The 5 Best Chess Apps to Train Tactics on Your Daily Commute

Most chess players want to improve their game, but when life gets hectic, even the best-laid study plans can quickly fall by the wayside. Chess apps on mobile offer a convenient way to squeeze in practice during small pockets of downtime throughout your day. 

Here are the top 5 chess apps to train tactics on your daily commute, while you wait in line at the grocery store, or as you wind down for the day.

1. Chess.com: The Most Popular Choice of All Chess Apps

Of course, Chess.com takes the top spot as the most popular chess app. Chess.com lets you play games online for free. You can also analyze your games and moves with the chess engine for mobile, using the PGN viewer and editor. With Chess.com, you can even play your online games on a real board thanks to the app's smart-board Bluetooth connectivity. Battle against the computer in offline chess games available for Android and iOS.

You can also choose from human-like AI chess bots that act as a personalized virtual player, with personas based on your favorite grandmasters, chess influencers, or celebrities, as you move through a gamified, puzzle-tier system.

On Chess.com, you can find rated puzzles and daily puzzles. With Puzzle Rush, you can race against the clock to complete as many puzzles in a row as possible. With Puzzle Battle, you can compete against another player. However, the free tier limits how many attempts at each of these chess puzzles you can have each day.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The Game Review feature and analysis engine help you learn from mistakes and explore different ideas.
• This all-in-one chess app lets you play online, solve puzzles, take lessons, challenge bots, and review your games, all in one place.
• Practice from a database of over 570,000 puzzles.

Cons

• Unlimited training requires a paid subscription.
• Ads in the free app can be distracting.
• You can't access Chess.com puzzles offline.

2. Lichess: Always Free Chess Training

Lichess is the leading alternative to Chess.com. It's also free and open-source. However, for years, the Lichess mobile app left something to be desired. It was hard to navigate and lacked some of the options available in the browser. However, a revamped version of the mobile app launched at the end of 2025. 

The Lichess app now features a much cleaner interface that's easier to navigate and gives you access to more options than the browser.

With Lichess, you can play chess online for free. Many features that are limited or paywalled on Chess.com have free alternatives in the Lichess app. For instance, you can use the "learn from your mistakes" option to review a game, though it's less guided than Chess.com's Game Review.

It also offers a free mobile chess engine with a PGN viewer and editor, so you can enter your games on the go. With smart board Bluetooth connectivity, you can play a real board game against an online player. 

What options do you have for puzzle and tactics practice on Lichess? You can choose random puzzles or focus on a theme, whether that's your favorite chess opening or a gap in your endgame knowledge.

One fun option is Puzzle Storm, where you solve as many puzzles as possible in three minutes, with correct solves adding incremental time to your clock. Another option is Puzzle Streak, where you solve increasingly difficult puzzles until time runs out. 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Lichess is always 100% free and open source with zero paywalls or ads.
• You can complete puzzles and challenge the computer offline.
• Puzzle themes let you drill puzzles by opening, endgame, or tactic type.

Cons

• Explanations are limited, so players often need to figure out why one line is better on their own.
• Studies and puzzles are less structured compared to alternatives that emphasize teaching.
• Offline access needs to be prepared in advance. You need to open the Lichess puzzles app on a connection so the batch is open.

3. Dr. Wolf Chess App: Virtual Chess Coaching

For beginner and intermediate players who want to understand the why behind certain chess moves, the Dr. Wolf chess coach app is designed to feel like having an actual coach explain moves to you in real time. When you first open the app, you'll be asked whether you want to start with the basics or jump into a game. 

If you go right into a game, Dr. Wolf asks whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player. From there, Dr. Wolf gives you real-time pointers as you play. Your mistakes become training material that you can revisit later. You can enjoy interactive chess lessons available on iOS and Android.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Explains mistakes as you play with personalized instruction
• Beginner-friendly instruction to cover fundamentals
• Personalized practice based on your actual mistakes against the computer.

Cons

• Does not have multi-platform chess synchronization, as it is not available in the browser.
• Some features are behind a paywall.
• Advanced players may not find much use in this app for advanced study, or they may feel bogged down by the instruction.

4. Chessable: Chess Training That Uses the Science of Learning

Chessable describes itself as where science meets chess. The app uses spaced repetition, a strategy that reviews your knowledge at increasing intervals rather than on a fixed schedule to boost retention. Chessable is commonly used as an opening repertoire trainer, but its mobile courses also include tactics and endgame drills. 

The app also features a MoveTrainer that asks you to make moves on a board instead of just reading or watching the right move. Courses also include written explanations and close variations with each move. Some courses are available with a free account, while others require a paid PRO subscription, and more are available for purchase.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The app uses learning science to help you retain more information, including spaced repetition and the MoveTrainer Feature.
• Courses combine written explanations, interactive variations, and, in some cases, video instruction.
• Offline study is available with a paid PRO subscription.

Cons

• Many features and courses require a paid subscription.
• Some courses need to be purchased separately and can be expensive.
• Canceling paid subscriptions can be challenging.

5. ChessKid: An App Built for the Youngest Chess Players

If you're a parent who wants to support your child's chess endeavors but want to keep a closer eye on their progress and restrict what they're able to access, ChessKid is a very helpful app that keeps your kid engaged in the game with a kid-friendly interface while prioritizing their safety. ChessKid's safe play platform is designed with a wide range of safety tools to give parents control over their child's experience.

But the app's educational component is tailored to children as well. Lessons progress a child's understanding of the game in manageable steps, while keeping explanations playful to make chess ideas more approachable.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• This app is designed exclusively for kids.
• Parent and coach oversight features make it easy to track younger players' progress.
• Restricted communication means that kids won't be able to type out discussions with other players

Cons

• Not intended for adult chess players. Older kids who may want a more conventional chess experience might not find the interface appealing.
• Free membership does not include unlimited access to puzzles, videos, and lessons
• Highly advanced kids will likely need additional instruction to improve their game.

Only Have a Few Moments to Put Towards Chess Tactics? These Chess Apps Can Help

For many players, it feels like there's simply never enough time in the day to improve at chess. But with these 5 mobile chess apps, you can make the most of every spare minute and improve your game. Keep calm and play on!