Best Forward Chess Apps & Games

215+ iOS apps & games curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
17 free apps & games
Updated June 2026

Out of 215+ forward chess apps on iOS, 17 are free and the rest sit in the paid tier. This page sorts them so you can compare both sides before you commit.

Top Picks for Forward Chess

Learn with Forward Chess#1

Learn with Forward Chess by Forward Chess, LLC

Chess Books & Tactics Training
Editor's Choice
๐Ÿ“š Books
4.8๐Ÿ˜Š(329 ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Learn with Forward Chess screenshot 1
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This app is an interactive reader for chess books, allowing users to play through chess lines directly within the book. It offers a vast in-app store with over 100 chess eBooks and a growing collection of opening theory periodicals via subscription.

What We Love

  • ๐Ÿ‘ Great app for chess-book lovers
  • ๐Ÿš€ Easy to follow or analyze moves with the implemented chessboard
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Simple and effective interface
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Great to use on mobile device

Room to Improve

  • ๐Ÿ’ฐ Books are a little expensive for digital purchases
  • ๐Ÿ› App crashes or freezes occasionally
  • ๐Ÿ› Loses user's place when reopening the app
Chess - Play & Learn Online#2

Chess - Play & Learn Online by Chess.com, LLC

Board game and Puzzle learning
Strong Contender
๐ŸŽฎ Games
4.8๐Ÿ˜Š(778K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
#7in Games
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Engage in online and offline chess matches with millions of players worldwide. Improve your skills through interactive lessons, over 500,000 puzzles, and powerful AI opponents. Compete in tournaments and explore various chess variants.

What We Love

  • ๐Ÿš€ Excellent app for learning and improving chess skills
  • ๐ŸŽ“ Comprehensive lessons, puzzles, and analysis tools
  • ๐ŸŒ Large player base for quick matchmaking
  • ๐Ÿ“Š Detailed game statistics and progress tracking

Room to Improve

  • ๐Ÿ› Frequent connection issues and game freezes
  • โฑ๏ธ Unreliable and inconsistent game timers
  • ๐Ÿ”’ Lack of transparency around anti-cheating measures
Chessable: Study Chess Smarter#3

Chessable: Study Chess Smarter by Chess.com, LLC

Openings, Tactics & Endgames!
Worth Considering
๐Ÿ“š Education
4.8๐Ÿ˜Š(5.8K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
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Master chess openings, tactics, and endgames with a science-backed system. Learn from top players and retain moves through spaced repetition. Track your progress and join a community of players improving their game.

What We Love

  • ๐Ÿš€ Excellent learning tool
  • ๐Ÿ“š Comprehensive chess courses
  • ๐Ÿง  Effective spaced repetition
  • ๐Ÿ‘ User-friendly interface

Room to Improve

  • ๐Ÿ› Frequent crashes and bugs
  • ๐Ÿ” Limited search and navigation
  • ๐Ÿ“ต Lack of offline access

More Forward Chess apps to explore

4
Chess Tempo: Chess tactics
Chess Tempo: Chess tactics
Chess Tempo: Chess tactics
Chess tactics and play online
Free

Enhance your chess skills with tactical training, online play, and opening/endgame practice. Solve over 100,000 puzzles, play against others, and analyze your games with powerful engines. Premium features offer personalized training and advanced analysis.

Tactics training with 100,000+ puzzlesOnline chess play (live & correspondence)Opening repertoire training
๐Ÿ“š Education
(100)
freemium
5
Chessbook - Master openings
Chessbook - Master openings
Chessbook - Master openings
Your personal opening book
Free

Build a personalized chess opening repertoire with spaced repetition training. Identify weaknesses, learn optimal moves based on master game data, and avoid obscure lines. Review your online games for mistakes and master middlegame plans.

Custom opening repertoire creationSpaced repetition trainingAutomatic gap identification
๐Ÿ“š Education
(1.9K)
free with in-app purchases
6
SocialChess โ€ข Online Chess
SocialChess โ€ข Online Chess
SocialChess โ€ข Online Chess
Play Friends, Learn, No Ads!
Free

Engage in online chess matches with friends or strangers, featuring both timed and correspondence game modes. Enjoy a clean interface with no ads, advanced features, and detailed game statistics. Play offline and sync later, with options to expand game limits via in-app purchase.

Online chess matchesTimed and correspondence gamesNo advertisements
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(7.1K)
free with in-app purchases
7
SmallFish Chess for Stockfish
SmallFish Chess for Stockfish
SmallFish Chess for Stockfish
Stockfish Chess
$4.99
$9.99 | 50% OFF

This app leverages the powerful Stockfish chess engine to help you improve your game. Analyze your matches with detailed comments, study the engine's thought process, and track your progress. It offers advanced features like blunder checking and graphical evaluations without any ads or in-app purchases.

Blunder checkingMultiple line analysisGraphical game evaluation
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(4.4K)
free
8
3D Chess Game
3D Chess Game
3D Chess Game
by A Trillion Games Ltd
Free

Experience chess in a realistic 3D environment with customizable boards and sets. Challenge yourself with 25 difficulty levels, analyze games move-by-move, and track your progress with detailed statistics. Perfect for both beginners and experienced players.

