Learn Chess: Kids & Beginners

Chess for kids and beginners: Star hunt for children who can't read yet, lessons read aloud, stickers, a puzzle a day and a profile for each child. No ads, no account.

Learn Chess teaches chess the way a patient teacher would: one idea at a time, with a reason attached to every move. It is built for kids and for complete beginners, so nobody needs to know a single rule before they start — and the youngest players do not even need to read.

Everything runs on the device. No account, no sign-in, no advertising, and nothing is collected about you.

STAR HUNT — NO READING NEEDED One piece, a board full of stars: move the piece onto every star. Fifteen boards teach how the rook, bishop, queen, king and knight move by using them, with pawns in the way to show which pieces can jump. Finish in the fewest moves and win a crown.

LESSONS THAT READ THEMSELVES ALOUD Thirteen lessons across four chapters, starting at "this is a rook". How each piece moves, how to capture, check and checkmate, and the three special moves that surprise every beginner. Every step is read aloud, with a button to hear it again, and every lesson ends with a position you actually play.

STICKERS, CHALLENGERS AND A PUZZLE A DAY A sticker for every lesson, every Star hunt piece, every ending and every milestone — and a certificate for finishing the lessons. Seven challengers to beat on the way up, from Pip the Pawn to the Champion. And one puzzle a day, with a flame that grows for every day in a row.

FOR BROTHERS AND SISTERS Several children can share one device, each with their own lessons, stickers, puzzle level, games and computer strength. A child picks their own badge to start playing — no reading needed there either.

PLAY A FRIEND, OR THE COMPUTER Pass the device back and forth to play a friend on the same board, or play a full chess engine with twenty levels of strength, from a gentle beginner up to a level that will beat most adults. New players see a simple screen with friendly words; grown-ups can switch on the evaluation bar and the move list. A blunder guard asks "are you sure?" before a child gives a piece away, and every game is saved to replay.

A COACH THAT EXPLAINS WHY Most chess apps tell a child their move was a blunder. This one tells them why: "Your queen went to f6, where their knight can just take it, and nothing of yours is guarding it." The explanation comes from the engine's own analysis, so it is always about the position actually on the board. On devices with Apple Intelligence the wording is written on the device itself, and you can ask the coach a question in your own words.

2,997 PUZZLES THAT ADAPT TO YOU Every puzzle is rated, and so are you. Solve a hard one and the next gets harder; miss a few and it eases off. Practise one tactic at a time when you want to: free pieces, forks, pins, skewers and checkmates. Every puzzle was checked by the app's own chess engine, so each has exactly one answer.

ENDGAMES AND OPENINGS Five endgame drills for the finishes every player needs, and seventeen openings, each explained in one sentence with a "show me" walkthrough and a "test me" drill.

BUILT TO BE QUIET AND SAFE • No account and no sign-in • No advertising and no in-app purchases • No chat and no social features — nobody can contact your child • Nothing is collected about you, and nothing is sent anywhere • Works completely offline, on a plane or in the car • VoiceOver, large text, dark mode and reduced motion supported

Your progress is yours, stored on the device, and Settings has a button that erases it.