Sully's Move: Chess Apps

Radio and media personality, Rich "Sully" Sullivan, with another guest post, and I love this one and he gives us some of his favorite chess apps. Sully in a friend and he continues to do a great job on Radio 105.7. I've been fortunate to do a radio tech segment with Sully as he loves new and emerging technology. Follow Sully on Twitter at @richsullivan.

There has never been a more exciting time for chess. Computers brought it to new heights decades ago, but mobile apps have taken the Royal Game to places not imaginable in the game's infancy or even recent history. There's no shortage of chess apps but there are two in particular that I've found to be exceptional. First, Chess.com's app is a fine complement to the site itself. From training, game play, solving puzzles and tactical problems, Chess.com offers great features for a player of any level. A paid, monthly or annual subscription at varying levels will unlock deeper access to training tools and puzzles that will help improve your chess. But there are enough on the site to get some solid info. Users create a profile and can begin playing immediately. Games can be as quick as Blitz, 5|5, one day per move or games players taking as long as 14 days per move. I find I like one day or more to move, so I can play at an easy pace and not be distracted or consumed by it, like many can be by mobile games. Second is lichess.org. The developers have a fantastic site but a very durable app that's loaded with puzzles that will challenge players of all levels. Create an account to track your progress or do them anonymously, the problems and tactics will help you think more strategically. You can also play against the computer at varying strengths. The app also features a chess clock you can use when playing over the board games at the coffee shop. The Lichess TV section lets users watch live games between top rated players. Some of the featured games are blitz, some are 15|15. What you'll see are players over 2000 ELO battling it out and you can pick up some great tips along way. As Yogi Berra once said, "you can observe a lot just by watching." If you play chess regularly, haven't played in years, or know the basics and want to learn more, these two apps are a great ones to have. If you have a young person in your life who's hungry to learn, check out Chess.com's app that's made just for kids!

Thanks to Sully for the chess picks. Checkmate!