Questions and Answers

Importing a Position

Which Devices Does the App Run On?

iPhone and iPad with iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later. The app is in English.

How Do I Bring In a Position?

Choose whichever is easiest:

• Use latest screenshot on the Home screen picks up the newest screenshot in your photo library.
• Choose from Photos opens the system photo picker.
• Paste uses the system paste button, which is available while the clipboard holds an image.
• Drag and drop an image anywhere on the Home screen.
• Share an image from Photos or another app and choose Chess Best Move.
• Your screenshot shortcut takes, saves and analyzes a screenshot. See The One-Step Shortcut.
• A Home or Lock Screen widget analyzes your latest saved screenshot. See Widgets.

Any image format iOS can read works, including HEIC, PNG and JPEG.

How Do I Take a Screenshot?

With the position on screen, press:

• iPhone with Face ID: the side button and volume up together.
• iPhone with a Home button: the side button and the Home button together.
• iPad without a Home button: the top button and either volume button together.
• iPad with a Home button: the top button and the Home button together.

Then come back to Chess Best Move and tap Use latest screenshot.

Why Does the App Ask for Access to My Photos?

For Use latest screenshot and widgets, which need to find your newest saved screenshot. Until you choose, that button on the Home screen reads Allow access to your screenshots, and the app asks when you tap it or open the app from a widget. Simply launching the app does not ask for access. With limited access, the button reads Choose your screenshot and opens a picker that shows your screenshots. If access is turned off, the button offers a link to Settings. Choose from Photos, Paste and drag and drop need no permission. The privacy policy lists exactly what the app reads.

What Kind of Screenshot Works Best?

• A real screenshot, not a photo of a screen.
• A flat, digital board, with the whole board visible.
• One board per screenshot. If the screenshot shows more than one board, crop it to the one you want and import it again.
• Nothing covering the board, such as a banner, menu, pop-up or keyboard.
• A board that is not tiny. Squares of only 10 to 20 pixels are hard to read.

The app handles many layouts, including full-width phone boards, a board beside an evaluation bar or at the side of an iPad screen, black bars around the image, dimmed pop-ups, drawn arrows, move dots and last-move highlights in any color. Textured board themes, boards whose top-left square is dark, and unusual piece sets, such as special event pieces, are harder to read. When a board’s colors are unlike any the app was trained on, it says so and asks you to check the pieces rather than guessing. Images smaller than 64 pixels on a side cannot be used.

The App Says “No board found”

That didn’t use a free analysis. Check the tips above, then tap Choose another image, or tap Set up the position by hand to place the pieces yourself.

Fixing the Position

Some Squares Are Marked with a Question Mark

When recognition is unsure, the app opens Check position instead of starting the analysis, and nothing is used until you tap Analyze. Uncertain squares have a dashed outline and a “?” badge. Tap a marked square to open the editor with that square selected, or analyze the board as recognized. Press and hold the board to compare it with your screenshot. A square that is less than 55% inside the screenshot is always marked. Under the marked squares the screen also says what is wrong with the board as a whole, when it can: part of it outside the screenshot, something covering it, more than one board, squares too small to read, a board style unlike any the app was trained on, or squares that are tinted in a way it cannot turn into a move, which leaves whose turn it is in doubt.

How Do I Fix a Piece That Was Read Wrong?

Tap Edit to open the position editor, then:

• Tap a square, then a piece in the palette. Or tap a piece first to place it on every square you tap next.
• Press and hold a piece to drag it to another square. Drop it off the board to remove it.
• If a marked square is correct, tap Looks right or double-tap the square.
• Use Undo, or the menu’s Reset to recognized, Start position and Clear board.

A list under the board explains problems such as “Black has no king.” or “White has more than 8 pawns.”, and Analyze stays unavailable until the problems that block analysis are fixed.

The Wrong Side Is to Move

The app decides whose move it is in this order: if the screenshot shows a highlighted last move, the other side is to move. Without a usable highlight, White moves first in the starting position. Otherwise the app checks the player clocks shown next to the board, if the screenshot includes them, for the one marked as active. Last, if the side that was not chosen is in check, it must be that side’s move, so the app switches sides.

