Pluses and minuses on interface
Wed Mar 29 2017 410TThere are a lot of options for chess engines. The icons for the pieces need an upgrade here. I found only one of six appealing.
Two have lo res graphics, which is unacceptable for a premium priced app. One set is ugly, and the Russian set is two shades of grey, without enough contrast.
The list of captured pieces is nice, and surprisingly missing from a lot of other apps.
Just gives us a refresh and update
Mon Mar 11 2024 SigFruedIt’s working good. Nice platform and image. But it’s about time just to refresh and update. PLEASE! I’m giving it 5 stars now, because it’s still very good.
Good game, perhaps overpriced
Mon Feb 23 2009 ardee00I've owned Chess Genius in many forms since the 1980s, first on DOS then on the Palm and PocketPC. (I even still own a 1980s stand-alone chess computer based on an early version of the program.) When it first came out it was by far the strongest program available, though it's no longer in the top 20 on the PC as competitors have evolved ruthlessly over the years. The iPhone version is quite strong and smooth and has most of the features you'd hope for in a "pro" chess app. Well worth $3 or even $5, but $10 is perhaps a bit much.
[I've recently discovered Abaia, a free chess program for iPhones that have been "freed" in a certain way akin to the program Prison Break -- and it's a slightly better program in several ways. It's clearly stronger (to great my surpise), nicer looking, adheres to the GUI standards better, and is, well, free.]
A portable Full-Strength chess engine
Wed Oct 19 2016 MagicappuseeHands down the best chess related thing you can have on your phone. When used thoughtfully this is a powerful learning tool that world champions would kill for back in the day. A must purchase for chess enthusiasts.
Buggy app, always crashes
Mon Mar 18 2024 Vishy14App always crashes when you try starting a new game or change setting.
This is the one!
Thu Nov 13 2008 ThothamonI love chess programs on my Mac and Palm and even did on my older Windows Mobile phone. Now that my contract ended with my old carrier I immediately bought my iPhone and started to look foir a chess game. What a disappointing assortment of the usual suspects. Interface problems, poor play, 3D graphics that might look good but during play the pieces would hide each other or become hard to see, not many options to adjust play or display -- I downloaded a few and regretted it and finally decided to just wait. Wow, am I glad I did because CHESS GENIUS is the best chess program ever on the Palm and Windows Smartphone. Now that it is on the iPhone everyone here can enjoy its crisp graphics, easily and widely-adjustable features and, of course, game play unmatched by any other chess-playing engine on a mobile device. This is it, this is the one. If you're a patzer happy with just looking at "somethin' cool" on your screen go get a program with candy-floss graphics. But if you are a Player, if you love chess, if you like a display designed not to distract but to involve -- download this soon. Heck, download it today.
Best Chess APP. A huge improvement over the others.
Sun Nov 09 2008 PeteLP- A truly GREAT user interface: The Interface makes moving peices absolutely foolproof and very pleasurable. Very creatively done, and the first iphone chess app I've found that really succeeeds in this way.
- Powerful Engine: This is a big benefit for players at any strength. If you want to dial down the playing strength, Genius will be able to move SO much faster than other engines while playing at a given level of actual playing strength. That speed adds greatly to the joy of the experience. The improved playing strength is also great for finding the real solutions to real world chess problems.
- Excellent features- Many of which I've not found in the competitors. They did a beautiful job on stepping forward and back over the move history, and of easily getting the iphone to take over the players position whenever desired.
I've used ChessGenius for over 10 years, first on Palm, and then windows mobile, and I'm delighted to have Genius now on the iPhone, and so beautifully adapted. It's Must Have Application.
Superior application
Sat Jan 17 2009 afkaI have two complaints, however. I wish it would allow you to pick a rating to play against. At 3 second difficulty, I have yet to beat it (or even come close). I can easily handle easy 13 though. What I wish is that it would have a something like "play against 1800" or 1600 or whatever elo level, or a sliding scale, or whatever.
Next: I love the fact that you can upload pgn files to the phone and review the games. I have millions of games on my computer. However, my complaint is that I don't have a webspace to publish them to, so I cant get them onto the program. If anyone knows how to do that, or if Lang Software could make it easier to upload the files in the next update, that would be awesome.
Still a 5 star app, and I highly recommend it to the moderate-advanced player. It moves with excellent precision, and lightning speed, and more than fulfills my expectations. My complaints are more like suggestions to improve an almost perfect program
A wonderful app
Mon Mar 09 2009 isayoldchapRichard Lang has been doing this for a long time and it shows. I have 3 other paid chess apps and was delighted when I saw chess genius, which I have owned on 2 other platforms. The levels should accomodate all skill levels, and people who have complained about the strength of the lower levels simply need to improve. On the lowest levels it plays down to a weak beginner. Any weaker would be absurd. Three minor gripes: no Internet or network play, slightly confusing menus, and fairly primitive graphics compared to deep green for example. The analysis mode is my favorite feature. It's like having a mini fritz with you on the go. Fantastic overall. I paid over $20 for this on the palm many years ago, so $10 seems like good value to me.
Best chess program by FAR!!
Tue Mar 03 2009 SuperSartreThis by far the strongest and easiest to use chess program for the iPhone. I have amazed a friend of mine who is a senior master and former national champion of ireland with the fact that my phone has a winning record against him. With the latest update the graphics are much improved and lots of import/export features have been added. Also, some easier levels for beginners have been added, but not too easy....which is good because the best way to learn is to lose. This app is worth every penny and it will last you from your beginner days until well after you become a master. Look no farther for the best chess app iPhone has available.
