Mac Chess Software

HCE Pro
HIARCS Chess Explorer Pro Logo
HIARCS Chess Explorer Pro for macOS
  • Ultimate database, analysis and playing software
    Latest 2024 edition, 64 bit optimised
  • Runs on all Apple macOS 10.14 or later
    including macOS Sonoma
  • HIARCS 15 Series Engines - up to 3450 Elo†
  • Packaged 2023 databases and opening books
  • Supports PGN, HCE, EPD, PDF, EPUB, HTML
    Reads ChessBase CBH/CBV/CTG, to 30 million games
  • Advanced Millennium eBoard support
  • Prices from* £62.45 / €74.95 / $79.95
    Immediate fulfilment by email
HCE
HIARCS Chess Explorer Logo
HIARCS Chess Explorer for Mac OS
  • Classic chess database, analysis and playing GUI
    32 & 64 bit compatible
  • Runs on all Apple macOS 10.10 or later
    including macOS Sonoma
  • HIARCS 14 Engine - 3050 Elo†
  • Packaged databases and opening book
  • Supports PGN databases only
    Up to 2 million games
  • Millennium eBoard support
  • Prices from* £41.65 / €49.95 / $54.95
    Immediate fulfilment by email

HIARCS Chess Explorer Pro

The best chess database, analysis and playing software for macOS

HIARCS 15 series chess engines, huge advance on HIARCS 14 WCSC
Suitable for: Beginners to the World Chess Champion with human-like play
Playing ability: Beginner to World Champion strength and beyond (3300+ Elo)†
Supports: English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish

HIARCS Chess Explorer Pro is a new highly advanced chess database, analysis and chess playing program for Apple Mac computers. It offers a very powerful user interface with the strongest ever HIARCS chess engine and world class chess database features. This advanced software supports major chess database formats from Chessbase CBH and CBV files, the chess standard PGN and the new fast and powerful HCE format which supports huge databases only limited by memory. Move your chess forward with the best chess software for Mac. This unique combination offers easy to use features managing chess databases, preparation, analysis, play and training for players of all abilities from beginner to Grandmasters and beyond.
March 2024: New version 1.3 and new HIARCS 15.3 chess engines.

Key features include:

  • Advanced Database Support
    • HCE Pro database format supports databases up to 30 million games
    • Fast search players, openings, events, material, pawns and positions
    • Full game database support (PGN, HCE, reads ChessBase CBH, CBV)
    • Game notation, variations, comments, symbols, diagrams and openings
    • Export and publish games and preparation to PGN, PDF, EPUB and HTML
    • Manage databases, duplicate search and clean up, watch live games
  • HIARCS 15 chess engines – more than 250 Elo stronger
    • Full range of set Elo levels with human like challenging playing style
    • Very strong analysis & play, more than 250 Elo stronger than HIARCS 14
    • Supports up to 32† threads/cores & any UCI Chess UI (Chessbase/Fritz)
    • HIARCS 15.3 with human like play, book and position learning
  • Player Explorer
    • View player reports, their games, performances and openings and stats
    • Build tree of games and openings instantly into a player report
    • Automated repertoire summaries for databases, players and openings
  • Game, Opening and Tree Explorers
    • Multi-source chess trees with moves, statistics from games and advice
    • Build repertoire tree from database games, learn and prepare openings
    • Access huge online opening books and Chessbase CTG books
  • Analysis and Evaluation Explorers
    • Analyse positions and games with multiple engines simultaneously
    • Multiple lines of analysis, move selection and integrate with notation
    • Check for blunders, inaccuracies and improvements with game analysis
  • Custom Playing modes
    • Play against computer with full range of realistic handicap Elo levels
    • Choose rating, time controls, openings & Chess960 for practice
    • Train with the guess the move, learn and improve your tactical play
    • Coach points out mistakes, shows move quality, hints, rates your play
    • Watch engine matches or have them play out test or analysis positions
  • Packaged Databases
    • Top quality 575K MasterBase 2023, GM annotated games, tactical tests
    • Online access to over to 1,000 GB of endgame and opening databases
    • Local book with latest GM Theory and access to huge online books

