Really Bad Chess Image used with permission by copyright holder The app also lets you play online with other people, while you can compare your stats and ratings with friends, for bragging rights. The difficulty soon ramps right up after that, but the app also offers a series of lessons and video tutorials with the world champion himself, helping newcomers understand the fundamentals while also sharing more advanced tactics.

It’s based around a specially designed chess engine that has been tailored to behave like Carlsen at various stages of his career, going right back to when he was a beatable (just about) five-year-old. Play Magnus Image used with permission by copyright holderĭo you fancy yourself as the next world champion chess player? Well, you can put your own self-estimation to the test by playing Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, or at least a computer simulation of him. It’s largely free to use, although the monthly or yearly premium subscription removes ads and grants you access to PGN (portable game notation) emails, so you can study games after they’ve ended.

The app handily includes an in-game chat function, so you can goad your opponent or talk about the weather.

This also means you can play multiple correspondence games in parallel while mulling over your next moves in the shower or in bed. What’s particularly good about it is that, aside from playing against others in real-time, you can also use it to play a relaxed game of correspondence chess, with the app giving you several days to make your next move. Here’s a great chess app to try if you want to play with other people online, regardless of where you are in the world. If there’s only one app you have time to download, it should probably be this one, although you do need to subscribe to unlock all of its features, from $5 per month or $30 per year.ĭon't Miss: Chess Time – Multiplayer Chess Image used with permission by copyright holder There are also a bunch of other nice extras, such as coaching articles published daily, performance stats, and an active community forum. You can adjust the computer’s difficulty setting as you become more experienced, while you can also analyze games after they’ve been played, helping you to spot your mistakes and learn how to improve. It goes way beyond this, however, throwing in interactive lessons and videos from ranking grandmasters, as well as puzzle mini-games which help sharpen your skills and strategies. Its basic offering is the ability the play an unlimited number of chess games for free, whether with the computer or with other players. Show 3 more items Chess by Image used with permission by copyright holderĬ’s Chess app is probably the most popular of its kind anywhere in the world.

Best action chess game for pc