When the screenshot shows neither a highlighted last move nor a clock, nothing in it says whose turn it is. The app then offers the player at the bottom of the board, but it does not analyze straight away: it opens Check position with the side-to-move button marked for attention, so you confirm it first. Nothing is used until you tap Analyze.

The caption under the side-to-move, Flip and Edit buttons on the result names the source: “from last-move highlight”, “from the clock”, “from check”, “the game has not started”, or “assumed: you are at the bottom”. When it says assumed, the side-to-move button gets a dashed border: check it. The most common mistake is a screenshot without a last-move highlight where the player at the top is to move.

To fix it, tap the side-to-move button. The sides swap and the board is analyzed again without using another analysis. The same button is on the Check position screen, and the editor has the side to move too.

The Board Is Upside Down

The app works out which side is at the bottom from the board’s coordinate letters and numbers, where the pawns and kings stand, whether it is the starting position, and the direction of a highlighted last move. If the coordinates do not confirm it, the board goes to Check position. To fix it, tap Flip. The pieces, the arrow and the evaluation bar turn around, and the engine runs again without using another analysis.

What about Castling and En Passant?

A screenshot cannot show whether a king or rook has already moved, so the app assumes castling is allowed wherever the king and rook stand on their starting squares. If the best move or the first move of the engine line castles with such an assumed right, the result says “Assumes castling is still allowed.” with a link such as Turn off White O-O (O-O is castling kingside, O-O-O queenside). That link removes the right and runs the board again without using another analysis. You can also set castling rights on Check position and in the editor.

En passant is set automatically when the highlighted last move was a two-square pawn move.

Can I Set Up a Position by Hand?

Yes. Tap Set up the position by hand on the No board found screen, or use Start position or Clear board in the editor’s menu, then analyze it like any other board.

Analysis

How Long Does the Engine Think?

You choose 1, 3, 5, 10 or 30 seconds. The default is 3 seconds; change it in Settings > Analysis > Default think time. Longer think times find deeper moves.

On a result, tap a time under Think to run the board again with that time, which also makes it your default. Think longer runs it again with the next longer time. Stop ends a search early and shows the best move found so far. Running a board again with another think time does not use another analysis.

How Do I Read the Result?

Arrow

The best move, drawn in blue over the board. A knight move is drawn as an L, castling as one arrow for the king, and a promotion with a small badge of the new piece.

Move

The best move in standard notation, for example Nxf7+, with the words under it: “Knight takes f7, check”.

Evaluation

From White’s point of view, in pawns. +0.62 means White is better and −1.20 means Black is better. M3 means White mates in 3, and −M3 means Black mates in 3. The bar beside the board shows the same.

Line

The moves the engine expects next. The first 8 moves, counting White’s and Black’s moves separately, are shown; tap the line to see all of it.

Depth, time, speed

How deep the search went, how long it ran, and how many positions per second it looked at.

Check, Checkmate or Stalemate

A Check or Checkmate banner highlights what the displayed move does. When the side to move has no legal moves, the result shows Checkmate or Stalemate instead of a move. A mate score such as M2 means a forced mate is coming; it does not mean the first move is already checkmate.

If you edited pieces, the board is shown as a drawn diagram marked Edited. Press and hold it to see your original screenshot.

Does the App Need an Internet Connection?

Not for recognition or analysis: both run entirely on your device, and nothing is uploaded. You need a connection only to load purchase options, buy, restore purchases, and open web links such as this page.

The Analysis Stopped Before the Think Time Ended

If the app goes to the background during a search, the search stops. Tap Run again for the full think time. It does not use another analysis.

Can I Choose How the Board Looks?

Yes. Open Settings > Board appearance. Classic green is the default. Match screenshot uses the board colors and pieces from your imported image; Standard board uses the paper-style diagram. Your choice is saved and used across recognition, editing and analysis.

How Do I Analyze Another Screenshot?

