Chess app guides
Opinionated guides, not listicles. Each one written by a 2250 Lichess player who has actually used the apps for months - not scraped App Store blurbs.
Start here
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. From a directory run by a 2250 Lichess player.
Read the guideDeeper by use-case
- Chess Apps for Tactics Training
Which chess puzzle app actually builds pattern recognition and which one just farms your time? Tested picks from a directory run by a 2250 Lichess player.
- Chess Apps for Opening Preparation
Opening apps compared: what actually builds a repertoire vs. what just fills your subscription queue. Directory picks from a 2250 Lichess player.
- Chess Apps for Beginners
An honest pick of beginner chess apps for adults and kids starting from zero. Free apps first, paid only when they actually pay back.
- Chess Apps for Club Players
Beyond the beginner stack: a tested set of chess apps for serious club players working toward 1800-2000. Tools that actually move the needle at this rating.
- Chess Apps for Endgame Practice
Endgame training is where most club players underinvest and lose ELO. A tested shortlist of chess apps that actually drill the technique that wins close games.
- Chess Apps That Work Offline
Lichess, Stockfish, SCID vs PC and more: the offline chess apps that still play, analyze and drill with no Wi-Fi. Tested on flights, ranked by what works.
Looking for structured coaching, not software? The academies and clubs directory reviews the online training programs - Chess Dojo, Bacrot Academy, ChessMood, BlitzStream - that serious adult improvers actually pay for.