Pulsar Chess Engine at App Store analyse

App power index: 120 (based on ranks around App Stores today)
Games Board Puzzle
Developer: Michael Adams
Price: 0 free
Current version: 1.97, last update: 7 months ago
First release : 10 Apr 2014
App size: 10.88 Mb
4.8 ( 9408 ratings )
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Estimation application downloads and cost

> 2.64k
Monthly downloads
~ $ 1.08k
Estimation App Cost


The Pulsar Chess Engine plays chess and six variants all with adjustable levels : Chess960, Crazyhouse, Losers, Atomic, Three Checks and Giveaway. Games played that have a result or resignation are logged and can be reviewed. There are additional game collections when users open their log file of classic and modern master games including Fischer, Carlsen and Morphy collections. If the game is a chess game or Chess960, Crafty engine analysis is available.

Pulsar values mobility and active positions. In app there is an article with more on its playing style and how to train against it. With the variants, each has its own style. Chess960, Three Checks and Crazyhouse are the more chess like variants and adoptable to learn to play for anyone with interest. The rules of all games are in app.

Pulsar has levels of play from beginner too advanced. Games with a time control are the hardest though Pulsar doesnt call the players time. The time is more to handicap Pulsars strength, but users will have a clock and can see if its gone negative if they want to play the time control.

The game button - configure game menu item, lets the user control the variant and difficulty. It defaults to Chess at Easy(lowest level) but remembers the current settings when the App restarts. There are choices of pieces and board color schemes. The Pulsar program was originally developed by me for computers starting in 1998 and came to mobile for the first time in 2014.

Pulsars board is accessible to the blind using Voice Over, a screen reader. Tap on a square and it will say whats on it and double tap to move or choose from three move methods. A screen reader can normally read anything with text like a button, but a board is a collection of images. To make it accessible, text must be returned to Voice Over when a tap is in the area of a square.

Pulsar began as a chess program and later learned variants. It ran extensively on two servers for many years both at chess and variants. The ratings on the board reflect strength I saw in rated play on handicapped bots. They are not 100% exact but generalizations I made from the various bots I ran at different settings.

If in the new game selector, Play vs. Computer is unchecked the user can move for both sides. This is to allow two people at same location to use the App as a board for a game and have the app enforce move legality and results for whatever variant is selected.
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Available in countries
Country Price
Canada free
China free
France free
Germany free
Italy free
Netherlands free
Portugal free
Spain free
Poland free
UK free
India free
Japan free
Poland free
Russia free
Turkey free
USA free
Korea, Republic Of free
Ukraine free
Available for devices
iPhone3GS, iPhone4, iPodTouchFourthGen, iPad2Wifi, iPad23G, iPhone4S, iPadThirdGen, iPadThirdGen4G, iPhone5, iPodTouchFifthGen, iPadFourthGen, iPadFourthGen4G, iPadMini, iPadMini4G, iPhone5c, iPhone5s, iPadAir, iPadAirCellular, iPadMiniRetina, iPadMiniRetinaCellular, iPhone6, iPhone6Plus, iPadAir2, iPadAir2Cellular, iPadMini3, iPadMini3Cellular, iPodTouchSixthGen, iPhone6s, iPhone6sPlus, iPadMini4, iPadMini4Cellular, iPadPro, iPadProCellular, iPadPro97, iPadPro97Cellular, iPhoneSE, iPhone7, iPhone7Plus, iPad611, iPad612, iPad71, iPad72, iPad73, iPad74, iPhone8, iPhone8Plus, iPhoneX, iPad75, iPad76, iPhoneXS, iPhoneXSMax, iPhoneXR, iPad812, iPad834, iPad856, iPad878, iPadMini5, iPadMini5Cellular, iPadAir3, iPadAir3Cellular, iPodTouchSeventhGen, iPhone11, iPhone11Pro, iPadSeventhGen, iPadSeventhGenCellular, iPhone11ProMax, iPhoneSESecondGen, iPadProSecondGen, iPadProSecondGenCellular, iPadProFourthGen, iPadProFourthGenCellular,

Latest version Pulsar Chess Engine: 1.97

Added a new level after difficult

Apps Changes History:
  • 7 months ago: New App Version 1.94 ☛ 1.97