Best Free Chess App

250+ iOS apps & games curated and reviewed

4.3 avg rating
20 free apps & games
Updated August 2026

Every iPhone needs a few good free chess app. We benchmark 250+ of them on App Store rating, freshness, and pricing, then surface the standouts so you don't have to scroll the App Store yourself.

Compare top Free Chess App (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Chess.com - Play and LearnChess.com - Play and LearnFree4.8★ (812K)YesYesAug 2026
2Chess ∙Chess ∙Free4.5★ (205K)YesNoAug 2026
3Chess without adsChess without adsFree4.7★ (38K)NoYesAug 2026
4Chess HD FreeChess HD FreeFree4.5★ (28)NoNoAug 2026
5Real Chess 3DReal Chess 3DFree4.7★ (159K)YesYesAug 2026
6ChessChessFree4.7★ (39K)NoYesAug 2026
7Learn Chess with Dr. WolfLearn Chess with Dr. WolfFree4.8★ (27K)NoYesAug 2026
8Chess Prime 3DChess Prime 3DFree4.6★ (62K)YesYesAug 2026

Top Picks for Free Chess App

Chess.com - Play and Learn#1

Chess.com - Play and Learn by Chess.com

Online Lessons and Puzzles
Editor's Choice
🎮 Games
4.8😊(812K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
#5in Games
Chess.com - Play and Learn screenshot 1
Chess.com - Play and Learn screenshot 2
Chess.com - Play and Learn screenshot 3
Chess.com - Play and Learn screenshot 4
Chess.com - Play and Learn screenshot 5
Chess.com - Play and Learn screenshot 6

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

  • 🚀 Excellent app for learning and improving chess skills
  • 🎓 Comprehensive lessons, puzzles, and analysis tools
  • 🌍 Large player base for quick matchmaking
  • 📊 Detailed game statistics and progress tracking

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent connection issues and game freezes
  • ⏱️ Unreliable and inconsistent game timers
  • 🔒 Lack of transparency around anti-cheating measures
Chess ∙#2

Chess ∙ by Optime Software LLC

Strong Contender
🎮 Games
4.5😞(205K ratings)
FreeAds
#90in Games
Chess ∙ screenshot 1
Chess ∙ screenshot 2
Chess ∙ screenshot 3
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Chess ∙ screenshot 5
Chess ∙ screenshot 6

Experience a visually appealing and engaging chess game on your iPhone and iPod Touch. Play against friends or a customizable AI opponent with features like undo and automatic saving. Enjoy a free, ad-supported experience.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Fun to play everyday
  • 👍 Good free game
  • 👍 Nice little game
  • 👍 Very good practice

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 AD crazy
  • 🐛 Major glitches make the game impossible
  • 🐛 Force draw
Chess without ads#3

Chess without ads by Christophe Théron

Learn, play, improve!
Worth Considering
🎮 Games
4.7😊(38K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Chess without ads screenshot 1
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Chess without ads screenshot 6

Learn and play chess without distractions. This app offers guided lessons for beginners and advanced analysis for experts, helping you improve your game with intelligent suggestions and post-game reviews. Play offline and enjoy a seamless, ad-free experience.

What We Love

  • 👍 Excellent chess training tool
  • 🚀 Customizable difficulty levels
  • 💡 Helpful move suggestions
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive interface

Room to Improve

  • 🔒 Limited free version with paid upgrade
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 💡 Desire for more chess variants and modes

More Free Chess App apps to explore

4
Chess HD Free
Chess HD Free
Chess HD Free
by Magma Mobile
Free

Engage in an unlimited number of free chess matches with a user-friendly interface. Challenge friends or test your skills against the phone with adjustable difficulty levels. Improve your game and climb the ELO ranks.

Unlimited free chess gamesUser-friendly interfacePlay against friends
🎮 Games
(28)
free
5
Real Chess 3D
Real Chess 3D
Real Chess 3D
Ultimate 3D Chess Game
Free

Experience chess in stunning 3D graphics. Play against friends or the CPU with adjustable difficulty. Learn new strategies with interactive tutorials and customize your game's appearance. Save your progress and undo moves for a seamless experience.