Tap Analyze new screenshot below the result. To spend more time on the same position, use Think longer or choose a think time in the readout.

Does the App Work with VoiceOver and Larger Text?

Yes. VoiceOver reads moves in words, for example “knight takes f7, check”, and announces the best move when the analysis finishes. Text follows your Dynamic Type size, including the accessibility sizes. The app also supports Increase Contrast, Reduce Motion and Smart Invert, and it never relies on color alone: the arrow has a white outline, and uncertain squares have a dashed outline and a badge.

The One-Step Shortcut

Create the Shortcut

1. Open Shortcuts and create a shortcut named Analyze my chess screenshot. Add Take Screenshot first.
2. Add Save to Photo Album and choose Recents. Set its input to the Screenshot variable from Take Screenshot. Taking a screenshot in Shortcuts does not save it to Photos by itself.
3. Add Find Best Move from Chess Best Move. Tap its Screenshot input, choose Select Variable, and select the output of Take Screenshot. It should read Find the best move in Screenshot, with a variable token and screenshot icon. A pale placeholder or the typed word “Screenshot” is not a connected image. Do not leave it set to Ask Each Time.

The app receives that image directly. Saving it to Recents keeps a copy in Photos; you do not need a Screenshots album.

Run with Siri

Keep the chess position visible and say “Siri, analyze my chess screenshot,” using your shortcut’s exact name. Unlock the device and allow any requested permissions.

If Siri offers ChatGPT or another action, say “Siri, run the shortcut Analyze my chess screenshot.” If Siri asks for a screenshot, check that you are running your saved shortcut and that both image inputs are connected to Take Screenshot.

Run from Control Center

1. For Control Center only: duplicate the shortcut, name the copy Chess Screenshot Control, and add Wait (3 seconds) before Take Screenshot. Leave that delay out of the Siri, Action button and Back Tap shortcut.
2. Open Control Center, tap +, and choose Add a Control > Shortcut. Tap Choose and select Chess Screenshot Control.
3. With the chess position on screen, open Control Center and tap the shortcut control. Immediately dismiss Control Center so the board is visible before the wait ends. Otherwise, the screenshot will show Control Center. Increase the wait if you need more time.

Run with the Action Button

The Action button is the physical button above the volume buttons on supported iPhones. It replaces the Ring/Silent switch. Open Settings > Action Button, choose Shortcut, and select Analyze my chess screenshot without the Wait action. Keep the board visible, then press and hold the Action button.

To limit it to your board app, create a separate shortcut: Get Current App → If its Name matches your board app → Run Shortcut “Analyze my chess screenshot.” Leave Otherwise empty and assign this shortcut to the Action button. Check the name reported by Get Current App while that app is visible; it may differ from its App Store name. In other apps, this setup does nothing.

Run with Back Tap

Back Tap means tapping the back of your iPhone with your finger two or three times. Open Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap, then select Analyze my chess screenshot without the Wait action. Keep the board visible and tap the back of the phone to run it.

What Happens When It Runs?

The shortcut saves the screenshot and opens Chess Best Move. It uses your default think time and your existing unlimited access or analysis allowance. If any squares need a look, the app asks you to check them. A screenshot with no board never uses an analysis.

Try the Action button, Back Tap or Siri with a chess position visible. Running from the shortcut editor captures the editor itself.

Home and Lock Screen Widgets

Save a screenshot first. Touch and hold the Home Screen, then choose Edit > Add Widget > Chess Best Move. For the Lock Screen, touch and hold it, choose Customize, then Add Widgets.

Tap the widget to open the app and analyze your latest saved screenshot. Allow Photos access or choose the screenshot when prompted. A widget does not take a new screenshot.

Free Analyses and the Launch Offer

How Many Free Analyses Do I Get?

First downloads through October 31, 2026 keep unlimited analyses permanently. Existing users qualify after updating. The cutoff is November 1, 2026 at 12:00 UTC, covering October 31 worldwide. This is free access, not a subscription or a trial.

