Chess Tempo
The tactics workhorse. Millions of rated puzzles, endgame trainer, openings trainer, and a serious game database.
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Our take
Chess Tempo has outlasted half its competitors for a reason: the underlying puzzle and rating system is rock-solid. I do most of my daily tactics here rather than on Chess.com because the difficulty tracks my actual strength better. The experience is utilitarian — don't come looking for shiny animations — but if tactical training is your priority, it's the best per-dollar option.
Chess Tempo has run since 2008 and is one of the longest-lived chess training sites online. It specialises in three things: rated tactics puzzles with a strong difficulty-calibration system, an endgame trainer backed by tablebases, and a large searchable game database.
It’s not flashy. It’s not new. It just works, and it’s cheaper than most of its competitors.
Pros
- Enormous puzzle database with a Glicko rating system and reliable difficulty calibration
- Endgame trainer is one of the best on the market, tablebase-verified
- Affordable premium tier compared to most competitors
Cons
- UI is dated and mobile apps feel like wrappers around the website
- Tactics sets skew hard toward older games; don't expect fresh elite positions
- No AI commentary layer — you get a pass/fail and the correct line, that's it
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