About ChessDir
Find the right chess app - without the listicle fluff.
Why this exists
Every chess app "best of" listicle out there recycles the same five apps with different wrapping. That's useful once; after that it's noise. ChessDir is a directory - structured, filterable, and kept fresh - because finding the right chess app should take five minutes, not five listicles.
Who runs this
ChessDir is edited by Antoine - a 2100 Lichess player rated 1700 FIDE over the board. Active in club chess for a decade, with a daily puzzle habit and a working repertoire on both sides. Every app on the directory is installed and used personally before being written up - no second-hand reviews, no scraped App Store blurbs.
Reach out: spot something stale, contest a verdict, suggest an app worth covering. Use the submission formor the "suggest an update" button on any review.
Methodology
- Every app is installed. No second-hand reviews. Each entry is written after a meaningful session - typically a week of daily use minimum.
- Pros and cons are opinionated. Useful beats balanced. If an app is great at tactics and terrible for beginners, the page says so explicitly.
- Pricing is kept current. Every app page shows the date it was last reviewed. Stale data is flagged.
- No pay-to-rank. Sponsored placements - if and when added - will be clearly labeled and separated from rankings. Rankings themselves are never for sale.
How we make money
Some outbound links are affiliate links. When a reader signs up to a paid plan after clicking, the directory earns a small commission at no extra cost to them. This funds the time spent keeping pages fresh and ad-free.
An app only gets an affiliate link when it would already be the editorial recommendation on its own merits. The list of apps, the ranking logic, and the reviews are not influenced by which apps have affiliate programs.
Where to start
The guides below distill the editorial framework - pick the one closest to where you are right now.
- How to Pick a Chess App That Will Actually Get You Improving- An honest framework to pick a chess app that actually gets you improving, not the vibecoded listicle junk. Fro…
- Chess Apps for Tactics Training- Which chess puzzle app actually builds pattern recognition and which one just farms your time? Tested picks fr…
- Chess Apps for Opening Preparation- Opening apps compared: what actually builds a repertoire vs. what just fills your subscription queue. Director…
- Chess Apps for Beginners- An honest pick of beginner chess apps for adults and kids starting from zero. Free apps first, paid only when …
- Chess Apps for Club Players- Beyond the beginner stack: a tested set of chess apps for serious club players working toward 1800-2000. Tools…
- Chess Apps for Endgame Practice- Endgame training is where most club players underinvest and lose ELO. A tested shortlist of chess apps that ac…
Get involved
Spot an error? Built an app worth covering? Send it.