How DarkSquares compares
6 trainers that overlap with what we do, each compared feature by feature, with the rows we lose left in and the date every price was checked.
Nobody should take a comparison written by one of the two products at face value, so these pages are built to be checkable rather than persuasive. Each one lists where the other tool is better, says plainly who should choose it instead, links the pages the claims were read off, and prints the date they were read. If you find something wrong, tell us and it gets fixed.
Most of the products below are good. The recurring difference is scope: a blindfold setting and a blindfold curriculum are not the same thing, and which one you need depends entirely on whether you can already hold a board in your head.
DarkSquares vs Don't Move Until You See It
A coached system with a community and a daily podcast. DarkSquares is a drill app you use alone. Same belief about what limits adult players, different medicine.
DarkSquares vs Chessvis
Chessvis is a visualisation trainer with an enormous puzzle library behind a subscription. DarkSquares is a ladder with a one-time unlock at the top.
DarkSquares vs Listudy
Listudy hides moves inside a tactics puzzle. DarkSquares takes the board away a layer at a time, across a whole training ladder.
DarkSquares vs Chess Vision Trainer
Chess Vision Trainer never shows a board at all. DarkSquares fades one out in stages. Same goal, opposite method.
DarkSquares vs Shingan Chess
The closest thing to a clone of the DarkSquares exercise ladder, free, with adverts and a coin economy to switch them off.
DarkSquares vs Verbal Chess
Verbal Chess lets you play a normal game entirely by voice, eyes closed. DarkSquares uses voice inside a training ladder that gets you to that point.