Each week, Apple chooses an "App of the Week" to highlight, which means it can be downloaded for free. This week's pick is an iMessage app called Checkmate, able to be played with friends using Messages.

Checkmate is one of the first iMessage apps to be named App of the Week, and it is normally priced at $0.99. With Checkmate, you can play a game of chess with a friend entirely over iMessages. Apple's notes on the game:

checkmateappoftheweek

We use iMessage for everything from keeping up with family news to sending stickers to our significant others. Sometimes, though, we just want to duke it out with knights and kings on the chessboard. What makes Checkmate so great -- aside from its super-intuitive interface -- is the way we can chat with (and smack-talk) as we play... or take as much time as we need to contemplate our next move.

Starting up a game with Checkmate requires you to go to the App Drawer and select the Checkmate icon. From there, updates on moves in the game are sent using iMessages. Checkmate can only be played within iMessage and it needs to be installed through the Messages App Store.

Checkmate supports multiple matches, so you can play with multiple people at one time, across all of your devices. Checkmate has no in-app purchases and regularly adds new themes for free.

Checkmate can be downloaded for free for the next seven days. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
101 months ago
iMessage: boldly going where desktop computers were in 2000.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sasparilla Avatar
101 months ago
Apple you need to make iMessage multiplatform now, this would be great with my many friends who are on Android (~80% of the market?). Thinking of it as a way to keep people on iOS is not the right angle - have the best solution, not protect how things were. JMHO....
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darkarn Avatar
101 months ago
Time to check this out mate!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
101 months ago
Looks quite nice.

If you're going to play before going to sleep, all that blue light emanating from the board makes me think it might be a good idea to play using iOS' Knight Shift function. (sorry).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Thunderhawks Avatar
101 months ago
Looks quite nice.

If you're going to play before going to sleep, all that blue light emanating from the board makes me think it might be a good idea to play using iOS' Knight Shift function. (sorry).
"Amen to that"! says the bishop
[doublepost=1501848305][/doublepost]
Time to check this out mate!
Would that need the consent of the king?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mansu944 Avatar
101 months ago
How is this better than an app?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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