Mobile App Review: Chess.com

Summary

The Chess.com application is a web and mobile version of the game of chess. It allows users to play chess against other players or the computer, study chess with lessons and puzzles, connect with other chess players for conversation, and join leagues for chess tournaments. It has evolved over the past decade into a well-designed application.

Usability: 5/5

The app allows the user to play chess in several ways. You can play standard chess or Chess960, a chess variant where the back rank of pieces is randomized. You can play against the computer at a configurable difficulty level, or play against another person by issuing a challenge. When playing against a human, you can play timed chess with configurable time limits or correspondence chess with a maximum number of days to make each move. During gameplay, you can easily switch to analysis mode, where you can shadowbox your moves and your opponent's next moves without actually moving. If you are a beginner, there are lessons that start at the beginning with piece capabilities and game strategy. There are lessons for players of all experience levels, including puzzles, chess notation practice, and areas of study. After each game, the app analyzes your game and recommends training courses to improve.

Design: 4/5

The app has a simple, accessible design with large buttons and intuitive controls. It uses dark mode, which is easy on the eyes. From the main screen, there are five tabs on a persistent toolbar on the bottom of the screen: Play, Puzzles, Lessons, Connect, and More.

On the Play tab, the two dropdown menus at the top configure the maximum time per move and your selected opponent, which can be random. There is an Options dropdown that allows you to choose the ranking of your desired opponent, the type of chess (standard or chess960), and a rating switch that lets you play a game and not affect your rating. To issue a challenge, just press 'Play!' and a challenge will be issued. The Puzzles tab lets you play chess puzzles to learn tactics. Each puzzle presents a game in progress where you are tasked with finding the best moves. There are three types of puzzles: Rated, Learning, and Rush. The rated tests challenge you with puzzles that cover random areas of chess mastery. The app rates you based on your success and time. Learning puzzles are categorized by theme or area of the game, such as 'En passant' or 'Basic Checkmates.' Rush is a challenge in which you have to complete as many puzzles as you can in a set amount of time with a maximum of two mistakes. On the third mistake, the game is over.

The Lessons tab is a lot like chess school. You can learn to play chess from the beginning by learning the pieces, gameplay, opening strategies, and more.

The Connect tab lets you invite or connect with other players. It also has links for news, forums, and messaging. Here is where the chess community thrives. There are always active conversations going on in the forums about tournaments and more. You can search for your friends and invite them to play. ChessTV is a link where you can watch streaming video of live matches with player commentary. The More tab contains a screen full of additional links. These include Tournaments, videos, articles, and many other useful items.

Functionality: 5/5

The core of this app is the game of chess. During gameplay, the screen features the board front and center.

Along the top is the list of moves in the game, and it scrolls horizontally. Just below the moves list is your opponent, along with their picture, user name, rating, and the flag of their home country. At the bottom of the board is you with the same bits of information. Just below each player's name is a small list of each piece the player has taken. Along the bottom is a list of links with some additional functionality. Options lets you change settings, finish versus the computer and more. The Chat link lets you chat with your opponent during gameplay. The Analyze link switches you to analysis mode. Analysis mode allows you to play both sides of the board to see what your opponent might do, and see what weaknesses your moves might expose. It leaves the game board alone and lets you play with the pieces in a sandbox-type environment. I like to refer to it as 'unit tests for chess,' but the app calls it Analysis. The '<' Back and '>' Forward buttons let you step through the game move by move. It has a high-speed option that quickly progresses through the movements if you hold one of the buttons down.

Once a game is complete, you can get a detailed game report showing high-quality moves, mistakes, blunders, missed wins, and more. You can see a graph that shows who was on top throughout the game, and at the bottom, there is a list of recommended training to improve your gameplay. The best part of this is the Analysis link at the top of the screen. It allows you to step through the finished game, one move at a time and see the computer's judgment. It will tell you if the move was a blunder or an excellent move, and will suggest alternatives that might have turned out better.

Recommendations

Mobile gaming is nice because no matter where you are, you can jump in and move. The challenge is that chess is a thinking game. If you are waiting in line at the bank and see that your opponent has made a move, it is tempting to jump in and make what seems like the best move. Many chess games have been lost to haste in that way. It would be nice if the computer warned you that too many moves are being made too quickly, and you should stop and think before you move.

It would be nice to be able to play a game of chess while videoconferencing with the other player. Chat is nice, but I play chess with long-time friends from other states, and it would be nice to have an optional video window to see your opponent.

Finally, it would be nice to be able to import a chess game from an actual chessboard by taking a picture. It would not be a simple undertaking, but it would be an excellent way to continue a chess game online if it goes too long in person.