Chess

Review by eFreeware

If you are new to chess and want an app that explains the rules before throwing you into a match, Big Cake's Chess is built with you in mind. The developer describes structured lessons that start with how the pieces move and work up to checks, special moves and winning strategy. That teaching layer sits alongside ordinary play, so the same download covers learning and playing.

Experienced players are not shut out either. There are ten difficulty levels, and the developer says the top end is meant to challenge expert players. If you already know your openings, you can skip the lessons and go straight to games, puzzles or tournaments.

It is free to download, supported by ads, and it offers in-app purchases. The app is rated for Everyone, works without Wi-Fi, and has passed 100,000 installs with a 4.4 average from 134 ratings. Those numbers are modest for a chess app, but they suggest the people who have tried it are broadly satisfied.

A wooden board and a cinematic look

The presentation is the first thing the developer leans on. Chess is described as a cinematic experience with 3D visuals, and the boards come in classic wooden or modern themes. Piece sets can be swapped too, so you can change the look of the board without changing how the game works.

Smooth touch controls are part of the pitch, with the aim that moving a piece feels natural rather than fiddly. On a phone screen, that matters more than it does on a desktop, and it is the sort of thing that decides whether a chess app is pleasant to use or merely functional.

The app is rated for Everyone and the developer presents it as suitable for all ages and skill levels. There is no theme beyond chess itself, which is exactly what you would expect from a board game adaptation.

How a game unfolds

You choose the strength before you start. The ten levels range from beginner to expert, and the developer suggests using the lower settings to learn the basics and practice openings, then moving up when you want a harder test.

During a game you have two forms of help. Hints can suggest a move when you are stuck, and an undo option lets you take back your last move and try something else. Both are useful for learning, and both change the character of a game: with undo available, a casual match becomes more of a study session than a contest.

Every move is saved automatically. The app keeps a history of your games, and you can replay them later to look at where a match turned. For anyone trying to improve rather than just pass the time, that record is the most valuable feature on the list, because it turns a lost game into something you can examine.

Lessons, puzzles and the daily pull

The lesson track is the app's teaching spine. It covers piece movement and basic concepts first, then checks and special moves such as castling and en passant, and finally broader strategy. The lessons use illustrations and classic examples, which is the right approach for players who learn better from a diagram than from a paragraph of text.

Puzzles provide the repetition. There are said to be thousands of them, running from simple checkmates to more involved combinations. Solving puzzles is one of the few chess activities that fits into a few spare minutes, and a large puzzle library is the feature most likely to bring you back on days when you do not have time for a full game.

Open tournaments add a competitive layer, with leaderboards, a chess rating and trophies on offer. The app lets you test yourself against other players and climb a global ranking. That is the part of the app with the longest tail, since a rating gives you a reason to keep playing beyond the lessons. The recent update simply adds new games, which suggests the developer is still adding content rather than leaving the app as it was.

What it costs and what that means

Chess is free to download. It contains ads and it offers in-app purchases, so the experience is supported commercially rather than sold outright. I would not assume anything about the purchases until you see them in the app.

For a free chess app, that combination is common enough. The practical question is whether the interruptions and any purchase prompts get in the way of a game. If you dislike ads on principle, that is a consideration before you install.

The offline claim is the more interesting part of the offer. No Wi-Fi is needed, so you can play while traveling or at home. That makes the app usable in places where a connection is unreliable, which is a genuine advantage over chess services that assume you are online.

Where the appeal runs out

If you are looking for variety beyond the board, the app is not built for that, and no amount of themes or piece sets changes the underlying activity.

The lessons and puzzles are aimed at players who want to improve, and a large part of the app's value sits there. Someone who only wants to move pieces around and never opens the lesson track will find less to do, though the AI matches and tournaments remain available.

The install base is also worth putting in context. Passing 100,000 installs with 134 ratings is a small sample, and the 4.4 average comes from a limited number of people. That is not a reason to avoid the app, but it does mean the rating tells you less than a figure built on tens of thousands of reviews would.

A straightforward choice for learners and casual players

Big Cake's Chess is a sensible download for two groups. The first is anyone learning the game who wants lessons, hints and undo available while they play. The second is a casual player who wants a quick match, a puzzle or a tournament without worrying about a connection.

The strongest parts of the offer are the teaching material, the ten difficulty levels and the offline play. The weaker parts are the ads and purchases that come with a free app, and the fact that chess is all you get. If you want a single-purpose chess app that explains itself as you go, this one is aimed at you.

It is free to try, rated for Everyone, and the developer keeps adding to it. For a beginner or a lapsed player, that is enough to justify the install.

What's new in version 1.0.7

New Games!