Chess engine is the unique software which is built into the program shell (e.g. "Fritz", "Arena", "Shredder") thus multiplying the force of the game shell. For example, "Kasparov Chess" is very good and clever shell. The maximum rating which can be set in it is 2600. And the rating of the chess engines reaches 3000-3200. That is why the chess engines are so popular. Where do the chess engines originate from and who makes them? This question is not trivial, vice versa it is quite actual, so it is worth talking about.
The first record of the chess engine was made about 20 years ago. That was just the time when the UCI standard was developed - the universal chess interface, allowing the chess engine to be connected to the graphic interface of the program shell. The engine made to this standard can be easily connected to any chess program. The standard was worked out by Stephan Meyer-Kahlen, German programmer, who was born in 1968 in Dusseldorf. He is also the founder of one of the most famous chess programs - Shredder, which is the 12-times world champion among chess machines. The UCI standard was presented to the world by Rudolf Huber. The standard has great advantages. For example, if the engine does not save the database of the games played (although it is better if this task is performed by the engine), then one can easily manage this database by UCI. As the UCI protocol is absolutely free, it gives it the advantage over the other protocols. It can be used for private purposes and as the open-source as well. This protocol was used by only a few programs until Chessbase Company (producing Fritz) began to support this protocol in 2002. Nowadays, this protocol is used by about 100 chess programs.
The majority of the chess engines are made very thoroughly and published in the net absolutely free of charge. In Russia there are the developers making engines, as well. E.g. SmarThink developed by Sergey Markov, GreKo developed by Vladimir Medvedev, Strelka developed by Yuri Osipov. These engines, as well as many others, can be downloaded from our website. As the number of the chess engines is growing, we chose the best ones, as there is simply no possibility to present all of them here.
Komodo 11 Version Windows 64
Komodo 10 2016 - Developer Mark Lefler. Version for Android, Linux, OSX, Windows ALL.
Houdini - Developer Robert Blow (Belgium). 5.01 UCI Chess Engines [Full]
Komodo 8 - Champions 2015 - Developer Mark Lefler. Version for Android, Linux, OSX, Windows 7, 8 (32/64).
Houdini 4 PRO - Developer Robert Blow (Belgium). Version 4 PRO.
Houdini 2.0 - Developer Robert Blow (Belgium). Version 2.0. To date, the best engine. And you can Download Houdini 2.0 for a direct link.
Deep Rybka 4 - developer Vas Rajlich. Version 4 (w32)
Stockfish - Developers Tord Romstad, Marco Kostalba Kiiski and Joon. Version 2.11
Critter - Developer Richard Vida. Version 1.1.37
Naum - Developer Alexander Naumov (Canada). Version 4.2
Spark - Version 1.0
WildCat - Developer Igor Korshunov (Belarus). Version 8.0
SmarThink - Developer Sergei Markov (Russia). Version 0.17a
SOS - Designer Rudolf Huber (Germany). Version 11.99
Zchess - Designer Franck Zibi (France). Version 2.22
Gromit - Developers Frank Schneider and Kai Skibbe (Germany). Version 3.0
Ufim - Developer Niaz Hasanov (Russia). Version 8.2
Mustang - Developer Alex Korneichuk (Belarus). Version 4.97
GreKo - Developer Vladimir Medvedev (Russia). Version 8.2 + sour
Kaissa2 - Developer Vladimir Elin (Belarus). Version 1.8a
Adamant - Developer George Varentsov (Russia). Version 1.7
Booot - Developer of Alexei Morozov (Ukraine). Version 5.1.0 + sources
Eeyore - Developer Meidel Anton (Russia). Version 1.52 (32 & 64bit)
Zeus - Developer Vadim Bykov (Russia). Version 1.29
Arics - Developer Vladimir Fadeev (Belarus). Version 0.95a
Anechka - Developer Sergey Nefedov (Russia). Version 0.08
Patriot - Developer Vladimir Elin (Belarus). Version 2006
AlChess - Developer Alex Lobanov (Russia). Version 1.5b
OBender - Designer Evgeny Kornilov (Russia). Version 3.2.4x
Counter - Developer Vadim Chizhov (Russia). Version 1.2
Strelka - Designer Yuri Osipov (Russia). Version 2.0B + sources
Belka - Developers Yuri Osipov, Igor Korshunov (Russia - Belarus). Version 1.8.20
Ifrit - Developer Brenkman Andrew (Russia). Version 4.4 + source
Bison - Developer Ivan Bonkin (Russia). Version 9.11 + sour
Uralochka - Developer Ivan Maklyakov (Russia). Version 1.1b
Marginal - Designer Alexander Turikov (Russia). Version 0.1
Chess - Designer Evgeny Kornilov (Russia). Version 3
Woodpecker - Designer Evgeny Kornilov (Russia). Version 2
