One can never be too good at the game of chess. It’s almost like art, continually evolving and more profound than it seems.
And to help you perfect this classic game, I’ve tried and decided to review an advanced chess application – the Chess Coach app.
Chess Coach is a power-packed platform that aims to train and cultivate your chess fluency.
It offers an exclusive Pro version with extra features and an ad-free environment at a reasonable rate of $9.49.
Don’t rush to your wallets yet. Keep reading to understand what you’ll get from this investment.
Let’s Dive into Chess Coach Pro’s Offerings
Upon exploring the app, you’ll find various functionalities under the “Training” tab:
- Checkmates: There are different levels of difficulty like mate in one, two, three, four, and so on.
For example, in the ‘mate in one medium level,’ the app displays a complete chessboard where you must identify the correct move to checkmate in a single move.
This feature is excellent for working on your checkmate strategies.
- Middle Game: This section displays chess game themes like fork, decoy, pinning, double attack, deflection, trap, discovered attack, perpetual check, and counterattack.
Each theme comes with a game scenario that you need to solve or play and improve your game strategies.
- Progress: The training progress feature records the number of puzzles solved, offering a visible gauge of your improvement level.
- Arrow or Hint: This functionality provides the necessary push if you are stuck in a tricky game situation.
- Favorites: Here, you can bookmark exciting or difficult game positions for revisiting later.
NOTE: The free version offers about 1400 puzzles for training, both from the checkmate and the middlegame sections.
Exploring Event Games and Challenges
Chess Coach also features popular chess games from international events like the World Chess Championship.
For instance, you can replay the exact move sequence from games between renowned worldwide championship contenders like Fabiano Caruana and Magnus Carlsen. Such a feature enables users to get into the minds of chess maestros and learn from their strategies.
Continuing the exploration, I stumbled upon the challenge bar. This area presents various chess game situations, challenging you to find the optimal move.
Developing a visual understanding of the game, Chess Coach also trains users to visualize the chessboard from white and black perspectives.
This training can significantly improve your blindfold chess skills.
Probing into the Pro Version
The Pro version of Chess Coach is primarily about skill improvement.
It allows users to play offline without any ads.
The unique selling point here is the absence of monthly fees or in-app purchases.
One particular feature that caught my eye was the ‘trap in the openings.’ It is exclusive to the Pro version and can significantly enhance your opening move strategies.
Additionally, you can unlock the endgame section and acquire numerous practice exercises.
I did find myself questioning the worth of the Pro version considering the price tag.
After an extensive run-through, my verdict is: if you’re interested in improving your chess knowledge and can spare the one-time fee, go for it.
The Final Verdict
Chess Coach doesn’t necessarily hold your hand through each move, nor does it spoon-feed you solutions.
It provides puzzles from the middle game, endgames, and openings, and focuses on essential chess themes.
It’s a valuable tool to train and challenge yourself, especially excellent for beginners.
However, if you’re an expert seeking specialized training, you might want to explore a few other options alongside this.
In the end, Chess Coach is a well-rounded application with the potential to improve your chess game significantly.
If you’re a chess enthusiast with a few bucks to spare, this could be the feather in your chess cap.
I hope you found this review helpful as you decide whether Chess Coach should be your newest chess companion.
Happy gaming!