AccessibleChess game

By Donal, 14 September, 2025

Forum
iOS and iPadOS Gaming

Hi all,

Looking for an accessible chess app. I want to play the game with a sighted family member. I've posted in the IOS gaming forum, but happy to take suggestions for Mac and/or Windows as well.

Thanks a lot.

Options

Comments

By Bruce Harrell on Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 17:16

Is use the search .

By Panais on Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 18:16

Chess wise 3 is accessible. this was the one I found when I search this website. however multiplayer is not supported anymore as far as I can tell.
I am also interested if someone has a better suggestion.

By Igna Triay on Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 19:01

Give
lichess.org
A shot. While its not a app, its tbh, the best option to play on mac and iphone as most iphone apps don't allow you to type in the moves which is kinda slow at least for me; and most chess mac apps from what I acan tell aren't accessible.

By Bruce Harrell on Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 19:07

I remember reading a variety of posts regarding a variety of chess apps on applevis.com, not just in the app forums. There was also an applevis.com podcast by Thomas on using the native Mac chess app.

In addition, although I have not played in years, these are the apps I have used in the past.

IOS: Shredder (recommended); Openings; Chess Opening; Openings; Chess Classic; chess-wise; Pulsar; and, Cess Studio.

By Enes Deniz on Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 20:27

I also have other apps but they're not as accessible or functional. And then there's HIARCS but I've not purchased that one so can't comment on it, even though it's also claimed to be accessible.

By Bruce Harrell on Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 20:31

There is no reason you and your friends or family members can't simply email each other a growing list of moves, each move being in algebraic notation (e.g., e4, d5, etc.), with you using your tactual board and your friend/family member using a standard tabletop chess set.

Give it a try. It's why I stopped using apps.

By Panais on Monday, September 15, 2025 - 06:47

To post your moves in an envelope and then use be my eyes to read it. Or you can use a carrier pigeon to go totally vintage.
Come on Bruce an app is the best solution. Emailing your moves man, this will take ages. Better do it by phone if you want to do it your way.

By Singer Girl on Monday, September 15, 2025 - 10:30

We’ve gotten way too app dependent now. There’s so many things that can be done without apps. I still have a bunch of handheld electronic games. I don’t even bother with games apps on my phone. Never have and I don’t think I ever will. I like the idea of just like emailing moves or even a phone call or whatever I mean, it gives you a reason to talk to your family and what not. And that’s why they still have boardgame chestnuts. They even have like tactical chests And they come up with like directions and bra and stuff like that so you totally still do that. I like that idea a lot actually. If I were interested in, that’s what I would do. I would get myself a tattoo chest and I’d get the Braille directions on how to play it cause I’ve literally never been able to figure that out successfully. But that’s good that’s me. I need things to be tactile to the touchscreen isn’t and that’s literally why I still use like the handheld electronic games. For example, I haven’t even bothered with it app although I know there was something like that for us a while holding in touch. I have no idea if it’s still around or not. I don’t even want to use a touchscreen to play that. I still have the old tactical physical pops. I even have the original one that came out in 1996. I literally paid two dollars for it. And it still works. I have a bunch of other ones like that as well. I just find things like that to work better for me. But yeah, I know there were a few accessible apps for just a while ago. But like I said, I just don’t bother playing any kind of games on my phone. I never have and I honestly don’t think I ever will. I was trying to say that I have bop it. I have the actual physical tattoo game of that. I think there was an app for that also I think it was called Zani touch. I think it was part of the blindfold games series I believe. But I never bother looking at that like I said because I don’t really want to do that on a touchscreen either. Again, I know this is very specific to my case. I do hope that you find what you’re looking for if you do still want to accessible chess app though. I’m not trying to get out discount anybody’s wishes here. Just stating my opinion as we all have a right to one. :-)

By Bruce Harrell on Monday, September 15, 2025 - 17:16

Lol! I am guessing you are young and/or otherwise enamored of smart devices, so your app devotion is understandable. I encourage you to go to the park, where you will likely find pairs of old men sitting across from each other, hunched over their . . . what? smart phones? No. Hunched over their chess board.