Gull - Developer Vadim Demishev (Russia). Version 1.2
Continued here:
Download free chess engines - Komodo 10, Houdini
- At the Library: Come join Worldwide Knit in Public Day on Saturday in Wilcox Park - The Westerly Sun - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Detonation; Enthusiastic Racing - TruckTrend Network - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Rouhani should play chess where Trump is playing the fool - Trend News Agency - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- Carlsen-Nakamura Norway Clash Ends In Draw - Chess.com - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- Literature, Films on Chess Captivates Enthusiasts - High on Sports (blog) - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Ditmas Park's City Council Candidates Debate Major Issues - BKLYNER - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- The Fourth Industrial Revolution Is About Empowering People, Not The Rise Of The Machines - Forbes - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- ET Recommendations: Get Google Daydream View for Rs 6499 - Economic Times - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- Worry about people, not jobs: Garry Kasparov - Economic Times - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- Keeping Our Human Edge In A Machine-Dominated World - Forbes Middle East - June 18th, 2017 [June 18th, 2017]
- Free Chess Engine recommendation? - Chess Forums - Chess.com - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- How Gotham Gave Us Trump - Politico - June 30th, 2017 [June 30th, 2017]
- Aart Bik's Website - August 25th, 2017 [August 25th, 2017]
- Garry Kasparov Returns, Briefly, to Chess - The New Yorker - August 25th, 2017 [August 25th, 2017]
- [App Fridays] Half Chess, a T-20 version of chess, wants to hook millennials with new pieces and fast gameplay - YourStory.com - August 25th, 2017 [August 25th, 2017]
- Chess Engines list @wiki - Computer-Chess Wiki - August 25th, 2017 [August 25th, 2017]
- Chess Engines Chess Tech - February 28th, 2018 [February 28th, 2018]
- Chess Engines list @wiki - Computer Chess Wiki - March 13th, 2018 [March 13th, 2018]
- computer_chess:engines:myrddin:index - Computer Chess Wiki - June 7th, 2018 [June 7th, 2018]
- computer_chess:wiki:lists:chess_engine_list - Computer ... - December 28th, 2018 [December 28th, 2018]
- Top 10 strongest chess engines - Chesstutor | Learn how to ... - March 27th, 2019 [March 27th, 2019]
- Chess - Wikipedia - March 27th, 2019 [March 27th, 2019]
- Computer chess - Wikipedia - April 3rd, 2019 [April 3rd, 2019]
- Universal Chess Interface - Wikipedia - May 13th, 2019 [May 13th, 2019]
- Geek of the Week: If there's roadwork ahead, Kurt Stiles uses 3D modeling and more to drive project - GeekWire - November 20th, 2019 [November 20th, 2019]
- Alexander Grischuk wins the third leg of the Grand Prix in Hamburg - Chessbase News - November 20th, 2019 [November 20th, 2019]
- Hamburg Grand Prix Final Goes To Tiebreak - Chess.com - November 20th, 2019 [November 20th, 2019]
- Garry Kasparov on chess, tech, Trump and Putin - Chessbase News - November 20th, 2019 [November 20th, 2019]
- Top FritzTrainers of the year - Chessbase News - December 28th, 2019 [December 28th, 2019]
- Christmas puzzle: What were the previous moves? - Chessbase News - December 28th, 2019 [December 28th, 2019]
- Koneru Humpy: Back to the forefront - Deccan Herald - January 5th, 2020 [January 5th, 2020]
- The 7 Best Chess Moments Of 2019 - Chess.com - January 5th, 2020 [January 5th, 2020]
- 6 best software to analyze chess games in 2020 - WindowsReport.com - April 27th, 2020 [April 27th, 2020]
- Chess greats face off online, webcams, arbiters to watch moves - The Indian Express - April 27th, 2020 [April 27th, 2020]
- "Chess makes me happy": An interview with Boris Gelfand - Chessbase News - April 27th, 2020 [April 27th, 2020]
- China pips US in world chess at a time their ties are at a nadir - Economic Times - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- With new rules and a new normal, NASCAR set to return this weekend - ESPN - May 15th, 2020 [May 15th, 2020]
- It is easier to succeed if you have failed 55 quotes from Indian startup journeys - YourStory - May 19th, 2020 [May 19th, 2020]
- Kerbal Space Program Gets A New Update With Real Space Missions - Bleeding Cool News - May 19th, 2020 [May 19th, 2020]
- Self-Supervised Learning The Third-Wave in Cybersecurity AI - Security Boulevard - June 1st, 2020 [June 1st, 2020]