Mac screenshot Eval Annotation Mac screenshot Player Explorer Mac screenshot Tree Browse
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HIARCS Chess Explorer Pro for Mac is a software download product fulfilled immediately by email. The best chess application for macOS with a world class user interface, chess engines and chess games databases, opening books and endgame tablebases

Find out more about HIARCS Chess Explorer Pro for Mac

HIARCS Chess Explorer

The classic chess database, analysis and playing program for Apple Mac

World Chess Software Champion HIARCS 14 chess engine
Suitable for players from beginners to the Grandmasters with human-like play
Playing ability: Beginner (750 Elo) to World Champion strength (3050 Elo)†
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish

HIARCS Chess Explorer is the established best chess software for chess database, analysis and game playing on Apple Mac. It offers an intuitive graphical user interface with powerful features together with the World Chess Software Champion HIARCS 14 chess engine. The product is refreshingly easy to use and includes many features for managing chess databases, chess preparation, analysis and training for players of all abilities from beginner to Grandmaster.

Key features include:

  • Advanced chess user interface, PGN database, analysis and game play
  • World Chess Software Champion HIARCS engine, supports UCI engines
  • Realistic levels for all player strengths, coach advice, rates your play
  • Game analysis, blunder check, learn openings, instant trees/searching
  • Player repertoire, opening books, analyse, play games, run matches
  • Packaged PGN databases (35,000+ games) and opening book stats
  • Online access to chess endgame tablebases & GM opening book
Mac screenshot 1 Mac screenshot 2 mac screenshot 3
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HIARCS Chess Explorer for Mac is a software download product fulfilled immediately by email. It is the established leading desktop chess application for Mac OS with an advanced chess user interface.

Find out more about HIARCS Chess Explorer for Mac


HIARCS Chess Explorer Comparison Table


Features HIARCS Chess Explorer Pro HIARCS Chess Explorer
Platform from $79.95 from $54.95
macOS supported macOS 10.14 Mojave to 14 Sonoma macOS 10.14 Mojave to 14 Sonoma
Displays Up to 5k Up to 4k
CPUs Intel & Apple M1/M2/M3 † Intel & Apple M1/M2/M3 †
64 Bit Support
64 Bit Optimised
Engine
Engines Included HIARCS 15, 15.1, 15.2, 15.3 HIARCS 14
Single Core Rating 1 core, 4GB, 3300 Elo 1 core, 2GB, 3050 Elo
Deep Edition up to 16 cores, 16GB, 3400+ Elo
Premium Edition up to 32 cores, 32GB, 3450+ Elo
Supports add-on UCI Engines
Engine matches (advanced)
Endgame tablebase support Nalimov and Syzygy Nalimov only
Gameplay
Play against computer
Rates your play in Elo
Play Elo rated opponents 750-3300 750-3050
In-game coaching
Play using Millennium boards from v1.2
Databases
Database games included 575k+ games 35k games
Max database size 30 million games 2 million games
Annotated 1400 games 800 games
Tactical test databases (advanced)
PGN Database Support
Chessbase CBH, CBV Support
HCE Advanced Databases
Books
Online Book Access
Extra Book Downloads Add-On Option Add-On Option
Online Endgame Navigation (Deep/Premium)
CTG Book Support
Data Views
Game Explorer (advanced)
Player Explorer (advanced)
Opening Explorer (advanced)
Analysis Explorer (advanced)
Tree Explorer
Evaluation Explorer
Database Statistics
Database Search
Filtering
Quick Search
Header Search
Position Search
Material Search
Pawn Structure Search
Opening Search
Advanced Search
Game Analysis
Game Analysis (advanced)
Batch Game Analysis
Comments and Variation
Complex Nested Variations
Advanced Features
Reference Databases
WorkBase autosave
Find Duplicates
Compare Duplicates
Compact Database
Tournament Tables
Pop Up Variation Boards
Advanced Graphics
Layout Management