I vote for shredder chess (play against computer, and puzzles) and chess with friends (play with random person or friend via 3G network or wifi)
Without question, Fritz Chess. It has a fantastic interface, and a very strong AI that beats Shredder in tests. I own Fritz, and I absolutely love it. It plays from ELO 400 to 2320 in a very intelligent and human-like way.
I've enjoyed Chess Elite for an online/budget chess game, but mostly play Shredder now. ( largely because I got them for free. ) I think Shredder has a decent interface, puzzles, and adjusts well to your playing level. I'm no grand master, so Fritz's extra strength is probably above me. I've tried several times to geta code for it, but noone is offering one. I still have a spare code for Shredder, and was hoping to trade for a Fritz code to run matches and watch how they play each other...
I agree with drelbs, shredder chess is my favorite but I have not played Fritz so I dont know much about it. If you really like and play a lot chess, you might be looking for a stronger AI in a game.
When I first bought my Touch I got the chess game from GL..then I realized I no longer liked chess lol. I thought it was a pretty good app though, I'm sure there are better ones though.
It has the prettiest interface. lol. You can look at the screenshots for yourself on iTunes. Shredder ($7.99) is hideous. But even at the lower ELO ratings, Fritz still plays an intelligent game. In my opinion, there are only 3 quality options for the serious chess player. If you're a chess god who likes playing against other chess gods, you should get Hiarcs ($9.99). It has the strongest chess AI in the app store. The next best option is Fritz ($6.99). Not only does it look better than Shredder, but it plays better. But if you don't feel like spending 6, 7, or 10 dollars on a chess game, there is a really great free chess game called Glaurung (Free).
Thanks drelbs for referring Chess Elite We have close to 2000 people playing online games. Please have a look at this thread for more details about Chess Elite: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?threadid=28004
Shredder vs Fritz results for iPhone: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showpost.php?p=178793&postcount=12 Fritz plays slower at the grandmaster ratings, but I bet it would still play faster than most people. Almost forgot... Chess Elite is another quality option, especially if you're into online play.
Ah, cool. Yeah, Shredder is pretty strong at fast chess. I think it won several speed chess tournaments.
Its totally illogical to compare Fritz taking 4 minutes a move with shredder taking 10-15 seconds a move. Yes, Shredder's interface and options are not good, and if the interface was better it would have options to play at various time controls. Just because it doesnt have time control options doesnt mean that one cant set it to infinite analysis and let it think for however long you want, and that it wouldnt be stronger then Fritz while doing so. I have looked for, but not found, any valid comparisons of strength of the iphone versions. Anyway, I cant really argue with the fact that Shredder's interface and options are weak, and Fritz is probably the better buy based on the comments (I dont have fritz). That said, "stronger" is not a proven point. Shredder's set of 1000 chess problems is pretty nice, but its sort of geared for 14-1900 (rough approximation) strength players. Players significantly above or below that may be frustrated or bored with the problem set. I am in that range, so its sort of a nice little plus for me. I have heard that the noted PC tactics program Chess Art has an iphone version, so Fritz + Chess Art might be a better combo. Shredder is OK at dumbing down to play my 8 yr old. It certainly doenst play real "naturally" at 850-925 ELO, but it does the job. It doesnt go below 850 at all, which is also a handicap for working with brand new beginners. 850 is way too hard for my 5 year old, for example.
Maybe it's because I haven't seen it in action, but I find Shredder a lot clearer and easier to see than the Fritz screenshots. Fritz seems to have more colors and gloss in the background/buttons, which I really don't care about - I'm looking at the pieces, not the UI. Please somebody prove me wrong, the offer for a full copy of Shredder via Promo Code for a copy of Fritz Chess still stands, and will until that code expires. I can't justify buying another chess game, Chess Elite is still great for online play for me, and Shredder does just fine when I'm playing against my iPod.
Unless Fritz can be set to play faster - it is if you want to play a good quick game. Some times I love playing fast - something I've been very good at, I can smoke players at speed chess that can usually beat me playing regularly...
Here is a nice unbiased review of some of the top iPhone chess games: http://menoob.com/iphone/5-best-chess-apps-for-the-iphone/ It mentions Fritz and Shredder. And regarding Fritz's speed, it only plays slower at the highest ELOs. It can play a pretty fast game at ELO 1800.
That, I bet, is good enough to beat 90% of the people who download chess games from the App Store. My point is all this talk of which game has the strongest engine is pretty much irrelevent as far as a huge majority of typical chess players are concerned. Most of us will never be good enough to beat a player or chess program rated 1800 or higher no matter how many chess books we read or how many years we play the game. To the OP, try the free game Glaraung and see what you think.
lol. You're right. I like Fritz because it plays a very intelligent game, even at the lower ELOs. But, for many people, Glaraung would probably suffice.
I couldn't find any chess art app. Any other chess programs with puzzles? I like shredder puzzles but I'll be done with all 1000 of them eventually lol