- Artificial Intelligence: The Promises of An Avatar in 2020 - Universal News - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- When The Facts Change, We Change Our Minds (Anatomy Of A Sale) - Seeking Alpha - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- Here's Why NASCAR Racing Is Harder Than Everyone Thinks | HotCars - HotCars - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- An (Infinite) Game Theory strategy for India to be a global power - The Sunday Guardian - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- Personal Insights: From Kinsale to Iran and the human kindness I will never forget - Irish Examiner - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Exploring 10 Hindi films based on books - The Indian Express - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Are You Ready For The Future Of Chess? - Chess.com - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Welcome to the Status Quo of the Streaming Wars - The Ringer - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- The Cockroach's Carapace (and other opening disasters) - Chessbase News - July 26th, 2020 [July 26th, 2020]
- Sports Snippets - The Shillong Times - July 26th, 2020 [July 26th, 2020]
- These are the best Chess games you can play on Android phone - The Indian Express - July 26th, 2020 [July 26th, 2020]
- Macomb Center for the Performing Arts to host drive-in concert - C&G Newspapers - August 2nd, 2020 [August 2nd, 2020]
- Letter to out-of-school youth of blended learning - Philstar.com - August 2nd, 2020 [August 2nd, 2020]
- Who Are The 8 Best U.S. Chess Players Ever? - Chess.com - August 4th, 2020 [August 4th, 2020]
- In Honor of August and Art - Yakima Herald-Republic - August 8th, 2020 [August 8th, 2020]
- 35 ways to keep your kids entertained and stimulated while learning remotely - New York Post - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- 2021 Genesis GV80 Preview: Hands On With the New Luxury SUV - AutoGuide.com - August 20th, 2020 [August 20th, 2020]
- We Can Sue, Too: An Interview with Brooke Goldstein, Founder of The Lawfare Project - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 20th, 2020 [August 20th, 2020]
- FIDE declares India and Russia joint winners of the Online Olympiad - Chessbase News - September 5th, 2020 [September 5th, 2020]
- Development in a cube. 20 new digital education centers opened in the country - Pledge Times - September 5th, 2020 [September 5th, 2020]
- Space Crew Will Officially Launch On October 15th - Bleeding Cool News - September 8th, 2020 [September 8th, 2020]
- Winning with the King's Indian and our summer special! - Chessbase News - September 8th, 2020 [September 8th, 2020]
- Google searches help infectious disease experts track the spread of coronavirus - My London - October 19th, 2020 [October 19th, 2020]
- COVID-19 Is Driving The Uptake Of Chess -- And Of Surveillance Tools To Stop Online Players Cheating - Techdirt - October 19th, 2020 [October 19th, 2020]
- Chess's cheating crisis: 'paranoia has become the culture' - The Guardian - October 19th, 2020 [October 19th, 2020]
- When 3 is greater than 5 - Chessbase News - October 19th, 2020 [October 19th, 2020]
- Fat Fritz 2.0 - The new number 1 - Chessbase News - February 15th, 2021 [February 15th, 2021]
- Fat Fritz 2: The Best of Both Worlds - Chessbase News - February 15th, 2021 [February 15th, 2021]
- The 25th anniversary of Deep Blue beating Garry Kasparov in a chess game. - Slate - February 15th, 2021 [February 15th, 2021]
- Gravwell 2nd Edition Will Be Coming Out Later This Year - Bleeding Cool News - February 20th, 2021 [February 20th, 2021]
- Five Issues Washington Should Consider In Reviewing A Lockheed-Aerojet Merger - Forbes - February 20th, 2021 [February 20th, 2021]
- A hearty chess gesture from the Czech Republic to the Indian state of Kerala - Chessbase News - July 12th, 2021 [July 12th, 2021]
- Who is the greatest of all time? - Stabroek News - July 12th, 2021 [July 12th, 2021]
- The DeanBeat: The week in the console and game engine wars - VentureBeat - July 12th, 2021 [July 12th, 2021]
- The 10 Greatest Blitz Chess Games Of All Time - Chess.com - December 27th, 2021 [December 27th, 2021]
- 10 Strongest Free Chess Engines [all above 3000 ELO] at ... - December 27th, 2021 [December 27th, 2021]
- Top 10 Strongest Chess Engines In 2021 - Hercules Chess - December 27th, 2021 [December 27th, 2021]
- 18 Best Chess Engines of 2021 | Based On Their Ratings ... - December 27th, 2021 [December 27th, 2021]
- Tilting Point partners with Polygon on Web3 games - VentureBeat - May 12th, 2022 [May 12th, 2022]
- Free UCI-Compatible Chess Programs for the Stockfish Engine - June 29th, 2022 [June 29th, 2022]