3D graphicsSingle player vs CPUPass n Play with friends
🎮 Games
(159K)
free with in-app purchases
6
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
🎮 Games
(39K)
free with in-app purchases
7
Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf
Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf
Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf
Beginner friendly coaching
Free

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 coachingAudible explanations of movesOver 50 interactive lessons
🎮 Games
(27K)
free with in-app purchases
8
Chess Prime 3D
Chess Prime 3D
Chess Prime 3D
Play online and solve puzzles
Free

Engage in classic chess with stunning 3D graphics and versatile play modes. Challenge yourself with puzzles, play against AI or friends online, and learn with helpful move indicators. Save games, customize the board, and master openings.

3D and 2D board viewsSingle player and two player modesOnline multiplayer with chat
🎮 Games
(62K)
free with in-app purchases
9
Chess Online +
Chess Online +
Chess Online +
Play online chess game!
Free

Engage in online chess matches with a global community of players. Offers various time controls, rated games, and computer opponents. Improve your skills with learning tools and puzzles.

Global multiplayer chess communityMultiple time control optionsRated games and statistics
🎮 Games
(26K)
free with in-app purchases
10
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
🎮 Games
(66K)
free with in-app purchases
11
Play Chess Games
Play Chess Games
Play Chess Games
2 player real board game
Free

Engage in classic chess battles with friends or challenge an AI opponent. Customize your game experience with various board styles, piece colors, and flag selections. Enjoy flexible gameplay options for both single and multiplayer modes.

Single or two-player modeCustomizable player namesOver 200 flag options
🎮 Games
(17K)
ad-supported
12
Chess Openings — Chessmate
Chess Openings — Chessmate
Chess Openings — Chessmate
Beginner Lessons & Practice
Free
📚 Education
(0)
13
Elite Chess Database
Elite Chess Database
Elite Chess Database
Elite chess games and puzzles
Free

Explore and analyze vast chess game databases, including games from top-ranked players and annotated matches. Solve puzzles for all skill levels and receive instant verification of your solutions. The app offers extensive customization and beautiful graphics for an engaging experience.

View and analyze chess game databasesAccess elite human games (2400+ Elo)Study annotated chess games
🎮 Games
(1)
free with in-app purchases
14
AroundChess
AroundChess
AroundChess
AI Chess & Training. Play now.
Free

Analyze your chess games with detailed metrics, track your progress with interactive charts, and train with tactical puzzles and endgame scenarios. Experiment with positions in an interactive playground to improve your strategy and win more games.

Deep game analysis with PGN import and Chess.com linkingMove-by-move accuracy metrics and mistake breakdownsOpening explorer with success rate statistics
📊 Productivity
(6)
free with in-app purchases
15
chess evolve
chess evolve
chess evolve
AI, puzzles, tournaments
Free
🎮 Games
(0)
16
ChessScope AI
ChessScope AI
ChessScope AI
Scan & analyze chess positions
Free
🔧 Utilities
(0)
17
4-Player Chess
4-Player Chess
4-Player Chess
Party chess for four
Free
🎮 Games
(0)
18
Laddr: Improve your Chess
Laddr: Improve your Chess
Laddr: Improve your Chess
by LADDRCHESS LTD
Free
📚 Education
(0)
19
Train Chess
Train Chess
Train Chess
Your Hub for Chess Improvement
Free

Master hundreds of essential positional endgames to elevate your chess skills. Practice against an engine to improve your late-game win rate and conversion. This app focuses on crucial endgame scenarios for strategic improvement.

Hundreds of positional endgamesEngine practiceImprove win rate
🎮 Games
(1)
free
20
Chess Pals
Chess Pals
Chess Pals
Learn Chess the Fun Way!
Free

This app makes learning chess fun and magical for children aged 3-5. It features large, friendly pieces, bright visuals, and interactive lessons on how each piece moves, with no reading required. It also includes fun puzzles to reinforce learning.

Interactive piece introductionsVisual movement guidesFun, shuffled puzzles
🎮 Games
(1)
free

FAQ about Free Chess App

What is the best free chess app for iPhone?
Chess.com - Play and Learn tops our free chess app ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.8-star average from 812K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Chess.com - Play and Learn shows ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of August 2026.
We track 250+ free chess app on the iOS App Store as of August 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
This app allows you to play chess online with millions of players worldwide or offline against AI opponents. It also offers a vast collection of puzzles, interactive lessons, and coaching features to help you improve your chess skills.
Key features include online 2-player chess, over 500,000 puzzles with adaptive difficulty, hundreds of master-created lessons and videos, AI opponents of varying levels, and various chess variants like Chess960 and Blitz.