Chess without ads Reviews

by 111chess111

I downloaded this game in the Summer of 2018 and loved it. You could work your way from lower to higher level Computer Opponents to improve your skills. Each time you met the requirement you got a token to use a pro-feature like setup position, analysis, playing a game with your friend. It gave you a taste of the Pro-version that would convince anyone to buy it because it was a good app. But then they updated it.

With the update they cut the features I used to use. You will have 10 free credits to play some good games and higher level opponents but then it’ll water the game down more and you will have minimal features. Can you even really get into the apps features with 10 games? Or will you spend it trying out the features only for it shut those off when you run out. All the new info says “we just want you to buy the pro version” instead of what they offered before. I get you made Chesswithoutads to make $ but I know people who bought it because of the quality of the lit-version. It didn’t feel like a bait and switch before but now I’m disappointed.

by RenoTribeFan

When going to settings and clicking on the link saying I have zero free games left, the developer says something like, “Let’s be honest, we offer the free version in hopes that you will purchase the paid version”.

Unfortunately, your paid version is $10 (which is from your a “limited time” offer of 50% off - haha). Not many people are paying $10 for a chess app. I would pay a few bucks, but that’s all. I think many people are like me in this regard. Obviously, the developer is overvaluing the price of Chesswithoutads and thinks that eliminating the free version will drive people to purchase the overpriced pro version. That won’t happen, but hey, that’s his right.

So instead of having a reasonably priced game which many people would buy (because it’s a great app), they make the free version useless and alienate all of the loyal players who would’ve paid if it was priced reasonably. Now it’s on to searching for another chess app...it’s not like there aren’t a million others to choose from. Sure seems like a poor decision on their part. Five people paying $3 for Chesswithoutads (and recommending to their friends) is better than one person paying $10. Just sayin’.

by ZDogPharizle

In line with other reviews, the constant pop-ups and begging to go to the pay version is atrocious. Annoying your customer base is not a good way to make money.

My favorite feature of Chesswithoutads was “set up position.” I like to play chess on a real board with a friend or roommate, then we will sometimes analyze our moves from a certain point on (v. the suggested moves from Chesswithoutads ). Since the last update they now have the feature behind a paywall (but don’t worry, the button is still there, it just tells you that you have to pay for the “set up position” feature now). As a result, Chesswithoutads no longer has any unique features that I want - i can download a competitors app with the same features an not get bugged every time I open Chesswithoutads to upgrade.

by Dudeyeh

The newest update is disappointing. Sure, it’s great to have a chess coach and great analysis of games played, but not everyone is wanting that much of an in-depth game. Personally speaking, I want to get on, play against a variety of opponents and maybe turn on suggestions when I am curious on what a good move might be. The little notifications of “master move, genius move, good move, etc” are great.

I would easily rate this 5 stars if it went back to a ticket type of game, where if you were out of credits or tickets, you were forced to play against rocks for opponents. Maybe update the game again and for us freebie folk, have 3 difficulty modes (500, 1000, 1800?) to satiate the quick chess game desire. 550 opponents is great for speed chess... but not traditional challenges. :/

by CME2NVST

...the green light that is! Work your way up to a level where you can't win, then turn on the green button and play a few games until you begin to feel the rhythms and patterns of that level. Helps with opening and protecting your king. You also begin to realize that just one piece difference wins the game at higher levels. Try out the masters levels just for fun - hard to imagine anyone being able to think that far ahead - probably the same guys that memorize pi out to 10,000 decimal places. Only improvement I would suggest would be to provide more commentary on strategies as you are moving and an overall description which characterizes each major difficulty level (i.e., the novice level player does not miss seeing attacks and has a command over all pieces. Works in single strategy, etc). For that I would pay more. I have painfully learned more about draws and stalemates than I ever wanted. Great app!

by Santo1234567890

Chesswithoutads is great! If you think if gets “boring” just set the ELO to 2700 or world top 50 level. I guarantee you either won’t be bored OR you could make an extra income (if you consistently beat it at that level). The only missing feature keeping this from a 5 star review, is the lack of information. Specifically, the should include the name of the suggested “book” moves. This shouldn’t be hard since it already knows the specific book move for the position. This is critical for learning which known opening you are playing (aka English). As an extra, it should provide historical information with link as to when a certain non-book position was reached that matches actual pro/championship games so one can learn how things evolved on those games.
Overall great app but leaves a sense of incompleteness.

by Ajsad

Wish the board was bigger and the controls at the bottom were smaller. I also have issues with fat fingers and a few times didn't get the piece all the way to the spot I wanted at a critical time. That meant defeat or calling back the move which takes away your point. But you can also move by just touching the piece and then the destination. This really helped after I trained myself to move in that manner instead of dragging the piece. Over all I like Chesswithoutads . I also made good use of the board colors picking a very dark one so I can play while tending to the kids when they are having trouble falling asleep. I had forgotten what a great game chess is!

by Cobaltace

Chesswithoutads is designed as a training and basic stratagy game. Good forthose with only basic chess piece movement knowledge, this would be great to improve. This will help the beginner build basic stratagy. Also, good for the novice wanting a quick game just for fun. For someone wanting a challenge or to improve, this will be boring. I deducted 1 star for its nagware...always wanting you to get the paid upgrade. Good news is, you can continue to use free, just have to tolerate the nagware. To be fair though, the free version gives nothing to the design team so I understand the constant push for a paid upgrade.