For downloads after the offer, the app includes 3 free analyses. They do not refill, and reinstalling does not reset them. Your third result is shown in full, with a note that it was your last free analysis. Qualifying launch users and Pro users do not spend an analysis allowance.

What Counts as an Analysis?

The rules below apply when you have a limited allowance. An analysis is used only when the engine actually starts on a new board. If the engine cannot run a board, nothing is used. These never use an analysis:

• Finding the board, including “No board found” and images that cannot be read.
• Running a board you already analyzed again: another think time, Think longer, Run again, swapping the side to move, flipping the board, or turning off a castling right.
• Importing the same screenshot again, when its pieces match one of the last 20 boards you analyzed, as shown or flipped.
• Fixing up to 3 squares the app got wrong on a board you already analyzed. A square is free to change when the app marked it as uncertain, or when you had already corrected what the app read there. Taking one piece off, or moving one piece to a square that was empty without changing its color or kind, counts as a fix even when the same change could have happened in the game.

These use one analysis:

• The first analysis of any new board, even after you fixed pieces on Check position or in the editor. This includes a board set up by hand and a board sent by the shortcut.
• Changing a square the app read and you left alone. Playing the game on is such a change, so stepping through a game you are reviewing, one move at a time, uses one analysis per move, captures included.
• Any other change that makes a different position.

On a board you set up by hand there is nothing the app can have got wrong, so every change to it makes a new board.

Boards analyzed while Pro was active are remembered too, so running them again stays free after Pro ends.

Pro, Packs and Subscriptions

What Can I Buy?

Qualifying launch downloads already have unlimited access. For later downloads, after the 3 free analyses, the purchase screen offers three ways to get unlimited analyses: Pro Weekly and Pro Yearly, which are auto-renewing subscriptions, and Pro Lifetime, a single payment. If you close the purchase screen after running out, the app may also offer 15 Analyses, a one-time purchase of 15 analyses that never expire. There are no free trials and no ads. The App Store shows prices in your local currency.

How Do Pro, Free Analyses and Packs Work Together?

Launch access and Pro both give unlimited analyses. Without either, free analyses are used first, then pack analyses. While Pro is active, the counter is hidden and your remaining free and pack analyses are kept, so you can use them if Pro ends. You can have one subscription at a time; switching between Pro Weekly and Pro Yearly takes effect at your next renewal.

How Do Subscriptions Renew, and How Do I Cancel?

Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. A subscription renews automatically each week or year at its regular price unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the current period ends. A discounted App Store offer lasts only for the period it names.

To manage or cancel, open the Settings app on your device, tap your name (your Apple Account), then Subscriptions. While you are subscribed, Settings > Purchases in Chess Best Move also has a Manage subscription button that opens the same place. Buying Pro Lifetime does not cancel a subscription for you, so cancel it there to stop the renewals.

How Do I Restore Purchases?

Tap Restore purchases on the purchase screen or in Settings > Purchases. The app reports “Purchases restored.” or “No previous purchases found.” Pro, including Pro Lifetime, works on every device signed in to the same Apple Account. The remaining balance of 15 Analyses follows your Apple Account to your other devices when iCloud Keychain is turned on. Settings > Purchases > Plan shows your current plan.

How Do Refunds Work?

Purchases are made through Apple, so Apple handles refund requests, for example at reportaproblem.apple.com. The app has no refund screen of its own. If a Pro purchase is refunded, the Pro access it gave ends. If a pack is refunded, its 15 analyses are removed from your balance, never below zero.

Family Sharing and Ask to Buy

Family Sharing is off for all purchases. When a purchase needs approval, for example through Ask to Buy, the app shows Waiting for approval and analyzes your board once the purchase is approved, if you are still on that board or on the Home screen.

Privacy

Screenshots are analyzed on your device and never uploaded. There is no account, no analytics and no ads, and the app sends nothing to Motomatic LLC. Read the privacy policy for the details.

Fair Play

Contact

support@motomatic.com

Tell us your device model and iOS version. If a board was read wrong, attaching the screenshot helps.