Notation is a chess coaching app that teaches you why — not just what.
Every chess evaluation comes from Stockfish 18, running entirely on your device. Every pattern, weakness, and tactical motif is detected by hand-tuned on-device classifiers built on decades of coaching theory. The language model's only job is the last step: explaining what the analysis found, in plain English, like a coach sitting next to you.
The chess is never generated. It's explained.
THREE COACHING FRAMEWORKS
Notation is the first chess app to operationalise multiple grandmaster-level coaching frameworks as deterministic measurement:
• Dan Heisman's seven positional elements — Mobility, Vulnerability, Centre Control, Coordination, Speed, Time, Flexibility — measured per-position with super-GM baselines
• Jeremy Silman's coaching emphasis frames — fifteen frames choosing what to teach at each moment
• Jacob Aagaard's positional predicates — Where are the weaknesses? Which is the worst-placed piece? What's the opponent's plan?
All computed on-device. All deterministic. The same principles human coaches have used for decades, encoded into classifiers that run before the language model ever sees the position.
GAME REVIEW
Every game gets a coherent on-device review — no API key needed, no internet, no cost. Template-driven narrative against the full coaching substrate. When you want depth, upgrade once with your own Anthropic or OpenAI API key, o ruse the On Device LLM with no additional costs and the richer review becomes the permanent artefact for that game. Nadia comments on at most six moments — only the ones worth learning from. PDF export of every review.
PLAYER PROFILE
Style axes — Aggression, Tactical Alertness, Positional Play, Endgame — derived from the substrate with confidence bands. The seven Heisman elements sit below as evidence. Full-screen iPad dashboard. PDF coaching report you could hand to a human coach.
OPPONENT SCOUTING & MATCHUP REPORTS
Scout reports surface the full eight-axis substrate on any opponent. How-to-play-against framing with concrete suggestions. Player-vs-opponent comparison across all axes with weakest-phase detection.
SHADOW — YOUR CHESS TWIN
Shadow learns how you play and saves checkpoints. Play yourself from six months ago. See how far you've come. Coming soon: calibrate Shadow to your real-life rivals by importing their games.
PLAY ON YOUR PHYSICAL BOARD
Pair with Chessnut Air, Pro, Go, Air+ and Move over Bluetooth. Notation tracks every move on real wood while Nadia coaches.
PRIVACY BY DESIGN
Stockfish on-device. All coaching classifiers on-device. Cohort baselines on-device. Optional cloud AI is bring-your-own-key — your Anthropic or OpenAI API key, your account, your data. We never see it. Leave the field blank and Notation works fully without it.
IMPORT YOUR GAMES
Connect Lichess or Chess.com. Import PGN files. Nadia analyses everything in the background.
£2.99. One-off. No subscription. No ads. No tracking. Yours forever.
Good app but I think there’s a bug in the most crucial part
ElGranMacho2O15
So I downloaded the app a few days ago and finally was able to see its contents and wanted to learn about chess outside of what most people utilize. I went into the section that said library and “road to GM” and everything ran smoothly I liked what I was learning. I finished the lessons but every time I try to get into a match to help me progress any further the app crashes the moment I try to make a first move. The device I utilize is the Apple iPhone XR (model MT3L2LL/A) is a 64GB White model designed for the US/Canada market (model identifier A1984)Is my phone incompatible? I don’t want to wish for a refund I just want that issue resolved please. I would greatly appreciate it if you would reply to my message so I can better direct my next move.
Bug fixes and tuning to on device language models
Version 3.0.4
The developer, Darren Cox, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
Darren Cox
Size
446.6 MB
Category
Board
Compatibility
Requires iOS 18.6 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 18.6 or later.
iPad Requires iPadOS 18.6 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 15.6 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.