Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf review: price, free version and privacy

Our verdict

Dr. Wolf is one of the gentlest ways to learn chess from zero, as long as you are willing to subscribe after the free games. Players who mainly want to play people online need a separate app.

What Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf is

Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf, from Chess.com, is a coach rather than a playing site. The description says Dr. Wolf plays with you, speaks his explanations out loud, points out strategic ideas and goes back over your mistakes. Lessons run from the basics to intermediate strategy and tactics, and you can choose among four coach personalities with different voices and styles. A recent update lets him play the opening you just studied.

Who it suits

• Complete chess beginners
• Players who want explanations of why a move is good or bad

Strengths

• Spoken, move-by-move coaching while you play, according to the description
• Reviews your mistakes again later so you do not repeat them
• Lesson map from beginner to intermediate, with four coach personalities
• Rated 4.8 from about 27,100 ratings, available in English, Spanish, French and German, runs from iOS 13

Limits

• Only 3 coached games are free; unlimited hints, undos and Lesson Library access need Coaching
• Seven data types are linked to you, including location and contact info
• No online play against other people is mentioned in the listing
• The description gives two lesson counts (over 50 in one place, over thirty in another), so the library size is unclear

What the free version does

The description says Dr. Wolf coaches you for free for 3 games, and will keep playing with you whether or not you subscribe. Coaching adds in-game teaching, unlimited hints and undos, and the full Lesson Library.

Price

On the US App Store in November 2026, Dr. Wolf Coaching is listed at $5.99 or $6.99 (Monthly), $39.99 or $49.99 (Yearly), with Individual items at $5.99 and $39.99, a Family item at $49.99, and 30 Days of Coaching at $4.99. There is no lifetime option.

Privacy

The privacy label declares no tracking. Purchases, location, contact info, user content, identifiers, usage data and diagnostics are linked to your identity.

What the screenshots show

The screenshots show the coach's portrait with written tips beside the board, and a lesson map ("53 out of 95 points") with Mastered badges on topics such as capturing hanging pieces and an Intermediate section.