Real-time online multiplayer chess
  • Global player matchmaking
  • Learn chess rules and strategy
  • Classic board game experience
  • Compete worldwide
Features
Read full description

Dr. Chess You can enjoy real-time online Chess all over the world. Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a chessboard, a checkered gameboard with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide in homes, parks, clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments. Each player begins the game with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Each of the six piece types moves differently. Pieces are used to attack and capture the opponent's pieces, with the objective to 'checkmate' the opponent's king by placing it under an inescapable threat of capture. In addition to checkmate, the game can be won by the voluntary resignation of the opponent, which typically occurs when too much material is lost, or if checkmate appears unavoidable. SUD Inc.

About

Chess Deluxe

Engage in classic chess matches against AI opponents across four difficulty levels, a local friend, or players worldwide. Beginners benefit from highlighted legal moves for each piece.

Highlights
  • Play against computer AI
  • Local multiplayer mode
  • Online multiplayer mode
  • Four AI difficulty levels
  • Highlight possible moves
Features
Read full description

Play chess against the computer, a friend on the same device, or someone over the internet. When playing against the computer, you can choose between four different difficulties. This game uses the international rules. To help beginners, when a piece is selected the possible moves are highlighted.

Screenshots

Dr. Chess2 screens
Chess Deluxe2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Dr. Chess at every 3 weeks against Chess Deluxe's every 7 months. Dr. Chess also leads on ratings volume (293 vs 6) and review sentiment (43% vs 32%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for Dr. Chess against 4.0 for Chess Deluxe. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dr. Chess has 293 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 43% of Dr. Chess's written reviews are positive against 32% of Chess Deluxe's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dr. Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, Chess Deluxe every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Dr. Chess versus Chess Deluxe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDr. ChessChess Deluxe
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (293 ratings) — better4.0 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews — better32.3% of reviews
Number of ratings293 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 7 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB115 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSUD Inc.MOBILEFUSION APPS LTD

Customer experience

Dr. Chess

All ratings293 ratings
Positive76.5%
Neutral7.2%
Negative16.4%
Written reviews126 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%

Chess Deluxe

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews65 reviews
Positive32.3%
Neutral13.8%
Negative53.8%

Bugs and requests

Dr. Chess

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Disconnection message appears when winning (suspected cheat exploit)
  • Ads get stuck and require phone restart
  • Sound intermittently cuts in and out
  • Game shows loss when app is closed mid-game
  • Screen timeout causes automatic forfeit
Show 9 more
  • Pieces won't move in certain situations
  • Castling rules not working properly
  • Online matching fails on some devices (iPhone compatibility)
  • Game glitches showing false checkmate
  • N/A error preventing online access
  • Username cannot be changed after signup
  • Game promotion screen error after 40+ moves
  • Volume settings don't mute ads
  • Piece selection sometimes blocked incorrectly

Requested features

12 requests
  • Friend list and ability to play with friends
  • In-app chat functionality
  • Account linking (Google, Facebook, etc.)
  • Game export for analysis
  • Tournament mode
Show 7 more
  • Customizable game time settings
  • Undo/rewind move feature
  • Multiple login methods
  • Player profile viewing
  • Ability to report cheaters
  • Offline play with friend on same device
  • Improved tutorial/instructions

Chess Deluxe

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Dr. Chess

No in-app purchases

None

Chess Deluxe

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dr. Chess free?
Dr. Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess Deluxe free?
Chess Deluxe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dr. Chess or Chess Deluxe?
Dr. Chess is rated higher. Dr. Chess averages 4.1 out of 5 from 293 ratings, while Chess Deluxe averages 4.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Dr. Chess or Chess Deluxe have ads?
Both Dr. Chess and Chess Deluxe show ads.
Which is updated more often, Dr. Chess or Chess Deluxe?
Dr. Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chess Deluxe every 7 months. Most recently, Dr. Chess was updated on October 29, 2026 and Chess Deluxe on October 21, 2026.

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