-## Overview
+<div align="center">
+
+ [![Stockfish][stockfish128-logo]][website-link]
-[](https://travis-ci.org/official-stockfish/Stockfish)
-[](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/mcostalba/stockfish/branch/master)
+ [![Build][build-badge]][build-link]
+ [![License][license-badge]][license-link]
+ <br>
+ [![Release][release-badge]][release-link]
+ [![Commits][commits-badge]][commits-link]
+ <br>
+ [![Website][website-badge]][website-link]
+ [![Fishtest][fishtest-badge]][fishtest-link]
+ [![Discord][discord-badge]][discord-link]
-[Stockfish](https://stockfishchess.org) is a free, powerful UCI chess engine
-derived from Glaurung 2.1. Stockfish is not a complete chess program and requires a
-UCI-compatible graphical user interface (GUI) (e.g. XBoard with PolyGlot, Scid,
-Cute Chess, eboard, Arena, Sigma Chess, Shredder, Chess Partner or Fritz) in order
-to be used comfortably. Read the documentation for your GUI of choice for information
-about how to use Stockfish with it.
+</div>
+
+## Overview
-The Stockfish engine features two evaluation functions for chess, the classical
-evaluation based on handcrafted terms, and the NNUE evaluation based on efficiently
-updatable neural networks. The classical evaluation runs efficiently on almost all
-CPU architectures, while the NNUE evaluation benefits from the vector
-intrinsics available on most CPUs (sse2, avx2, neon, or similar).
+[Stockfish][website-link] is a free, powerful UCI chess engine derived from
+Glaurung 2.1. Stockfish is not a complete chess program and requires a UCI-compatible
+graphical user interface (GUI) (e.g. XBoard with PolyGlot, Scid, Cute Chess, eboard,
+Arena, Sigma Chess, Shredder, Chess Partner or Fritz) in order to be used comfortably.
+Read the documentation for your GUI of choice for information about how to use
+Stockfish with it.
+The Stockfish engine features two evaluation functions for chess. The efficiently
+updatable neural network (NNUE) based evaluation is the default and by far the strongest.
+The classical evaluation based on handcrafted terms remains available. The strongest
+network is integrated in the binary and downloaded automatically during the build process.
+The NNUE evaluation benefits from the vector intrinsics available on most CPUs (sse2,
+avx2, neon, or similar).
## Files
This distribution of Stockfish consists of the following files:
- * Readme.md, the file you are currently reading.
+ * [README.md][readme-link], the file you are currently reading.
- * Copying.txt, a text file containing the GNU General Public License version 3.
+ * [Copying.txt][license-link], a text file containing the GNU General Public License
+ version 3.
- * AUTHORS, a text file with the list of authors for the project
+ * [AUTHORS][authors-link], a text file with the list of authors for the project.
- * src, a subdirectory containing the full source code, including a Makefile
+ * [src][src-link], a subdirectory containing the full source code, including a Makefile
that can be used to compile Stockfish on Unix-like systems.
- * a file with the .nnue extension, storing the neural network for the NNUE
- evaluation. Binary distributions will have this file embedded.
+ * a file with the .nnue extension, storing the neural network for the NNUE evaluation.
+ Binary distributions will have this file embedded.
## The UCI protocol and available options
-The Universal Chess Interface (UCI) is a standard protocol used to communicate with a chess engine,
-and is the recommended way to do so for typical graphical user interfaces (GUI) or chess tools.
+The Universal Chess Interface (UCI) is a standard protocol used to communicate with
+a chess engine, and is the recommended way to do so for typical graphical user interfaces
+(GUI) or chess tools. Stockfish implements the majority of its options as described
+in [the UCI protocol][uci-link].
-Stockfish implements most commands as described in [the UCI protocol](https://www.shredderchess.com/download/div/uci.zip)
-
-For users, the following UCI options, which can typically be set via a GUI, are available in Stockfish:
+Developers can see the default values for UCI options available in Stockfish by typing
+`./stockfish uci` in a terminal, but the majority of users will typically see them and
+change them via a chess GUI. This is a list of available UCI options in Stockfish:
* #### Threads
The number of CPU threads used for searching a position. For best performance, set
* #### EvalFile
The name of the file of the NNUE evaluation parameters. Depending on the GUI the
- filename might have to include the full path to the folder/directory that contains the file.
- Other locations, such as the directory that contains the binary and the working directory,
- are also searched.
+ filename might have to include the full path to the folder/directory that contains
+ the file. Other locations, such as the directory that contains the binary and the
+ working directory, are also searched.
* #### UCI_AnalyseMode
An option handled by your GUI.
