what are the best apps to learn chess?
Are you a novice looking for any engaging activity to keep yourself sane during long waits?
Are you an established player looking for ways to brush up on your chess abilities?
If any of the above applies to you, then a chess app is all you need.
Chess apps are an excellent answer if you are wondering how to enhance your chess game with a few clicks or thumb taps.
Whatever your motive, each of the 11 apps listed below will help you improve your playing strength.
Chess.com
Compatibility: Desktop, iOS, Android.
Cost: Free and Paid versions
Over 7 million people use Chess.com, which is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and educational chess software available. It receives a high rating since it fulfills its promise. You’ll find the typical game modes, such as playing online, playing versus a computer, and brain teasers.
It’s interesting to see that everyone has a home here, rookie or grandmaster alike. With time constraints for each move ranging from a quick one minute each side to a leisurely five days, games can be played at any tempo.
Likewise, The Drills page allows you to select a section of the game to focus on, such as King and Two Pawns against King, and then sets you against a machine in that configuration. It also includes some unique features, like the Videos tab, which contains a profusion of videos created by highly rated chess players that focus on specific aspects of the game.
The app works on any web browser, but there are also iOS and Android mobile apps that successfully duplicate the experience. Remember that inspecting the board may be more challenging for medium- to small-sized phones.
In terms of cost, the app is free to use. However, subscriptions are offered in three tiers: Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. It costs $2.42, $4.08, and $8.25 each month, respectively, and roughly half of those rates when billed yearly. When you subscribe to any tier, it removes all adverts and unlocks all bots. It also grants unlimited access to its game analysis feature, which uses AI to assess every move in your games and propose alternatives. The platinum subscription gives you unlimited access to the site’s chess problems.
In contrast, the gold subscription allows you to solve 25 puzzles daily. The Diamond membership unlocks Chess.com’s entire video library of instruction and game analysis. Because there is so much to discover among the free alternatives, it makes sense to begin there.
Magnus Trainer.
Compatibility: iOS, Android.
Cost: Free and Paid versions.
Magnus Trainer, presented by world-renowned chess grandmaster and World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, was created to teach everyone and everyone how to play like Magnus. Who, depending on how you complete the tasks he gives you, makes brief video appearances onscreen to pump his fist or grin at you. You can begin with Basics, Easy, Medium, or Hard. For lessons, examples are typically used from Carlsen’s past matches with other elite players.
This program stands out because it provides chess education while teaching pattern recognition abilities to help you psychologically prepare for games.
The Games page is divided into the Foundation, Tactics, and Calculation sections. You may play mini-games to familiarize yourself with the pieces and work through chess problems to enhance your situational awareness and general chess knowledge.
This app’s high cost ($8 per month, $75 per year, or a $300 one-time price) is one of its drawbacks. But what do you anticipate from an app with so many features?
Alternatively, you might benefit from the freemium model, where you download a free version and then pay for an upgraded version within the app.
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Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf
Compatibility: iOS, Android.
Cost: Paid, Free complimentary trial.
The ideal audience for Learn Chess With Dr. Wolf is complete beginners and intermediate players. The AI that guides your every move and adapts its play based on yours is shown as having the chiseled face of an older man whose ethnicity or gender may be changed. He instructs you while you play Chess by pointing out tactical considerations, correcting errors, and making remarks that frequently transform your moves into mini-puzzles.
Although the classes are divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced portions, you are free to start anywhere, you’d like and move through them as you see fit.
Additionally, it has 25 lessons that cover each idea in-depth and provide lots of chances for supervised practice.
Dr. Wolf will give fresh concepts for you to master as you pick up new chess techniques and use them in your games. Dr. Wolf recognizes your skill use each time you employ one in the game and gain points.
You’ll be required to register after three complimentary games. It costs $5 per month or $35 annually to subscribe.
Lichess.
Compatibility: iOS, Android.
Cost: Free
If you’re looking for a free online platform to develop your chess abilities, Lichess is an excellent choice. Lichess is a fantastic free alternative for playing online Chess on your iPhone or Android.
Its features are free to use and ad-free because it is managed by a non-profit organization and is supported by donations.
A helpful feature of Lichess allows you to view the number of top players who have played the same game you and your opponent are playing and the results of those games. You can explore the master games from the past that most resemble the one you just played. After every move, Lichess creates a graph showing who was winning and how much that advantage changed over time.
Interestingly, Lichess can be played even without an online connection. You may build a board to play against yourself or a friend, or you can play offline against a computer.
Shredder Chess.
Compatibility: Windows, iOS, Android.
Cost: Paid version only.
Shredder chess is one of the top chess programs in the world by Stefan Meyer-Kahlen, which offers a game-playing and analysis tool for everyone. It is a straightforward and fantastic training tool that enables you to evaluate and resolve chess challenges.
