You flip a General. Across the board: a wall of Soldiers. Every move from here has to count — that's the thrill of Dark Chess.
Dark Chess Pro is a Banqi app built for the craft of the game. Five AI levels take you from beginner training to brain-crushing challenges. Post-game review marks your best moves and your mistakes, so you get better every match. No coins, no gambling — just chess.
—— HOW IT WORKS ——
Dark Chess (Banqi) is a classic Chinese board game on a 4×8 grid:
• 32 pieces start face-down — flip one to reveal it
• Pieces follow a rank hierarchy: General > Advisor > Elephant > Chariot > Horse > Cannon > Soldier
• Higher rank captures lower, but Soldiers can capture the General
• The Cannon jumps over pieces to capture — the wildcard
• Win when your opponent has no pieces or no legal moves
—— NEW TO BANQI? ——
◆ Learn in One Game
• Interactive tutorial — flip, move, capture in 3 minutes
• Apprentice AI plays at your pace
• Post-game review marks your best moves and mistakes
—— EXPERIENCED PLAYER? ——
◆ Five AI Levels That Push You
• Apprentice → Knight → Master → Sage → Grandmaster
• Advanced AI uses deep search and endgame tablebase
• Real-time search stats show engine thinking
• Move-by-move review finds what you missed
◆ Variant Rules
• Chariot Charge — rook rushes across and captures through
• Diagonal Knight — extra diagonal movement
• Cannon Jump toggle — standard or no-jump mode
• Mix and match for fresh challenges
◆ Polished Experience
• Satisfying flip animations with haptic feedback
• Sound effects and clear status cues
• Full rules including perpetual chase restrictions
• Adaptive phone and tablet layouts
• Offline, no account — just open and play
◆ Free / One-Time Pro Unlock
• Free with ads
• Pro: remove ads, unlock advanced AI, tablebase, undo, review tools
Dark Chess is also known as Banqi, Half Chess, or Blind Chess — a beloved Chinese board game where strategy, hidden information, and sharp tactics make every game unique.
Ratings & Reviews
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v2.5.1 - Small-device hotfix
- Fixes board top and bottom rows being visually clipped on small iPhones (iPhone 12 mini and similar 5.4-inch devices) in Focus Mode with rotated board
Version 2.5.1
The developer, Reputation Software CO., LTD., 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 Used to Track You
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
Identifiers
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
Location
Usage Data
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Diagnostics
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
Reputation Software CO., LTD.
Size
185.4 MB
Category
Board
Compatibility
Requires iOS 15.0 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 15.0 or later.
iPad Requires iPadOS 15.0 or later.
iPod touch Requires iOS 15.0 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 12.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