by Sniperwolfe03

Honestly it's a great app. It's a trainer app. So you can play, analyze your games and get training on moves you should make. I love how you can also watch games from grandmasters and see the mistakes they've made. There's ALOT of different options, as far as difficulty, training, games you can watch/Save and review your own games, Lots of customization options for your board. It's just an all-in-one chess app. For anyone who just wants to play or taking your chess game very seriously and wanting to improve.

by Ariel Avshalom

This is a very nice app that is well coded and offers a lot of options and difficulties for the advanced and for the novice! I like the analysis function and the ability to see how the grandmasters played. It really helps a person better understand the strategies that they used and offers a clear reason why. After looking at some of these it may even be possible for these moves to be adopted into an individual's strategy!!!

by A Long-Time Recipient

I can't speak for others. I don't care for app games - at least anymore. Am I getting older? Yeah, probably. But my 12 year-old loves chess. He's faster and his memory is, well, a 12 year-old's. So, he's motivated and sharp. Do I like winning occasionally? Who doesn't? And 12year-old boys can really overdo the gloating! Chesswithoutads causes learning by repetition. I beats patterns into the brain by repeated play. Try your own moves too. They aren't always terrible.

by Pyromaniac6707

What I like about it is it gives you several suggested moves each time it is your turn to move. So I am still in control. I can take one of the suggested moves or do something different. Oftentimes the suggested moves are counter intuitive; it makes you think why the move. Then you find out, often the suggested move develops into a wicked trap. It teaches you to think strategically. My games have improved tremendously since I started in this program.

by Roncguitar

I'm a casual chess player, and Chesswithoutads is, hands down, the best chess app I've played for actually learning moves and strategies. The trainer's suggested moves often give "aha!" moments, and the difficulty can be set so it's challenging but doesn't make me want to yell at my phone. Highly recommended for those looking to "up their game". An aside: I'm using the free version and it seems like all of the features of the paid version are there. Not complaining, but as of yet I don't see the point in paying for the full version.

by Magnificat Subscriber

I love that when you play this game that your able to: Add your own name to play, Pick your level of difficulty, And pick wether you want to play with a family member in your house hold or the computer!! Either way I’ve had Chesswithoutads for 3 years and it really did help me get good at chess! Even though some people want the full version I still think the game is totally fine with out it!! I hope everyone loves this game and have a blessed day 😘❤️

by Otis8781881

This has the most features of any chess app I've ever seen! Attractive boards and pieces, good contrast between colors, and an inruitive interface are all present. There is also very granular controls on computer difficulty. Games can be saved for analysis later. There are so many more things that Chesswithoutads can do. The optional suggestions and coaching is excellent and will help me be a better player. There is also an option for online play, but I've not done that yet. I can't say enough how excellent Chesswithoutads is!

by KrazyKeisha

So at work, I work with kids. I hadn’t played chess in FOREVER. I was playing the “GOAT” and he almost won but had to leave before he could demolish me. So, I got this game to practice. Went back a week later and asked to play. He told everyone, as he was pretty busy that day “this won’t take long.” I took his Queen in the first 5 moves. I beat him!!! Thanks to this game for helping me practice. I realized I’m playing against the computer on this game, and the average person won’t move like the computer does. Thanks for this trainer game. I LOVE IT🥳

by ShannonC19

I'd always admired the game of chess, but never found anyone to teach me to play. Chesswithoutads has been an effective, easily customizable teacher.

It's you vs. the computer, and the system suggests 4 moves for you to make on each turn. Suggestions are weighted -- the thicker the green line, the more heavily suggested the move, but the choice is yours to make. You can toggle the suggestion mode on and off move with each move, so you can reach for help only if you get stuck if you want. The system has dozens of difficulty levels, so you're not getting pummeled when you start, but you can get more challenging games when you're ready.

Written tutorials were also excellent, providing a brief, readable beginner's guide to how each piece moves.

Chesswithoutads has advanced features and modes I haven't explored yet. I've played dozens of games over the last few months and haven't had to pay real money for one yet. I'm just now running low on the free game credits. Chesswithoutads will be well worth the purchase price for me to continue.

by Hungry Musician

Chesswithoutads was actually better than I thought it would be.

I just want to play casually and get a little better here and there. I'm not trying to be a GM; I just want to be better than my friends.

Other chess apps were fine but the play was either way too weak or way to strong. I would find the level of play to change dramatically from poor openings to very strong end game (or maybe I just have a poor end game). Anyways Chesswithoutads let me change the rank of my opponent until it was beatable but challenging, and now I can figure out incrementally what my Elo might actually be and slowly play more challenging competition

by Semperfideles

This is a great chess program and it offers many additional perks such as suggestive moves, perceived threats, allows you to take back moves and a splendid feature which allows you to go back from the checkmate to the very beginning and also forward again. This allows study of where you went wrong or where you made a stellar move which brought about a checkmate. It will also give you the option to let you know about a possible stalemate. If you prefer you can stop all input and go totally on your own. One feature that certainly gives you a pat on the back is that it records when you have made a genius, master or simply good move. I think the one biggest benefit of the chess program is that it teaches you to play chess well and have fun learning. 5 stars for the developer of this program!

by Shins Ethmoid

Great app for learning/improving from the basics. I really like that you can see your game get better as you go and that it gives you nice bumps of encouragement when good moves are made. Chesswithoutads shows you multiple options for moves but leaves some for you to pick up on your own (great for learning and building confidence) as with others my only complaint is the limited amount of games but if you think about what it takes to build an app like this I would want to get paid too. Great app