ChessMind AI review: scores and evidence
Platform founded in 2023 by GM Mauricio Flores Rios: games against six Maia levels, engine game review with natural-language commentary, a free "game scan" that profiles weaknesses and proposes a study plan, 69 written opening courses, positional, endgame and visualisation exercises. No play against humans, no free repertoire, no documented coach area, no published verification procedure.
Read on August 30, 2026 from the service’s public pages — every score cites the page read.
Overall score
4.7/ 10
Rank
5/ 128
Free-only score
2.4/ 10
quotas counted
Languages
12
Listed price
$69.99/yr ≈ €64 (annual price shown by the plans API: monthly $9.99, annual $69.99, lifetime $229.99; $1 ≈ €0.92)
What the service is
ChessMind AI was founded in 2023 by Mauricio Flores Rios, a Chilean-American grandmaster (titled at 18, PhD, over seven years as an engineer in Silicon Valley), according to the FAQ on https://chessmind.ai/ and the page https://chessmind.ai/about; the App Store listing (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chessmind-ai/id6739585822) names "Chess Tutor AI LLC" as the seller with a 2024 copyright, and no published address. The service lets you play six levels of Maia opponents (a network trained on human games), reviews every pasted or played game with plain-language commentary, offers a free "game scan" that surfaces priorities and a study plan, opening courses written by the GM (69 announced on the site, 56 on Google Play) with practice against the AI, positional exercises, an endgame module, visualisation drills (blindfold, knight’s tour), timed puzzles, a "ChessGPT" chat, a library of books and videos and 21 annotated famous games. Business model: free scan and account; subscription at $9.99/month, $69.99/year or $229.99 lifetime for unlimited games, courses and plans (in-app purchases on the App Store listing). iOS and Android apps in 12 languages, courses in English. It offers no play against humans, no Chess.com/Lichess link, no free repertoire, no human coach and no published verification of its diagnoses.
Activity history
- 2026-08Late August 2026: iOS versions 2.1.2 (landscape mode, streak shared as a story card, missing translations) then 2.1.3 (guided endgame mode, new studies and bishop endings); Google Play updated on 31 August 2026 (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chessmind-ai/id6739585822; https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chessmindai.chessmindaiapp).
- 2026-0810 August 2026: version 2.0.2, "ChessMind AI 2.0 is here! Completely rebuilt"; 2.1.0 on 18 August adds practising opening courses against a bot (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chessmind-ai/id6739585822).
- 2026-0624 June 2026: version 1.5.3, new Library section for books and videos; 1.5.4 on 27 June makes bundles available on mobile (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chessmind-ai/id6739585822).
- 2026-0510 May 2026: version 1.5.0, "New Basic Mates"; 1.5.1 on 15 May adds daily lessons (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chessmind-ai/id6739585822).
- 20232023: ChessMind AI is founded by GM Mauricio Flores Rios (https://chessmind.ai/about).
The scores, evidence by evidence
Every score points to the page read and the fact found there. A fact documented nowhere is not credited: document it, then write to us.
APersonalized diagnosis
3.8A1 :1Importing your games (Chess.com, Lichess, PGN files)free
https://chessmind.ai FAQ: "Paste or play a game"; no Chess.com/Lichess connection or bulk import mentioned.
A2 :2Automatic engine analysis of every gamenot documented
https://chessmind.ai: "every game reviewed move by move"; engine and depth not published, unlimited only with a subscription.
A3 :2Recurring mistakes identified across all your gamesfree
https://chessmind.ai/scan — named "Top Priorities" (Endgame conversion, Tactical awareness, Pawn structure) with Highest/High/Medium impact; no count displayed
A4 :2Types of mistakes covered (tactics, strategy, endgame, time…)free
https://chessmind.ai/scan + home page — axes cited: endgame, tactics, pawn structure, opening; list of patterns not published
A5 :2Written explanation of each mistakenot documented
https://chessmind.ai — "explains the plans behind the moves, the tactics you missed"; no public example citing moves
A6 :0Stated verification of the diagnoses (procedure, rates)
No mention of reliability/rates on https://chessmind.ai or https://chessmind.ai/about.
A7 :0Tracking each weakness over time
No history per period mentioned on https://chessmind.ai (sitemap-core.xml: no tracking page).
