Verbal Chess: playing by voice
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.
Checked against Verbal Chess’s own pages on
Verbal Chess, also from Conceptual Software, is built around one strong idea: every screen, every option and every move can be driven by your voice, and the app announces your opponent's replies. You can lean back, close your eyes, and play a full game against an engine or another person without looking at anything.
That makes it a way to play blindfold, not a way to learn to. It is the right tool for a player who can already hold a board, and this page is mostly about telling those two readers apart.
Feature by feature
| What you are comparing | Verbal Chess | DarkSquares |
|---|---|---|
| Voice coverageVerbal Chess is more thoroughly hands-free than DarkSquares, and says so. | The whole app is voice-driven: screens, options and moves | Moves are spoken and announced; the interface itself is not voice-driven |
| Playing blindfold | Play a full game with eyes closed against engines or people | Full games against Stockfish with pieces hidden, plus partial visibility levels |
| Learning to visualiseThis is the whole distinction. Verbal Chess assumes the skill; DarkSquares builds it. | Not the product; there is no drill ladder | Square colours, coordinates, piece paths, position memory, blind puzzles |
| Online opponents | Play other people by voice | Multiplayer exists, but voice is aimed at games against the engine |
| Languages | Not stated on the store listing read for this page | Voice recognition and announcements in six languages |
| Paying for it | Monthly or annual subscription, with a perpetual unlock available | Free accounts get one voice game a day; Pro removes the cap, one-time |
| Price | Free with in-app purchases: $0.99 monthly, $4.99 annual, or a $14.99 perpetual unlock (US App Store) | Free tier with unlimited exercises; optional Pro Lifetime at €39, paid once |
Where Verbal Chess is better
Every comparison written by one of the two products is worth less than it claims. Here is the part of this one that costs us something.
- Total voice control, including navigation, which DarkSquares does not attempt. For hands-free or eyes-free use it is simply more complete.
- Voice games against other people, not only against an engine.
- The perpetual unlock is inexpensive compared with most chess apps.
- For an already-strong visualiser who wants to play in an armchair, it is the more direct answer.
Where the two actually differ
A way to play, against a way to learn
Verbal Chess hands you a microphone and a game. That is exactly right if you can already track a position for forty moves. If you lose the board around move twelve, the app has nothing to say about why, and that is the gap DarkSquares fills with the ladder underneath the game.
Voice as an interface against voice as a drill
In Verbal Chess, speech is how you operate the app. In DarkSquares, speaking a move is part of the exercise: saying "knight f3" out loud and hearing the reply is a harder, more useful rep than tapping a square, because nothing on screen catches you.
Accessibility overlap
Both are usable without looking at the screen, which matters for visually impaired players. Verbal Chess goes further on interface coverage; DarkSquares covers six languages of move recognition and announcement.
Choose Verbal Chess if you can already play blindfold and want the most complete hands-free way to do it, or if you want voice games against other people.
Choose DarkSquares if you are not there yet and want the drills that get you there, with a voice game as the reward at the top rather than the whole product.
Questions people ask
Is Verbal Chess free?
It is a free download with in-app purchases. The US App Store listing shows a $0.99 monthly subscription, a $4.99 annual subscription and a $14.99 perpetual unlock. Store prices vary by country and change over time.
Can you play blindfold chess with Verbal Chess?
Yes. Because it announces the opponent's moves and accepts yours by voice, you can play an entire game without looking at the screen.
Does DarkSquares support voice moves?
Yes, in six languages, both speaking your move and hearing the opponent's. Free accounts get one voice game a day and Pro removes the cap.
Which one teaches you to visualise?
DarkSquares. Verbal Chess is an interface for playing without looking; it does not include a visualisation curriculum.
Start at the rung you can actually reach
Seven levels, from naming one square to a full game on a blank board. Free, no card.
How this was checked
Every claim about Verbal Chess on this page was read off the pages below on . Store prices are US storefront prices and change without notice; check the listing before buying.
Verbal Chess is a product of Conceptual Software, Inc. and is not affiliated with DarkSquares. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used here only to identify the products being compared. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.