Chess.com
Play chess online against people or bots, then sharpen your game with puzzles, lessons and game reviews
by Chess.com, LLC · listed Nov 14, 2026
Quick verdict
If you want to play chess on your phone, this is the obvious place to start: the free tier covers unlimited games, and a membership is worth it only if you lean heavily on the training tools.
Best for Chess players of any level who want quick online games plus puzzles and lessons in one app
Reviewed by AppsPicks on Nov 13, 2026. How we review
Chess.com review
Chess.com is the mobile app for the largest online chess site. You can play live games from one-minute bullet up to longer time controls, run slower daily games that unfold over days, or face more than 100 computer bots. It also covers variants such as Chess960 and blindfold, plus tournaments, a large puzzle library and lessons made by titled players. It suits anyone from a total beginner learning how the pieces move to a club player chasing a higher rating.
Day to day, it is quick to find an opponent at almost any hour, and the app keeps your games, ratings and friends in sync with the website. Puzzle Rush and rated puzzles work well for short sessions, and bots are there when you would rather not face a stranger. The interface packs in a lot, so it takes a little exploring before you know where everything lives.
Why we picked it: Playing online against real people is free and unlimited, and the player pool is big enough that matchmaking is fast at every level.
Watch out for: Free accounts get limited daily puzzles, lessons and full game reviews. The deeper training tools sit behind a paid membership.
What we like
- Unlimited free online games with fast matchmaking
- Over 100 bots for practice at any skill level
- Huge puzzle library with rated and timed modes
- Daily correspondence games for slower, thoughtful play
- Account syncs with the Chess.com website
What could be better
- Daily caps on puzzles, lessons and game reviews unless you pay
- Busy interface with lots of menus and prompts
- Upgrade nudges appear regularly on free accounts
Questions about Chess.com
Is Chess.com free?
Yes, playing games online and against bots is free. A paid membership removes limits on puzzles, lessons and in-depth game analysis.
Which platforms is it on?
It is available on iPhone, iPad and Android, and the same account works on the chess.com website.
Can I play offline?
You can play against bots without a connection, but online games, ratings and most training features need internet access.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. There are step-by-step lessons on rules and basic strategy, along with easy bots and puzzles that adjust to your level.
What are the alternatives?
Lichess is a fully free, open-source option with no paid tier, and many players use it alongside or instead of Chess.com.
From the developer: how Chess.com describes itself
Play chess lessons online with over 280 million players from around the world!
Chess is known as the best strategy board game in the world!
Enjoy unlimited 3D offline pocket chess games and improve your chess rating with 1,000,000+ puzzles, more than 20 million chess games a day, lessons, and over 100 powerful bot opponents. Unlock your inner chess master today!
PLAY CHESS ONLINE: - 2 Player online chess mode is entirely free to enjoy with your friends. - Join tournaments with players online or friends and become a master. - Play games in real-time from one minute per game to 30 minutes or longer with friends. - Review your strategy and game lessons and lay out daily correspondence in online chess. - Play exciting chess variants in our app: chess960 (Fischer-Random), blitz chess, puzzle rush, bullet chess, puzzle battle, or blindfold.
CHESS PUZZLES: - Enjoy 1,000,000 + unique puzzles. - Rated mode automatically adjusts to your skill level to help you improve. - Race the clock with a timer to beat your high score in Puzzle Rush. - Practice puzzles with specific themes in this strategy board game (checkmate in 1, in 2, in 3, blindfold, endgames, fork, skewer, sacrifice, timer, etc.)
CHESS LESSONS: - Hundreds of quality chess lessons and online videos made by masters (Learn and practice your skills with chess problems) - Interactive puzzles tutorials with tips and game recommendations. - Learn all the chess rules and strategies in a step-by-step lesson plan (opening, endgame...)
CHESS COACHING: - Learn from helpful and immersive visual chess coach lessons. - Review your games with the coach and learn the strategy of the board game for every move. - Play games with the coach, who will guide you through the fundamentals move by move and provide helpful hints as you play.
PLAY CHESS ONLINE AGAINST THE COMPUTER: - Choose the level of computer opponent you want to play and set a timer. - Analyze your chess games offline and learn to see where you went wrong and how you can improve.
CHESS COMMUNITY: - Join a community of more than 200M online chess players. Find friends! - More than 20M games played each day. - Compete to get your own rating and try to join the best player online chess leaderboards against other players. - Watch the most popular superstars: Hikaru, GothamChess, or Magnus!
... and MUCH MORE: - Play chess games offline against the computer and the clock with a timer. - Articles by the best coaches and masters. - Explore openings like Queen´s Gambit or Sicilian Defense. - Challenge and play with your friends in an online chess game. - Choose from 20+ board themes and 3D pieces. - Get in-depth performance stats about your games, puzzles, and lessons.
Playing pocket chess online has never been so easy! Chess.com is the place to play chess games online with your friends and other players!
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Text from the app store listing, quoted for reference. Our own take is above.
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