Review: Chess With Friends Premium - It Will "Rook" Your World!
by Allan Curtis
November 7, 2010
Overview
Chess With Friends takes the great gameplay structure from Words With Friends and replaces WWF's scrabble with the ancient logic game of Chess. Chess With Friends Premium is the paid version of the app and removes ads.
Features
Chess With Friends features the same dead simple pick up and play gameplay found in Words With Friends that matches you with random opponents and easily allows you to play with your friends by using their online name.
The Good
Chess With Friends is a great multiplayer chess game. The great thing with Chess With Friends is that's its extremely easy to find an opponent. There is no screwing around with lobbies or queues in CWF. You just tap the button to find a random opponent and less than a minute later you'll be playing against somebody. It couldn't be easier.
Playing against friends is just as quick and easy. You just enter your email and a nickname when you first open the app and people can find you via that name and instantly start a game with you. The game also features an easy in game chat system, so you can talk with your opponent.
Controls are very simple, as you just drag and drop pieces to move and the app clearly shows which games are waiting for your move and also have green icons for new chat messages.
The game also looks very nice, featuring well contrasting colors and a simple uncluttered interface.
The game also includes push notifications, letting you know when it is your move even if you don't have the app open. CWF is designed to allow games to go as slowly as necessary, so you can open the app and move a day after your opponent has with no penalty, so this is a useful feature.
The Bad
Chess With Friends feels a little bare boned. The most annoying omission is there is no friends list. In a game like this it would be nice if you could have a list of friends so you don't have to type somebodies name into the app each times you want to play, especially if its somebody you just know though the app and might not be able to find again unless you know their name. A history of opponents might have been a good idea as well.
The game also lacks win/loss records and leaderboards. While this might go against the game's simplicity it would have been nice for serious players. On the other hand, having a win loss record encourages annoying behavior like refusing to finish games, so it may be better that it does not have it.
The Verdict
Chess With Friends is a great game. It works fine, lets you play chess anywhere you like against anyone, as long as you have network coverage and its so simple anyone can use it. Its price of $3.99 is quite reasonable for a game with the replay of chess. If you aren't ready to buy yet, there is also a free version with ads to try before you buy.
