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

Review: Glaurung Chess for iPhone & iPod Touch

This is the first in a series of reviews of chess applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The touch screen on these devices is a great interface that really works well for chess. There are a number of chess programs available in the App Store, but today I'm reviewing one of the better options: Glaurung Chess by Tord Romstad.

Glaurung Chess is a port of an open-source chess engine for the Mac. The engine is very strong (about 2700 ELO) and aggressive. Glaurung has most of the features you would expect from a commercial chess package, including analysis, an opening book tree, the ability to setup positions, and the ability to save & e-mail games as Portable Game Notation (PGN) files. This last feature is especially useful. I recently used Glaurung at a chess tournament to record my notation in-between rounds. When I got home, I simply had to e-mail the PGN file to myself to import it into my PC's chess database.



Graphically, Glaurung is a bit plain. It features two piece sets and five board colors. The menu options, while functional, can be a bit confusing to navigate. For example, under the 'Game' menu is an option called 'Level/Game Mode' where you set the players and time control. However, the actual level of computer playing strength is controlled under the 'Options' menu. Glaurung supports both the 'tap-drag' and 'tap-tap' methods of moving pieces, so you can enter moves quite easily.

The best thing about Glaurung is the price. As open-source software, it is available completely free of charge. Other applications with similar features cost $4.99 or more. Given Glaurung's excellent price point, there's no reason not to get this app.

PROS

Strong engine
Analysis
Opening book tree
Ability to setup positions
Ability to save games as PGNs
Free!

CONS

Mediocre graphics
Confusing menus

Overall Rating: 4/5