Example: `C:\tablebases\wdl345;C:\tablebases\wdl6;D:\tablebases\dtz345;D:\tablebases\dtz6`
It is recommended to store .rtbw files on an SSD. There is no loss in storing
- the .rtbz files on a regular HD. It is recommended to verify all md5 checksums
+ the .rtbz files on a regular HDD. It is recommended to verify all md5 checksums
of the downloaded tablebase files (`md5sum -c checksum.md5`) as corruption will
lead to engine crashes.
Limit Syzygy tablebase probing to positions with at most this many pieces left
(including kings and pawns).
- * #### Contempt
- A positive value for contempt favors middle game positions and avoids draws,
- effective for the classical evaluation only.
-
- * #### Analysis Contempt
- By default, contempt is set to prefer the side to move. Set this option to "White"
- or "Black" to analyse with contempt for that side, or "Off" to disable contempt.
-
* #### Move Overhead
Assume a time delay of x ms due to network and GUI overheads. This is useful to
avoid losses on time in those cases.
For developers the following non-standard commands might be of interest, mainly useful for debugging:
- * #### bench ttSize threads limit fenFile limitType evalType
- Performs a standard benchmark using various options. The signature or standard node
- count is obtained using all defaults. `bench` is currently `bench 16 1 13 default depth mixed`.
+ * #### bench *ttSize threads limit fenFile limitType evalType*
+ Performs a standard benchmark using various options. The signature of a version
+ (standard node count) is obtained using all defaults. `bench` is currently
+ `bench 16 1 13 default depth mixed`.
* #### compiler
Give information about the compiler and environment used for building a binary.
The NNUE evaluation was first introduced in shogi, and ported to Stockfish afterward.
It can be evaluated efficiently on CPUs, and exploits the fact that only parts
of the neural network need to be updated after a typical chess move.
-[The nodchip repository](https://github.com/nodchip/Stockfish) provides additional
-tools to train and develop the NNUE networks. On CPUs supporting modern vector instructions
-(avx2 and similar), the NNUE evaluation results in much stronger playing strength, even
-if the nodes per second computed by the engine is somewhat lower (roughly 80% of nps
-is typical).
+[The nodchip repository][nodchip-link] provided the first version of the needed tools
+to train and develop the NNUE networks. Today, more advanced training tools are
+available in [the nnue-pytorch repository][pytorch-link], while data generation tools
+are available in [a dedicated branch][tools-link].
+
+On CPUs supporting modern vector instructions (avx2 and similar), the NNUE evaluation
+results in much stronger playing strength, even if the nodes per second computed by
+the engine is somewhat lower (roughly 80% of nps is typical).
Notes:
-1) the NNUE evaluation depends on the Stockfish binary and the network parameter
-file (see the EvalFile UCI option). Not every parameter file is compatible with a given
-Stockfish binary, but the default value of the EvalFile UCI option is the name of a network
-that is guaranteed to be compatible with that binary.
+1) the NNUE evaluation depends on the Stockfish binary and the network parameter file
+(see the EvalFile UCI option). Not every parameter file is compatible with a given
+Stockfish binary, but the default value of the EvalFile UCI option is the name of a
+network that is guaranteed to be compatible with that binary.
2) to use the NNUE evaluation, the additional data file with neural network parameters
-needs to be available. Normally, this file is already embedded in the binary or it
-can be downloaded. The filename for the default (recommended) net can be found as the default
+needs to be available. Normally, this file is already embedded in the binary or it can
+be downloaded. The filename for the default (recommended) net can be found as the default
value of the `EvalFile` UCI option, with the format `nn-[SHA256 first 12 digits].nnue`
(for instance, `nn-c157e0a5755b.nnue`). This file can be downloaded from
```
### Support on Windows
The use of large pages requires "Lock Pages in Memory" privilege. See
-[Enable the Lock Pages in Memory Option (Windows)](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/configure-windows/enable-the-lock-pages-in-memory-option-windows)
-on how to enable this privilege, then run [RAMMap](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/rammap)
+[Enable the Lock Pages in Memory Option (Windows)][lockpages-link]
+on how to enable this privilege, then run [RAMMap][rammap-link]
to double-check that large pages are used. We suggest that you reboot
your computer after you have enabled large pages, because long Windows
sessions suffer from memory fragmentation, which may prevent Stockfish
### Donating hardware
Improving Stockfish requires a massive amount of testing. You can donate
-your hardware resources by installing the [Fishtest Worker](https://github.com/glinscott/fishtest/wiki/Running-the-worker:-overview)
-and view the current tests on [Fishtest](https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests).
