Smart review
Spaced repetition brings back each move just before you would forget it, so review time goes where it matters.
Chess opening trainer for iPhone
Stop losing in the opening.
Learn the chess openings you will actually face, a few minutes a day. Hops, your knight coach, explains every move in plain words, then you play the line against Rook Bot until it is yours.
Download on theApp Store
For iPhone. No account needed.
- No account, no sign up
- Works offline
- 45 languages
Claim the center1. e4 grabs space and opens lines for your queen and bishop.
- 24openings for White and Black
- 2,048positions, each with a reason
- 63traps to set and to dodge
- 5 mina day keeps them fresh
Understand, do not memorize
Know why every opening move works
A move you understand is a move you remember. Every move in every course comes with a short headline and one or two plain sentences: what it does, and what to watch for next.
- Written for club players, not grandmasters
- See how often real players choose each reply
- Tap Show Me whenever you are stuck
Watch the f7 squareYour bishop and knight both aim at f7. If Black is careless, that is where the attack lands.
Practice that sticks
Drill the line with Rook Bot
Rook Bot plays the replies club players really meet. You play the moves you just learned. Every unit ends with a match, so the line moves from the lesson into your hands.
- Replies picked from real games, not random moves
- Wrong move? Try again, or let Hops show you
- Win the match to close the unit
How it works
One opening, one short path
Pick an opening and your level. The path shows every unit ahead, and each unit takes a few minutes.
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Learn
Hops walks you through the new moves, one reason at a time.
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Practice
Play the moves yourself. Hops steps in only when you need a hint.
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Spot the trap
Each unit hides one trap: learn to set it, and learn to punish it.
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Beat Rook Bot
Play the whole line in a match. Win it and the next unit opens.
The repertoire
24 openings for White and Black
A complete repertoire for both colors, from first moves to the plans that follow. Lines are chosen from about 2.5 million blitz and rapid games between players rated 1000 to 1999.
With White
- London System
- Italian Game
- Vienna Game
- Queen's Gambit
- Scotch Game
- Ruy Lopez
- Jobava London
- English Opening
- King's Indian Attack
- Smith-Morra Gambit
- Danish Gambit
- Catalan
With Black
- Caro-Kann
- Sicilian Accelerated Dragon
- French Defense
- Scandinavian
- 1...e5 and Two Knights
- Pirc Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined
- Slav Defense
- King's Indian Defense
- Nimzo and Bogo-Indian
- Dutch Leningrad
- Englund Gambit
Win more games
63 traps that decide club games
Some games are over by move ten. Learn the classic tricks and the real mistakes club players keep making, then learn how to punish them when someone tries one on you.
- Légal Mate
- Elephant Trap
- Englund Gambit Trap
- Siberian Trap
- Noah's Ark Trap
- Tarrasch Trap
- and 57 more
- 31 classic traps, each checked with a chess engine
- 32 real mistakes from club games in your openings
- Practice any trap on the board in one tap
Stay on track
Five minutes a day, openings that stay put
Daily streak
Keep your streak alive with a short daily session. A weekly streak freeze covers the busy days.
Gentle reminders
One nudge a day, at the time you choose. Nothing more.
Widgets
Today's review on your Home Screen and Lock Screen, so a session is always one tap away.
45 languages
Lessons and explanations in your language, with standard chess notation everywhere.
Private by design
No account and no sign up. Everything ships inside the app and works offline.
Who it is for
Built for real games at your level
New to openings
You know how the pieces move, but the first ten moves feel like guesswork. Start with one opening for White and one for Black.
Online players
You play blitz and rapid and keep losing early. Learn the lines you actually meet at your rating, not engine lines from top events.
Club players
You want a repertoire you understand. Build it course by course and keep it fresh with a few minutes of review.
Chess Openings Pro
Every opening, every trap, unlimited lessons
Pro unlocks all 24 openings, unlimited lessons every day and practice matches against Rook Bot whenever you like.
Prices are shown in your local currency in the App Store before you buy. Subscriptions renew automatically until you cancel in your Apple Account settings.
Yearly
Starts with a 7-day trial. Renews once a year.
Monthly
Renews every month. Cancel any time.
Lifetime
Pay once. Every opening, forever. Nothing renews.
Good to know
Questions and answers
Who is Chess Openings for?
Players who know the rules and want to stop losing in the first moves: beginners, online blitz and rapid players and club players rated roughly 600 to 2000.
Which openings can I learn?
24 courses. For White: London System, Italian Game, Vienna Game, Queen's Gambit, Scotch Game, Ruy Lopez, Jobava London, English Opening, King's Indian Attack, Smith-Morra Gambit, Danish Gambit and Catalan. For Black: Caro-Kann, Sicilian Accelerated Dragon, French, Scandinavian, 1...e5 and Two Knights, Pirc, Queen's Gambit Declined, Slav, King's Indian, Nimzo and Bogo-Indian, Dutch Leningrad and Englund Gambit.
Where do the moves come from?
From real games. The lines and reply statistics come from about 2.5 million blitz and rapid games between players rated 1000 to 1999 in the Lichess open database (CC0). Our moves were checked with a chess engine, so you learn what club players actually play, without the bad habits.
How is this different from memorizing lines?
Every move has a short explanation of its purpose, so you learn the plan behind the opening. When your opponent leaves the book, you still know what you were trying to do.
Who is Rook Bot?
Your practice opponent. Rook Bot answers with the moves club players really choose in that opening, so a match feels like the games you play online.
Do I need an account or an internet connection?
No. There is no sign up and no login. All lessons, positions and traps ship inside the app, so you can practice offline, on a train or on a plane.
How does the review work?
The app uses spaced repetition. Moves you know well come back less often, and moves that keep slipping come back sooner. About five minutes a day keeps a whole repertoire fresh.
How do I cancel a subscription?
Open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name, then Subscriptions, and choose Chess Openings. Cancel at least 24 hours before the current period ends to avoid the next charge. Deleting the app does not cancel a subscription.
Is there an Android or iPad version?
Chess Openings is made for iPhone today. Follow this site for news about other devices.
Your next game starts with a plan
Pick one opening tonight. Five minutes with Hops, one match against Rook Bot, and you will know what to play and why.
Download on theApp StoreFor iPhone. No account needed.