It uses an AI that can modify its strength to match yours and simulate human gaming. In some steps, he even intentionally commits blunders that most people do.
Shredder Chess’s simplicity enables you to get into a game or try out a few problems when the software has launched without having to scroll through menus or follow instructions. Additionally, you may play fast games right in your browser. Shredder monitors your performance and guides you as necessary.
Unfortunately, this app does not offer a free option. The paid version costs $3.49.
Chess Tactics Pro.
Compatibility: iOS, Android.
Cost: Free and Paid versions.
Chess Tactics Pro features the most practical puzzles of any program, ranging in difficulty from simple to complicated. With this tactic trainer, you may practice in three ways: by solving daily puzzles, offline puzzle packs, and problems randomly assigned to you according to your level and Elo rating. It features a clear and straightforward interface and several board themes and is optimized for both phones and tablets.
A skill-learning puzzle bundle with hundreds of puzzles is also available for purchase. You may purchase each puzzle bundle for $1.99 or all the bundles for $9.99. All puzzles are of exceptional quality and feature a one-of-a-kind solution. Beginner to expert (2000+ Elo) difficulty levels are available.
This app makes it simple to learn and play Chess at your speed. It is free to download and contains ads.
Chess Clock
Compatibility: iOS, Android.
Cost: Free
As its name suggests, a chess clock is a free game timer that can handle any time constraint. A player’s base minute allotment is supplemented by optional per-move delays or extra time. The program accepts both Fischer and Bronstein increments in addition to standard delays. Additionally, it supports multiple-stage time limits frequently used in competitions, like “40 moves in 2 hours + game in 60 minutes.” You can see your present position by looking at the clock! If the app is paused, the clock automatically pauses. You may also stay the clock manually at any moment. It also has pleasant button noises and a “time’s up” indicator.
Interestingly, this app is 100% free, with no in-app purchases and no ads!
Chess coach Pro
Compatibility: iOS, Android.
Cost: Free and Paid versions.
This app includes various chess openings in addition to over 4,200 themed chess puzzles. Each puzzle exposes a different strategy or gimmick. You must predict the upcoming chess move to finish the problem and go on to the next one. There is no chess engine to play against; however, it features a new section with exercises called “Diagonal Mate” and “Vertical Mate.” Simply practicing puzzle-solving is the goal here.
It is entirely offline, with no ads, in-app purchases, or monthly subscriptions. This premium software costs $9.49, with the option to share it with family members for free. Suppose you want a trial of the software before purchasing it. In that case, there is a free version called Chess Coach Lite, which, unlike the paid version, does not provide any openings.
Chess Universe.
Compatibility: iOS, Android.
With this app, you can play Chess online and off for free and without limits. Once you’ve mastered the game, you can play online with your friends or challenge other top players to establish your dominance on the Chess Universe global leaderboard. Climb the ranks and achieve chess mastery. The app is jam-packed with the most outstanding free utilities to improve your tactics, strategy, recall, and logical reasoning.
Additionally, you may play in various game modes, including blitz chess, bullet chess, quick Chess, and a new easy option where you have a limit of one minute to consider each move. Furthermore, every 24 hours, new opponents appear. Your opponents get more challenging as your chess rating increases. You may open chests with fantastic goodies with the keys you receive for winning.
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Chess Prime 3D.
Compatibility: iOS only
Cost: Paid versions only.
One of the top 3D chess games for the iPad and iPhone is Chess Prime 3D. It offers enjoyment for everyone, learning aids for new players, and a genuine challenge for seasoned players. It allows you to play 3D Chess while viewing the board from any angle by swiping in four directions. 200 “Mate in 2” and “Mate in 3” puzzles are included to aid in your development.
You can improve your chess abilities by figuring out hundreds of chess puzzles. If you get stuck, you can utilize suggestions.
You can start a match from any predetermined location or edit the board. This enables you to test your abilities in various game phases, common positions, and chess problems, among other things.
You may also save your game and load it again whenever you like. As a beginner, this software comes with a function displaying all possible movements for the current piece for you. This function will guide you when playing against a challenging computer opponent, friends, or millions of other players worldwide.
The app costs $1.99.
Chess genius app
Compatibility: iOS, Android.
Cost: Free and Paid versions.
This distinguished chess software’s sleek yet straightforward user interface sets it apart. If you don’t need to view the game notation, you may hide the board and movements or make the board bigger. You may sharpen your tactical abilities and solve difficulties with the assistance of the board editor.
This chess program includes a teacher, hints, and the opportunity to undo a move to aid in your overall growth. Additionally, it has a database that allows you to save or load games to a PGN on an SD card.
This premium app costs $3.99 but has a rating of 4.5 stars.
Conclusion.
We are fortunate to access such a wealth of available chess information and technology. There are countless applications available at all times. We hope that this list was helpful to you as you choose your new chess app, whether you are an expert or a complete beginner.