Overview
Embark on a coding adventure to enhance a chess engine through various innovative techniques. Explore the process of improving an existing chess bot, from refining move selection algorithms to implementing advanced concepts like bitboards and magic bitboards. Learn about search extensions, transposition tables, and optimization strategies for move generation. Follow along as the improved bot is deployed on Lichess, tested against human players, and even pitted against Stockfish. Gain insights into the challenges and triumphs of developing a stronger chess AI, complete with practical demonstrations and performance evaluations.
Syllabus
Intro
Battle of the Bots
Maybe Don’t Throw Away the Best Move?
Transposition Troubles
Search Extensions
Refactoring and Recapping
Tweaking Kings and Pawns
Bitboards!
Passed Pawns and more
Magic Bitboards minus the magic
The Magical Part of Magic Bitboards
Testing and Optimizing Move Generation
Killers, Reductions, and Repetitions
Creating a Lichess Bot
Let’s Play!
Existential Crisis
The Bot’s First Game Online
Can Our Bot Beat Stockfish? No
Rating Speculation
Outro
Taught by
Sebastian Lague