I also encourage you to try a chess board. I have several I've used for decades and have always found them far superior by touch compared to apps when it comes to visualizing the board and seeing ahead in the game. They also formed the foundation of an ability I didn't know I had until my mid 20's, when I discovered I could play chess in my head.

I am assuming you have never used a physical chess board. Half the squares are slightly higher than the other half. I don't remember if it was the black squares or the white squares that are higher than the other. Either way, it is very easy to trace diagonals, horizontals and verticals n the board by touch.

White pieces have a little point on top; black pieces are smooth on top. It is very easy to tell the difference by touch.

All piece are pegged and fit into holes in the center of each square on the board. It is very difficult to knock over the pieces.

On my favorite chess boards, there is an extra double row of holes in a smooth surfaced area beyond the left and right edges of the playing surface. These smooth areas are where players put pieces they have removed from the board.

Last, I am assuming you have never heard of correspondence chess. I've played many correspondence chess tournaments, and I've played hundreds of games by email with my favorite opponents, taking a day or two between each move to study the position on the board. That is a great way to improve your playing ability. Oh, sure, lightning chess can be fun, but it really doesn't do much for your playing level.

Anyway, if you'd like to try a correspondence game, then, well, here you go!

1. e4

Whether you do or don't, smiling, have fun!

Bruce

By Donal on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - 12:57

Appreciate all the feedback on this. I'm with Bruce on this, I'd love to get hold of a tactile board. however, (and bear in mind I'm in Ireland) they're not to be had this side of the pond. Neither vision Ireland, nor RNIB seem to stock them any more. Very sad.

By Panais on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - 18:58

I’m sorry if I sounded pedantic. All I wanted to say, is that it seems simpler to me to play chess using an app. I used to play on a normal chessboard back in the day. That is before I got the vision of a cave spider.
Nowadays I too must have a picture of the board in my mind’s eye, at least to some extent. I can’t play a whole game using my head though. That seems impossible to me. Still, I find it easier and faster to check things out on a virtual board using vertical and horizontal navigation.
To be honest I didn’t even know that tactile boards exist. I would still prefer an app to play from a distance and two days per move is too much for my liking. To each their own though. However, I will order a tactile board to try it out with my wife because as I already said, chess wise 3 doesn’t support multiplayer anymore.
Ps. i’m not enamored with smart devices. I find however that technology makes my life so much easier then it would otherwise be. As for old men in the park, i’m afraid I would have trouble seeing the park itself, let alone old men playing chess.

By DJ on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - 21:17

@Donal

Chess for Blind
Utilising Braille
Specially created chess sets for blind and partially sighted chess players. As required by the Braille Chess Association, these sets have the following
characteristics: Raised dark squares, Staunton design, bottom dowells in the pieces to hold the pieces in place in their hole, slight spikes in the dark

https://www.chessbaron.co.uk/category/chess-for-blind/

By Donal on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - 21:23

Hi @Dj,

Thanks for the link. I'm not sure they ship to Ireland, particularly since Brexit. I've sent them an email a few days ago but haven't heard back. I appreciate the helpful suggestion though.

By Donal on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - 21:25

Hi Bruce,

Thanks also to yourself. I had seen some of those, and contacted to see if they'll ship here. We've actually found a temporary work-around which is for me to play on my Mac and the family member to use a standard board. Works very well.

By Ali Colak on Thursday, September 18, 2025 - 01:39

Lichess is pretty good on windows through a web browser, if you want to play long distance. I have heard that while Chess.com itself is inaccessible, their ios app strangely is accessible, though as I haven't tested it out I don't know. Also on windows, there is a site called Quentin's game room, which is designed for the blind and has a number of games you can play. There is also a program called winboard, which you can use to play chess, but I don't know about the long distance connection, it worked in the past, I believe.
If you're playing face-to-face, then you can get a tactile chess board and play that way.