Review: Shredder for iPhone & iPod Touch

This is the second in a series of reviews of chess applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Today I'm reviewing Shredder Chess.


Shredder is well-known as one of the most successful chess programs for the PC and Mac. It has been ported to the iPhone / iPod Touch platform by game developer Eiko Bleicher of Skizzix.com. The iPhone implementation has most of the features of its "older brother", including analysis, the ability to setup positions, and the ability to save & e-mail games as Portable Game Notation (PGN) files. Unlike Glaurung, it does not display an opening book tree, nor does it allow timed games.

Shredder’s engine is very strong and plays in a human-like fashion. The strength of the engine can be easily adjusted from 850-2400 ELO. Shredder will rate you based on your playing strength. As you win or lose to Shredder, it will adjust its playing strength to provide a good challenge. Shredder's chess coach can optionally warn you if it thinks you are making a mistake. Another distinguishing feature is Shredder's puzzle mode. Shredder will time and rate your performance on 1000 different puzzles. These three features make Shredder a great training tool.


Shredder’s graphics are clean and pleasing to the eye. It features four piece sets and six board colors. The analysis engine graphically displays suggested moves as it examines the position. Shredder supports both the 'tap-drag' and 'tap-tap' methods of moving pieces during play, but the interface for setting up positions only supports ‘tap-drag’. Unfortunately, the button to clear the board is very close to the buttons for the pieces, making it easy to clear the board accidentally while attempting to setup a position.

Shredder’s pricing is on the high end of the scale. At $9.99, it is much more expensive than most chess applications on the App Store; however, it does have a number of features that make it stand out. In addition, if you are thinking about purchasing Shredder for PC or Mac, you can get a code for $10 off your purchase if you buy Shredder for the iPhone.

Shredder is a good option if you can afford the steep price tag; otherwise, the free Glaurung will be fine for most users.

PROS

Strong, human-like engine
Chess coach
Puzzles
Good graphics
Analysis
Ability to save games as PGNs

CONS

Ability to setup positions needs work
Relatively expensive compared to other apps
No opening book tree
No timed games

Overall Rating: 4/5