Chess engines have revolutionized the way we play and learn chess. With the help of powerful algorithms, these engines can analyze positions, calculate the position within seconds, and suggest the best moves to play. They have become an indispensable tool for chess players of all levels, from beginners to grandmasters. In this article, we will take a look at the ten best chess engines available today.
All of these programs have been worked on for years by genius developers, pumping out move after move well over a 3000 ELO rating. Let’s get started with number ten.
10. Laser
Laser is a relatively new engine that has quickly gained popularity among chess players. It is known for its strong positional play and its ability to find deep combinations. It has an ELO rating of over 3200 and is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It can be used as a standalone program or integrated into other chess software.
9. Gull
Gull is a highly rated engine that is known for its strong tactical play. It has an ELO rating of over 3200 and is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It can be used as a standalone program or integrated into other chess software.
8. Xiphos
Xiphos is a relatively new engine that has gained popularity among chess players. It is known for its aggressive and tactical play and has an ELO rating of over 3300. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and it can be used as a standalone program or integrated into other chess software.
7. Andscacs
Andscacs is a strong engine that is known for its solid positional play. It has an ELO rating of over 3300 and is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It can be used as a standalone program or integrated into other chess software.
6. Ethereal
Ethereal is a relatively new engine that has quickly gained popularity among chess players. It is known for its strong positional play and its ability to find deep combinations. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and it can be used as a standalone program or integrated into other chess software.
5. Fire
Fire is a highly rated engine that is known for its aggressive and tactical play. It is based on the open-source engine Stockfish and has an ELO rating of over 3300. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and it can be used as a standalone program or integrated into other chess software.
4. Leela Chess Zero
Leela Chess Zero is a unique chess engine that uses deep learning algorithms to analyze positions. It is based on the open-source engine Leela Zero, which was originally developed for the game of Go. It has an ELO rating of over 3300 and is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
3. Houdini
Houdini is a highly rated chess engine that has been around since 2010. It is known for its strong tactical play and its ability to find deep combinations. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and it can be used as a standalone program or integrated into other chess software.
2. Komodo
Komodo is another top-rated engine with an ELO rating of over 3400. It is known for its aggressive playing style and strong positional play. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and it can be used as a standalone program or integrated into other chess software.
1. Stockfish
Stockfish is the world’s strongest chess engine, with an ELO rating of over 3500. It is an open-source engine that is constantly being updated and improved by a team of developers. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and it can be used as a standalone program or integrated into other chess software.
Final Thoughts
We went through some of the top chess engines and programs in this list and they are only getting more optimized. Engines have far surpassed the capabilities of what a human brain is capable of over the board. Stockfish reigns supreme above them all and is arguably also the easiest engine to download and use.
Note: One interesting note to point out is that even though the capabilities of todays engines are nearly incomprehensible to the human brain, still, even engines are no where close to solving chess.
In conclusion, chess engines have become an indispensable tool for chess players of all levels. The engines listed above are some of the best available today and are constantly being updated by incredibly talented coders in order to stay competitive with all the other engines.