Chess Coach

Most players stop improving at chess for one of three reasons: they don't know what to do after the opening, they miss tactics, or they can't win a won ending. Chess Coach is built around all three.

Opening

Learn the Italian Game, the Queen's Gambit, the London System, the Sicilian, the French and the Caro-Kann move by move, with the reason for each move instead of long lines to memorise. In your own games, the review names the opening you played and points out the classic traps.

Middlegame

Forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks and the windmill; the back-rank mate, the smothered mate and the Greek gift; then calculation drills, positional chess and advanced strategy. While you play, the tutor lets you preview any move before you commit it, says whether it is strong, fine or costly, shows a better one, and warns you about what your opponent is threatening.

Endgame

The opposition, zugzwang, and the Lucena, Philidor and Vancura positions, from the essential endings to expert study.

Altogether that is 197 lessons in 12 courses, played on the board rather than read, and every course has a narrated video with chapters.

Your opponent

100 levels in five tiers. Beginner leaves pieces hanging, a good start for your first games. Casual plays sensible moves but misses tactics. Intermediate punishes loose pieces. Advanced calculates well and rarely blunders. Expert finds near-best moves almost every turn. The lower levels play the way people do, mistakes included. Take White, Black or a random side, or pass the phone between two players.

After the game

Every move is graded by how much winning chance it gave away. A mistake comes with a sentence you can learn from, such as the piece it left undefended, and the move that was better.

Not sure where to start? On first launch, say how much chess you know and play a first move; the app suggests a level and a course.

Levels 1–20 are free, with the tutor free through level 10. One purchase unlocks levels 21–100 and the tutor at every level. No subscription.

No ads, no account, no tracking, and it runs offline. The app and every lesson are in English, 日本語, 한국어, 简体中文 and 繁體中文.