Realistic 3D graphics and animations25 adjustable AI difficulty levelsCustomizable chess sets and boards
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(3.5K)
ad-supported
9
Chess
Chess
Chess
Play Chess and Solve Puzzles
Free

Engage in the classic game of chess with customizable graphics and multiple difficulty levels. Play against AI or a friend, with features like move undo, hints, and time controls. Enjoy a rich chess experience with detailed game history and board customization.

HD graphics5 difficulty levelsHint option
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(36K)
free with in-app purchases
10
Chess King - Learn to Play
Chess King - Learn to Play
Chess King - Learn to Play
Chess: Beginner to Master
Free

Master the game of chess with this comprehensive learning app. It offers interactive lessons, puzzles, and analysis for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Improve your tactics and strategy with a personal chess trainer, available online and offline.

100+ learning coursesInteractive theoretical lessonsHigh-quality, double-checked puzzles
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(2.5K)
free with in-app purchases
11
Chess - Offline Board Game
Chess - Offline Board Game
Chess - Offline Board Game
The ultimate Chess board game
Free

Engage in classic chess matches offline with adjustable difficulty levels. Enhance your skills with hints, undo moves, and track your progress through personal statistics. Enjoy visually appealing graphics and flexible 2D or 3D piece options in this free board game.

Offline playPlay vs AI8 difficulty levels
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(64K)
free with in-app purchases
12
Chessify - Magic Chess Tools
Chessify - Magic Chess Tools
Chessify - Magic Chess Tools
Chessboard Scanner & Analysis
Free

This app offers advanced chess analysis tools, including a real-time chessboard scanner, powerful cloud-based engines, and a unique video finder. Analyze games, puzzles, and learn chess theory with comprehensive features for players of all levels.

Real chessboard scannerSuperfast cloud chess engine analysisVideo finder for chess positions
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(392)
free with in-app purchases
13
Chess for Kids: Learn to Play
Chess for Kids: Learn to Play
Chess for Kids: Learn to Play
Fun educational board game
Free

Learn chess through interactive lessons, puzzles, and games. This app offers a safe, ad-free environment for kids to develop chess skills, play against friends or bots, and join a global community.

Play free chess games online and offlineSolve over 350,000 chess puzzlesInteractive step-by-step lessons
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(97K)
freemium
14
Chess Tiger Pro
Chess Tiger Pro
Chess Tiger Pro
Learn, play, improve!
$14.99
$17.99 | 17% OFF

Master chess with interactive lessons and Grandmaster-level move suggestions. Learn rules effortlessly, play real games, and analyze your performance with detailed feedback. Suitable for beginners and experts alike, this ad-free app helps you improve your game at your own pace.

Ad-free learning experienceIntroductory chess lessons for beginnersGrandmaster-level move suggestions
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(23K)
free with in-app purchases
15
Square Off Chess- Play & Learn
Square Off Chess- Play & Learn
Square Off Chess- Play & Learn
Elevate Your Chess Experience
Free

This app offers a comprehensive chess experience for players of all levels. Learn, analyze, and master the game with challenging AI, unlimited game analysis, and online competition. Track your progress and share your gameplay with the world.

Challenge AI up to ELO 3200+Adaptive AI that adjusts to your movesUnlimited game import and analysis
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(3K)
free with in-app purchases
16
Chess - tChess Pro
Chess - tChess Pro
Chess - tChess Pro
For beginners to professionals
$7.99

This app offers a high-quality chess experience for players of all levels, from beginners to professionals. It features a strong engine, analysis tools, and learning resources to improve your game.

Simulated human opponents for beginnersTop-tier chess engine for expertsReal-time game analysis
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(245)
paid
17
ChessUp
ChessUp
ChessUp
Level Up Your Chess Game
Free

This app enhances your chess experience with a smart chessboard. It offers game archives, analysis, and live AI assistance. Connect to play remote opponents on various platforms.

Chess game archivesGame analysisLive AI assistance
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(2.1K)
free
18
โ„ข Chess
โ„ข Chess
โ„ข Chess
Play and learn Chess
Free

Engage in the timeless strategy of chess on your mobile device. Play against sophisticated AI opponents across multiple difficulty levels, or challenge friends and family. Features include an undo option, board editor, and customizable themes for a personalized experience.

Play against AIMultiplayer matchesUndo feature
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(9.1K)
free with in-app purchases
19
Lichess
Lichess
Lichess
Online chess game
Free

Play chess online with millions of users, participate in tournaments, solve puzzles, and analyze games. This free and open-source application offers a comprehensive chess experience for players of all levels, with features for learning and casual play.

Real-time and correspondence chessArena tournamentsChess puzzles
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(345)
free
20
Pocket Chess
Pocket Chess
Pocket Chess
Chess Puzzles
Free

Enhance your chess skills with hundreds of challenging chess problems and puzzles. This app focuses on simplified boards to help you quickly recognize chess patterns and improve your game.

Hundreds of chess problemsCheckmate in 2 and 4 puzzlesSimplified boards for pattern recognition
๐ŸŽฎ Games
(14K)
free with in-app purchases

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