+your hardware resources by installing the [Fishtest Worker][worker-link]
+and view the current tests on [Fishtest][fishtest-link].
### Improving the code
If you want to help improve the code, there are several valuable resources:
-* [In this wiki,](https://www.chessprogramming.org) many techniques used in
+* [In this wiki,][programming-link] many techniques used in
Stockfish are explained with a lot of background information.
-* [The section on Stockfish](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Stockfish)
+* [The section on Stockfish][programmingsf-link]
describes many features and techniques used by Stockfish. However, it is
generic rather than being focused on Stockfish's precise implementation.
Nevertheless, a helpful resource.
-* The latest source can always be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish).
-Discussions about Stockfish take place these days mainly in the [FishCooking](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/fishcooking)
-group and on the [Stockfish Discord channel](https://discord.gg/nv8gDtt).
-The engine testing is done on [Fishtest](https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests).
-If you want to help improve Stockfish, please read this [guideline](https://github.com/glinscott/fishtest/wiki/Creating-my-first-test)
+* The latest source can always be found on [GitHub][github-link].
+Discussions about Stockfish take place these days mainly in the [FishCooking][fishcooking-link]
+group and on the [Stockfish Discord channel][discord-link].
+The engine testing is done on [Fishtest][fishtest-link].
+If you want to help improve Stockfish, please read this [guideline][guideline-link]
first, where the basics of Stockfish development are explained.
using it as the starting point for a software project of your own.
The only real limitation is that whenever you distribute Stockfish in
-some way, you MUST always include the full source code, or a pointer
-to where the source code can be found, to generate the exact binary
-you are distributing. If you make any changes to the source code,
-these changes must also be made available under the GPL.
+some way, you MUST always include the license and the full source code
+(or a pointer to where the source code can be found) to generate the
+exact binary you are distributing. If you make any changes to the
+source code, these changes must also be made available under the GPL v3.
For full details, read the copy of the GPL v3 found in the file named
-*Copying.txt*.
+[*Copying.txt*][license-link].
+
+
+[authors-link]: https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/blob/master/AUTHORS
+[build-link]: https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/actions/workflows/stockfish.yml
+[commits-link]: https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/commits/master
+[discord-link]: https://discord.gg/GWDRS3kU6R
+[fishcooking-link]: https://groups.google.com/g/fishcooking
+[fishtest-link]: https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests
+[github-link]: https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish
+[guideline-link]: https://github.com/glinscott/fishtest/wiki/Creating-my-first-test
+[license-link]: https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/blob/master/Copying.txt
+[lockpages-link]: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/configure-windows/enable-the-lock-pages-in-memory-option-windows
+[nodchip-link]: https://github.com/nodchip/Stockfish
+[programming-link]: https://www.chessprogramming.org/Main_Page
+[programmingsf-link]: https://www.chessprogramming.org/Stockfish
+[pytorch-link]: https://github.com/glinscott/nnue-pytorch
+[rammap-link]: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/rammap
+[readme-link]: https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/blob/master/README.md
+[release-link]: https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/releases/latest
+[src-link]: https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/tree/master/src
+[stockfish128-logo]: https://stockfishchess.org/images/logo/icon_128x128.png
+[tools-link]: https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/tree/tools
+[uci-link]: https://www.shredderchess.com/download/div/uci.zip
+[website-link]: https://stockfishchess.org
+[worker-link]: https://github.com/glinscott/fishtest/wiki/Running-the-worker:-overview
+
+[build-badge]: https://img.shields.io/github/workflow/status/official-stockfish/Stockfish/Stockfish?style=for-the-badge&label=stockfish&logo=github
+[commits-badge]: https://img.shields.io/github/commits-since/official-stockfish/Stockfish/latest?style=for-the-badge
+[discord-badge]: https://img.shields.io/discord/435943710472011776?style=for-the-badge&label=discord&logo=Discord
+[fishtest-badge]: https://img.shields.io/website?style=for-the-badge&down_color=red&down_message=Offline&label=Fishtest&up_color=success&up_message=Online&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftests.stockfishchess.org%2Ftests%2Ffinished
+[license-badge]: https://img.shields.io/github/license/official-stockfish/Stockfish?style=for-the-badge&label=license&color=success
+[release-badge]: https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/official-stockfish/Stockfish?style=for-the-badge&label=official%20release
+[website-badge]: https://img.shields.io/website?style=for-the-badge&down_color=red&down_message=Offline&label=website&up_color=success&up_message=Online&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstockfishchess.org
projects / stockfish / blobdiff