Next Chess Move

Powerful chess move calculator

Ratings

Age

4+

Board

Languages

English

Latest Version 5.2.0

Mon Feb 02 2026

- Upgrading to Stockfish 18

Next Chess Move (NCM) is a premier chess analysis tool for players of all levels. Using remote high-performance hardware, the app allows you to calculate the best possible moves using engines like Stockfish 18 and Leela Chess Zero (Lc0). Whether you're analyzing a completed game or practicing openings, NCM provides deep engine evaluations, PGN parsing, and iPad support for a comprehensive study experience.

Dinsun Expert Review

Our Expert Score

85/100

Next Chess Move is an indispensable tool for the modern chess player, serving as a powerful, pocket-sized grandmaster. It isn't a game in the traditional sense, but rather a sophisticated analysis engine that helps players understand the 'why' behind the best moves. Its recent overhaul to version 5.0 has made it faster and more capable than ever.

The app shines in its simplicity and raw power. By utilizing remote hardware (Ryzen 7950X servers), it can run heavy-duty engines like Stockfish 18 and Lc0 without draining your phone's battery or causing it to overheat. This allows for deep calculation that a local app simply couldn't handle. The ability to scan positions or input PGNs makes it perfect for post-game analysis.

For students of the game, the addition of clear explanations for why a move is recommended is a game-changer. It’s no longer just about 'Stockfish says +1.5'; it’s about understanding the positional advantages. While it's a tool that must be used ethically outside of live competition, it is the best companion an aspiring chess master could ask for.

Dinsun reviewed on: Fri Feb 27 2026

Features

Latest Stockfish 18 Engine

Remote Server Calculation

Lc0 (Leela Chess Zero) Support

PGN Parsing and Export

iPad and Dark Mode Support

Tips & Walkthrough

Analyzing with Stockfish

Simply set up your board position and tap calculate. The app will use remote servers to find the optimal move and provide a numerical evaluation of the position.

Gameplays

Pro Engine Access

Upgrade to NCM Pro to access more powerful hardware and longer think times, allowing for even deeper tactical insights and endgame tablebases.

Screenshot

Q&A

No, it uses remote high-performance servers to save your battery and provide faster results.

Ratings & Reviews

Pretty good,

Sun Mar 14 2021 The Redstone Pro

It’s a good app, but I really don’t see any major advantages to using this over the free website, they both give you access to pretty much the same things. I may be nitpicking but in my opinion if you pay for an app you should get access to some premium features, I’m not saying paid users should get access to the most advanced hardware, I just think people that pay for the app should be paying for more features compared to the website, instead of the app being practically a carbon copy of the free website. Other than that, great app! Keep up the good work.

Very Useful App

Sun May 24 2020 R2R-54

It may not be intuitive but as soon as you learn how to use this app, it is very helpful in the move analysis. I have upgraded to the pro version as I can make use of the 20core CPU in move calculations - with 4 different engines. For now I don’t have to buy a muti-core PC for the purposes of doing move analysis as this app allows me do the same. My suggestion for improvement - while it it compatible with iPad, it does not do the landscape format. Thus it is a little bit awkward to the edit on my saved boards using the iPad as the display is in the portrait mode, and my keyboard is oriented on the landscape. Another thing if possible is to increase the analysis time as the max time is only 30seconds. While 30 sec analysis can do a lot, the additional time will ensure that you are getting the best move possible within that alloted time. I know it means addition of more hardware and more costs. You get what you pay for, and for me if I am getting my money’s worth, I could possible pay more.

Very nice appearance, and feel to the app.

Mon Jul 30 2018 Zeekiel

The app gives the impression of a ‘premium’ feel, if you will. It has a very modern look, and it is simplistic to utilize. Despite all those positive comments, there is room for improvement. I’ve noticed that if an illegal move is made on the board, if I’d copied the FEN/PGN, it won’t give you the exact game (PGN), only the current position from were the illegal move was made. This is a problem because when you castle, legally, the chess game will not show every move being made when you copy the PGN. I do know, and it makes sense, as to why the whole chess game won’t show, as it is an illegal move, but castling shouldn’t be considered illegal. I do wonder if there is a way to castle, however, if not, I’d recommend that if you ‘capture’, or place the King in the Rook’s square, you’d castle. Ultimately, there are many feedback by users, and suggestions, and should be taken to consideration. This app is great, and it deserves five stars.

Good but not great

Fri Aug 04 2023 Allnicknamesaretaken4879

For 3 dollars it is nice to have on my phone if I want to see what moves I should have played in a game but I’d be willing to pay more for a feature that lets me use a screenshot or photo of a board to pre place the pieces rather than have to do it myself.

Waste of money - Edited

Tue Mar 06 2018 rxp3292

The app doesn't come with any instructions on how to use and calculates moves only for white side. Edit: I figured out the button to switch between black and white. App works nicely, UI could be lot better. Could not find an option to delete saved games.

Worth it

Sun Nov 20 2022 OldGringo52

This app does so much to hold my data and present me with multiple engine calculations. I invested in the Pro and will renew when the time comes. Sometimes “FREE” is very limited in what can do for your game. The Pro NCM is well worth the cost to me.

No Arrows or Directional Lines

Mon May 23 2022 The-Bum

The app does not provide an arrow, or other directional indicators for the next best move. It does provide letter and number for the squares however. This addition would make the app much better and easier to use.

No other app like it

Mon May 18 2020 ActiveMatx

This app is like the website but more convenient. It’s amazing. I learn a lot using this app and even the free version is pretty good. The paid version offers a much more robust calculation for the real serious chess players.