A8 :0Comparison with players of the same rating
No comparison with the rating bracket mentioned on https://chessmind.ai.
BOpenings
3.9B1 :1Building a personal repertoirepaid
https://chessmind.ai: 69+ set opening courses; no repertoire editor.
B2 :2Training the repertoire (drills, games)paid
https://chessmind.ai: "written guide … with board practice against the AI" (drill against the AI); no SRS of the repertoire.
B3 :1Spotting where you left your repertoire in your gamesnot documented
https://chessmind.ai: "the openings where you leave theory first" cited as a pattern; no screen evidence → stats only.
B4 :1Verification of the lines taught (engine, practice)free
https://chessmind.ai: courses "authored with grandmaster input"; no engine check announced.
B5 :0Opening explorer and statistics
No database explorer mentioned on https://chessmind.ai or in sitemap-core.xml.
B6 :2Explanation of opening plans and ideaspaid
https://chessmind.ai: "main line, key ideas, typical plans" in writing; traps/model games not demonstrated (API /model-games undocumented).
CTargeted training
5.9C1 :2Exercises drawn from your own gamespaid
https://chessmind.ai: "personalized study plan built from your own mistakes"; no success rate per weakness.
C2 :1Bank of tactical exercises (size, themes, rating)not documented
https://chessmind.ai/sitemap-core.xml: pages /puzzles, /puzzle-flash; no bank size published.
C3 :2Endgame trainingnot documented
https://chessmind.ai/sitemap-core.xml: /endgame-training and /endings (dedicated module); no endgames drawn from the player’s games.
C4 :2Strategic and positional trainingnot documented
https://chessmind.ai/sitemap-core.xml — /positional-quiz and /positional-puzzles exist; no sorting by strategic theme observed
C5 :2Training defense and alertnessnot documented
https://chessmind.ai/sitemap-core.xml — /visualization/hanging-pieces: one sub-type (hanging pieces); no difficulty rating published
C6 :2Training calculation and visualizationnot documented
https://chessmind.ai/sitemap-core.xml: /visualization (coordinates, knight-tour, notation, position-recall, blindfold) = blindfold mode and visualisation exercises; no progression by level documented.
C7 :1Difficulty matched to your real levelnot documented
https://chessmind.ai: six Maia levels by bracket (~1100 to 2000+); no adaptive rating documented on the exercises.
C8 :2Spaced repetition (named algorithm)not documented
https://chessmind.ai — "spaced repetition" cited in the method; algorithm not named, due dates not shown
C9 :2Personalized training planpaid
https://chessmind.ai/scan — "Personalized study plan built from your own mistakes", priorities by impact; no adjustable time budget
DPrice and value
6.7D1 :2What the free plan actually lets you dofree
https://chessmind.ai FAQ: "the game scan … is free, and so is creating an account"; unlimited games and courses reserved for the subscription.
D2 :2Annual price of the full planfree
https://api.chessmind.ai/api/subscription/plans/: yearly $69.99 ≈ €64 (€31-75).
D3 :1Commercial transparency (price shown, trial, cancellation)free
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chessmind-ai/id6739585822: prices shown; no readable trial or refund (/termsOfuse renders empty).
D4 :3Number of paid tiers (how simple the offer is)free
https://api.chessmind.ai/api/subscription/plans/ — a single subscription, three billing periods ($9.99/month, $69.99/year, $229.99 lifetime)
EEvidence and transparency
3.3E1 :0Published evidence of effectiveness
No effectiveness data on https://chessmind.ai.
E2 :0Chess verification of the content (positions, lines)
No content verification information on https://chessmind.ai.
E3 :2Transparency of the method (algorithms, code)free
https://chessmind.ai FAQ: Maia named; "spaced repetition" cited; engine/depth not named → partial level 2, retained for Maia.
E4 :2Marketing claims that can be checked (no overselling)free
https://chessmind.ai: descriptive wording, no quantified promise of ELO gains.
FContent and method
7.3F1 :2Courses organized by rating levelpaid
https://chessmind.ai/sitemap-core.xml: /library, /academies; bot levels by ELO but courses not labelled by bracket → level 2 not proven, level 1 proven.
F2 :2Course authors named and titledfree
https://chessmind.ai FAQ: founder GM Mauricio Flores Rios, the only titled author named.
