ChessTempo alternative: Peekchess vs ChessTempo

Daniel Kozusek13 Oct 2026 · 3 min

The ChessTempo alternative worth picking depends on what you train. ChessTempo is one of the oldest and most serious tactics sites there is, and its free tier is generous, but it's built for grinding problems one move at a time. Peekchess trains you to calculate the whole line without moving a piece. If you've solved thousands of problems and still blunder, or your rating is stuck, that difference is worth a look. I'm a chess coach and I built Peekchess, so read this knowing that. I've tried to be fair.

Peekchess vs ChessTempo at a glance

1. Does the board move for you?

On ChessTempo the reply appears on the board after each move, so you solve one move at a time. In Peekchess the board freezes and the moves land as arrows: you calculate the whole line without moving a piece, the way a game asks you to. It's calculation and visualization in one exercise. Why that matters

2. Does it tell you what to train?

ChessTempo gives you problems near your rating and leaves the rest to you. That suits a disciplined player, and the interface shows its age: it takes a while to learn. Most of my students need to be told what to train: Peekchess gives you a daily lesson on what your games get wrong.

3. Does it explain why a move works?

ChessTempo has user comments and engine lines, but nothing that explains the idea. Peek AI explains every move in plain words.

4. Does it train calculation, or one good move?

A ChessTempo problem asks for the right move. Peekchess trains the whole calculation, in four steps: spotting the moment, listing forcing moves, calculating and judging the end.

Is Peekchess a good ChessTempo alternative?

• The method: you calculate the whole line without moving a piece.
• A daily lesson tells you what to train.
• Peek AI explains every move.
• All four steps of calculation, not one good move.
• Threat puzzles, and puzzles from your own games.
• Puzzles work offline in the phone app.

When is ChessTempo the better pick?

• Over 110,000 tactics, unlimited and free.
• Very fine theme filters, and deep stats for players who love numbers.
• Endgame training and opening tools.

Is this a full ChessTempo review?

No. It covers tactics training only: how each site's problems work, what they explain and what they train. ChessTempo's endgame training and opening tools aren't covered here.

Which is the better chess calculation trainer, ChessTempo or Peekchess?

ChessTempo is the bigger tactics database, free and finely filtered. Peekchess is built for calculation: the board freezes, and you play the whole line in your head before you move.

Sources

• ChessTempo memberships (13 Oct 2026)
• Peekchess pricing