Kayla Dube · February 5th, 2025 · 6 min read 
Chess is one of the oldest games of all time. If you want to learn how to play chess but don’t have anyone to teach you, a great way to get started is by using a smartphone app. This article presents the best chess learning apps for iPhone and Android to help chess beginners learn to play the game.
9 Best Chess Learning Apps in 2024
Chess has a learning curve and lots of rules and strategies. There’s no one best chess app out there for learning the game. Try the chess apps below—start with the free ones—and see which one helps unlock your inner chess master. These chess apps are available for Android smartphones and Apple devices.
1. Learn Chess With Dr. Wolf
This app provides easy-to-digest lessons, teaching you during games and independent lessons divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. You can learn fundamentals, chess openings, and strategies by playing against Dr. Wolf’s AI chess coach character. After a few games, you can review your mistakes and learn better strategies.
In addition to the in-depth lessons, the app is well-designed and friendly, encouraging you to keep playing and learning. It is free and straightforward, which is helpful when learning a complex game like chess. Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf is available for Android and iOS devices.
2. Chess – Play and Learn
If you’re looking to test your skills against real-life chess players, this app—based on the website chess.com—is best for matching you up to play live games. You can play online chess games, solve (daily and random) chess puzzles, and take tutorials.
This chess app has several helpful features for new players. For example, you can play chess games with a computer opponent, complete puzzles to test your knowledge, and join tournaments. For chess beginners and advanced players alike, this free app is a must-have for playing chess online. Chess – Play and Learn is available on the Google Play Store (for Android) and Apple App Store (for iPhone, iPad, and Mac).
3. Magnus Trainer (Android) or Magnus Trainer (iOS)
This chess app (available on the Play Store and App Store) provides numerous interactive lessons and games to help you along the way. It is the official app of chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, a five-time winner of the World Chess Championships. There’s another good chess app under his brand called “Play Magnus,” but Magnus Trainer is best for learning chess.
One feature that sets it apart from others is that it tracks your knowledge of several chess skills and plots them in a diagram to help track your progress and identify areas of improvement. Many of the app’s features are free, but you can unlock all lessons for $7.99 monthly, $74.99 annually, or a lifetime subscription for $299.99.
4. Chess Tactics and Lessons
For detailed lessons, this app guides you through multiple aspects of the game and gives you puzzles to solve to help you learn. The app offers lessons like Introduction to Tactics, Attacks, Endgame, Openings, Defense, etc.
The app puzzles and some lessons are free, but you can pay $3.99 monthly or $29.99 annually to access the entire app. This chess app helps beginners hone more intermediate and advanced skills. The Chess Tactics and Lessons app is available for iPhone and iPad only; download and install from the Apple App Store. There’s also a paid version of the app (Chess Tiger Pro) with extra features and unlimited credits for a USD 7.99 one-time fee.
5. Chess Tiger
If you like learning by doing, Chess Tiger is the best chess app for learning strategies independently. The app provides suggestions for the best moves and threats your pieces face, and you can move the game backward or forward to analyze it better.
You can also switch the board in-game to see your opponent’s perspective. Unfortunately, this app doesn’t have any written lessons, but it’s a free app that can show you the best moves to make as you play. Chess Tiger (available on the App Store) is only compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The app doesn’t have an Android version.
6. Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)
Chess Tactics Pro has the most helpful puzzles for varying skill levels. You can also pay for puzzle packs, including hundreds of practice puzzles for learning a skill. Each puzzle pack is $1.99, or you can buy them all for $9.99. Purchasing any puzzle removes ads from the app.
You can also play in progress mode, starting with easy puzzles and moving to difficult ones as you complete them. Overall, this is an excellent app for chess games and puzzles. The Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) app is available for Android and iOS devices on the Google Play Store and App Store.
7. Real Chess 3D
Playing chess in 2D can get boring. This app lets you play offline chess in 3D against a computer or pass-and-play mode with a friend. When you play games in Real Chess 3D, you can see the chessboard from any perspective—as in real life. Graphics-wise, other chess apps don’t come close to Real Chess 3D.
Some basic lessons are available if you’re starting as a complete beginner. The best part is that this app is entirely free to play. Install the app on your smartphone from the Play Store or App Store to play a free chess game anytime.
8. Chess – Learn, Play & Trainer
The Chess – Learn, Play & Trainer app is limited to Apple devices only—iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. It’s one of the best beginner-friendly chess apps for learning and practicing chess strategies. You can play without hints during each game or take back pieces to have your game rated. The game shows up in your tracked stats and contributes to your rank in the app.
This app lets you see the best available moves and game statistics over time to improve your skills. There’s also a training mode that shows you suggested moves and threats from your opponent. While most of the app is free, you can buy the full version for $14.99.
9. Social Chess
If you learn best by playing with others, Social Chess lets you play online with real-life opponents. You can play with others through a random match-up or watch people play. You can also view other players by skill level, see past opponents, or search for certain players to start games with.
This is free chess app introduces real games between your learning sessions. The app requires users to create an account to play chess online or offline on their devices. Social Chess is available on the Google Play Store and App Store for Android and Apple devices, respectively.
Level Up With These Chess Apps
No matter your skill level or chess rating, you can benefit from learning more. If you’re a beginner, figuring out how to play can be confusing. The chess apps above make learning fun and can help at any difficulty level.
Install these apps and take as many lessons, practice games, and tournaments as possible. Doing so consistently will help develop your chess skills, tactics, and playing style, Soon, you’ll be able to feel confident playing this popular strategy game.