F3 :3Content formats (text, video, interactive)paid
https://api.chessmind.ai/api/video-courses/ (endpoint) + written guides + interactive "board practice" on https://chessmind.ai.
F4 :2Published method of progressionfree
https://chessmind.ai: "chess training plan to fix the weakest link first" (plan from the scan); no published curriculum with milestones available — level 3 requires a published curriculum AND adaptation.
F5 :2How often the content is updatedfree
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chessmind-ai/id6739585822: v2.1.2 published "18 hours ago" (30/08/2026); no public monthly changelog.
GPlaying and practice
2.5G1 :0Playing humans online (pool, anti-cheating)
https://chessmind.ai: only "AI opponents"; no play against humans.
G2 :2Realistic artificial opponentsnot documented
https://chessmind.ai FAQ: "built on Maia", six ELO levels; realistic thinking time not documented (required at level 3; cf. Noctie/Chessiverse, which document it).
G3 :1Replaying one specific position against the machinenot documented
https://chessmind.ai: "Paste or play a game" on the analysis board; replaying your own positions against the AI not demonstrated.
G4 :0Tournaments and organized competition
No tournament mentioned on https://chessmind.ai.
HExperience and accessibility
5.3H1 :3Platforms available (web, iOS, Android, desktop)free
https://chessmind.ai JSON-LD: "operatingSystem: Web, iOS, Android" + linked App Store/Play listings.
H2 :2User ratings and reviews (stores, press)free
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chessmind-ai/id6739585822: 4.7/5 from 129 ratings (≥ 100 reviews, < 1,000).
H3 :2Interface languages availablefree
App Store listing id6739585822: 12 languages listed (including FR); courses in English
H4 :0Accessibility (keyboard, screen reader)
No mention of accessibility on https://chessmind.ai.
H5 :1Offline use and known incidentsfree
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chessmind-ai/id6739585822: reviews reporting freezes since fixed; no status page.
IPreparation and study
1.7I1 :0Preparing for a named opponent
https://chessmind.ai + /sitemap-core.xml — no page or mention of preparing against a named opponent
I2 :1Annotating and sharing games (studies)not documented
https://chessmind.ai — /analysis: "Paste or play a game" with "plain-language coaching"; neither saved variations nor sharing by link
I3 :1Entering a game played at a club (photo, scoresheet)free
https://chessmind.ai — "Paste or play a game and the analysis board…": moves entered on a virtual board; no photo or OCR
I4 :0Searching your games (filters, position)
https://chessmind.ai/games — page = 21 annotated famous games, not a list of the player’s games; no filter observed
JHuman coaching and community
2.5J1 :0Access to human coaches
No human coach offered on https://chessmind.ai (/academies page with no readable content).
J2 :1Size and activity of the communityfree
https://chessmind.ai: Instagram and a Lichess account; no forum/Discord or counter.
J3 :0Tools for trainers, clubs and schools
https://chessmind.ai/academies: "Chess Academies & Coaches" page with no readable content; features not demonstrated.
J4 :2Engagement mechanics (streaks, virtual currency, reminders)free
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chessmind-ai/id6739585822: "streak-sharing"; no virtual currency observed.
KPersonal data and interoperability
2.2K1 :0Exporting your data (games, repertoire)
No export mentioned on https://chessmind.ai (FAQ, sitemap).
K2 :1Protection of personal data (GDPR, hosting)free
https://chessmind.ai/privacypolicy exists (JS content unreadable); App Store: identifiers collected for analytics/marketing.
K3 :1Public API and source codefree
https://chessmind.ai: import by pasting a PGN only; no public API or open code.
Also, outside the grid
Features found that no criterion measures. They do not count towards the score.
- AI coach chat ("ChessGPT")
- Library of 21 annotated famous games
- Timed Puzzle Flash / Time Bomb modes
- Position evaluation drill (Evaluation Flash)
Sources consulted
- https://chessmind.ai/
- https://chessmind.ai/about
- https://chessmind.ai/scan
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chessmind-ai/id6739585822
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chessmindai.chessmindaiapp
- https://chessmind.ai
- https://chessmind.ai/sitemap-core.xml
- https://chessmind.ai/games
- https://chessmind.ai/academies
- https://chessmind.ai/privacypolicy
Services with a similar profile
The three services whose category profile is closest — a distance over the eleven scores, computed, never chosen.