Play Fern, a friendly rival, for free as often as you like, with your first three games fully coached. Solve a mate in 2 every day.
Scan with your iPhone camera
For iPhoneNo adsNo account to create
Nearly 5,000 puzzles
Real positions from real games.
TapClick a piece, then a square.
A new one every day in Plain Chess.
Get the appWhite to move
Find checkmate in 2
A new one every day in Plain Chess.
Get the appGame review
After each game against the computer, see where it turned, your best move and every mistake, in plain words. Full reviews come with your first three games and with Plain Chess Coach.
See the threat. Get a nudge. Then see the move, worked out on your iPhone. Hint and Threats come with your first three games and with Plain Chess Coach.
Familiar faces, different strengths. Each opponent has a fresh run of form every match.
Elo estimates relative playing strength; higher is harder. These are approximate app ratings, not official chess ratings.
AI Coach
AI Coach needs an internet connection and can make mistakes.
Undo any move against the rivals or the computer, as many times as you like. Takebacks come with your first three games and with Plain Chess Coach.
Play a friend
Two players take turns on the same board, offline.
iPhone Duo
No sign-upWorks offline
AI Coach needs an internet connection.
Board themes
You can play Fern, a friendly rival, for free as often as you like. Pass and play, the daily puzzle, the How Chess Works lessons and accepting a friend’s invite are free too. Your first three games are coached: every rival and the classic computer are open, and games against them come with Hint, Threats, takebacks, coach notes and a full review. Plain Chess Coach, the membership, unlocks everything else: the other five rivals and the classic computer, coach notes, unlimited Hint, Threats and takebacks against the computer, full reviews, the full lesson library, opening lessons, the puzzle path of nearly 5,000 puzzles, inviting friends and Play online, My Games and 300 AI Coach answers a month. Choose Yearly, Monthly or Family (up to six people through Family Sharing). Plain Chess Lifetime is one purchase for everything except AI Coach answers. Prices vary by country, and the App Store shows yours before you buy.
New members on the yearly plan may be offered a 7-day free trial. The App Store shows the trial and the price that follows before you confirm. The other plans have no trial.
Cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings.
No. There is no Plain Chess account to create. Your membership is bought and restored with your Apple Account, and games with friends use Game Center.
Yes. Games against the computer, pass and play, puzzles, Hint, Threats, coach notes, reviews and opening lessons all work offline. AI Coach, games with friends, Play online and purchases need an internet connection.
Plain Chess is for iPhone with iOS 17 or later. It is ready for iPhone Duo, with more room for the board.
They range from Pip, a beginner at ~600 Elo, to Nova, an expert at ~2,050. Elo estimates relative playing strength; higher is harder. These are approximate app ratings, not official chess ratings. Fern, at ~950, is always free.
Yes. Play friends through Game Center: a daily game, with up to three days a move, or a live game with a clock. Accepting a friend’s invite is always free. Inviting friends and Play online come with Plain Chess Coach. Play online finds a player near your level, or one of our AI rivals, always labeled, when nobody’s around. There’s no chat, just six friendly reactions.
Ask about your position in everyday language, typed or out loud. Answers show a suggested move on the board, the plan, how to play it and what to watch out for. Plain Chess Coach includes 300 answers a month (Family: 50 a month for each person), and each reply uses one answer. Answer packs of 25, 75 or 250 are available to Lifetime owners, original buyers and members who use up their monthly answers. AI Coach needs an internet connection and can make mistakes.
No. Hint, Threats and coach notes are worked out on your iPhone, work offline and never use AI Coach answers.
If you bought Plain Chess before subscriptions, everything you have stays yours, with no subscription needed. If you’re already a member, you keep your price for as long as your membership stays active, with the full membership and 300 AI Coach answers a month.
Visit Plain Chess Support or email corporate@cerebraenterprises.com.
Scan with your iPhone camera
Or search “Plain Chess” on the App Store.
