Choose Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition
Choose Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition launched in 2016.
Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition vs The Chess Variants Club
Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition and The Chess Variants Club both land in Sports, Strategy, Indie on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Sports, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (2016) is 4 years older than The Chess Variants Club (2020). The Chess Variants Club scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (73.5% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose The Chess Variants Club
Choose The Chess Variants Club if you want the Shared/Split Screen PvP and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 69% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Chess Variants Club launched in 2020.
Both Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition and The Chess Variants Club sit in Sports, Strategy, and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player and Shared/Split Screen, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition |  The Chess Variants Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Genres | Sports, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Sports, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 15.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 73.5% positive (102 reviews) | 95.7% positive (23 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player |
| Developers | Ripstone | Minimol Games |
Side by side
- Both share Sports, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (2016) is 4 years older than The Chess Variants Club (2020).
- The Chess Variants Club scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (73.5% positive).
- The Chess Variants Club is currently ~69% cheaper on Steam than Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (4.99 USD vs. 15.99 USD).
- Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; The Chess Variants Club has no Deck rating yet.
Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition vs The Chess Variants Club — FAQ
- Should I play Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition or The Chess Variants Club first?
- If you want chronology, Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition (2016) came out before The Chess Variants Club (2020). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition and The Chess Variants Club similar?
- They overlap on Sports, Strategy, Indie on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Pure Chess Grandmaster Edition is rated Deck Playable by Valve. The Chess Variants Club doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.