https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance
UCI Chess Engine written in Zig
https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance
chess engine uci
Last synced: 5 months ago
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UCI Chess Engine written in Zig
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance
- Owner: ppipelin
- License: gpl-3.0
- Created: 2025-02-16T22:19:27.000Z (over 1 year ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-01-26T23:17:28.000Z (5 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-01-27T10:27:18.875Z (5 months ago)
- Topics: chess, engine, uci
- Language: Zig
- Homepage: https://lichess.org/@/RadianceEngine
- Size: 305 KB
- Stars: 7
- Watchers: 2
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Radiance Engine
[](https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance/actions/workflows/tests.yml)
[](https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance/releases)
[](https://lichess.org/@/radianceengine/perf/classical)
[](https://lichess.org/@/radianceengine/perf/rapid)
[](https://lichess.org/@/radianceengine/perf/blitz)
[](https://lichess.org/@/radianceengine/perf/bullet)
:zap: Zig chess engine :zap:
## Move Generation and Ordering
- Fancy Magic Bitboards
- [Staged](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Move_Generation#Staged_Move_Generation) Move Generation
- Transposition Table Move Ordering
- Principal Variation Move Ordering
- [Static Exchange Evaluation](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Static_Exchange_Evaluation)
- [Chess960](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Chess960) support
## Search
- [Principal Variation Search](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Principal_Variation_Search)
- [Alpha-Beta](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Alpha-Beta) Pruning
- [Aspiration Window](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Aspiration_Windows)
- [Late Move Reductions](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Late_Move_Reductions)
- [Null Move Pruning](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Null_Move_Pruning)
- [Reverse Futility Pruning](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Reverse_Futility_Pruning)
- Mate pruning
- Razoring
- Internal iterative reductions
- [Quiescence Search](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Quiescence_Search)
- Threefold Repetition
- Time Management
## Evaluation
- [Tuned](https://www.chessprogramming.org/PeSTO%27s_Evaluation_Function) Piece-square Tables
- [_AlphaZero_ Average Piece Values](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2009.04374)
- Tapered Evaluation
- Transposition Table Evaluation
- Endgame Heuristics
- Pawn Structures Heuristics
- Bishop pair bonus
- Mobility Bonus
## Versions tournament
Time control: 120+1
CCRL [blitz benchmark](https://computerchess.org.uk/ccrl/404/cgi/compare_engines.cgi?family=Radiance&print=Rating+list&print=Score+with+common+opponents).
| Rank | Name | CCRL | Elo | + | - | games | score | oppo. | draws |
| ---- | ---------------- | ----- | ---- | -- | -- | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- |
| 1 | [radiance_4.2] | | 1844 | 10 | 10 | 4096 | 81% | 1594 | 22% |
| 2 | [radiance_4.1] | 1674 | 1673 | 10 | 10 | 5371 | 65% | 1489 | 18% |
| 3 | [radiance_4.0.1] | | 1514 | 8 | 8 | 12264 | 75% | 1165 | 8% |
| 4 | [radiance_3.5] | 1321 | 1256 | 8 | 7 | 10216 | 66% | 1059 | 11% |
| 5 | [radiance_3.4] | 1300 | 1232 | 8 | 8 | 10218 | 64% | 1062 | 11% |
| 6 | [radiance_3.3] | | 1180 | 8 | 8 | 10216 | 59% | 1068 | 11% |
| 7 | [radiance_3.2] | | 1169 | 8 | 7 | 10215 | 58% | 1070 | 11% |
| 8 | [radiance_3.1.1] | 1114 | 999 | 8 | 8 | 9552 | 45% | 1049 | 9% |
| 9 | [radiance_3.0.1] | | 722 | 9 | 9 | 9552 | 20% | 1084 | 9% |
| 10 | [radiance_2.4] | | 681 | 9 | 9 | 9552 | 16% | 1089 | 10% |
| 11 | [radiance_2.3] | 864 | 636 | 9 | 9 | 9552 | 13% | 1095 | 9% |
## Getting started
### Compile and run
```
zig build run -relase=fast
```
### Deploy
```
zig build deploy
```
### Test
```
zig build test --release=safe
```
### UCI options
| Name | Type | Default value | Valid values | Description |
| -------------- | ----- | ------------------- | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| `Hash` | spin | 256 | [1, 65535] | Memory allocated to the transposition table (in MB). |
| `Threads` | spin | 1 | [1, 1] | Number of threads used to search. |
| `Evaluation` | combo | "PSQ" | ["PSQ", "Shannon", "Materialist"] | Type of evaluation function. |
| `Search` | combo | "NegamaxAlphaBeta" | ["NegamaxAlphaBeta", "Random"] | Type of search function. |
| `UCI_Chess960` | check | false | ["true", "false"] | |
### Commands
- `uci`
- `isready`
- `setoption name [value ]`
- `position [fen | startpos | kiwi | lasker] [moves ...]`
- `eval`
- `go [movetime | [wtime ] [btime ] [winc ] [binc ] | depth | infinite | perft ]`
- `bench`
- `stop`
- `quit`
- `ucinewgame`
- `d`
### Archive
This project was originaly written in C++ before 4.0 version and archived under the name [radiance_archived](https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance_archived).
### Aknowledgments
- [Avalanche](https://github.com/SnowballSH/Avalanche) engine is a great example of how a zig project should be coded. Radiance engine still uses its pseudo random number generator (MIT License - Copyright (c) 2023 Yinuo Huang).
- [Stockfish](https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish) with its aggressive pruning methods.
- [Chess Programming Wiki](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Main_Page).
_I'm radiant!_
[radiance_4.2]: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance/releases/tag/4.2
[radiance_4.1]: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance/releases/tag/4.1
[radiance_4.0.1]: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance/releases/tag/4.0.1
[radiance_3.5]: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance_archived/releases/tag/3.5
[radiance_3.4]: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance_archived/releases/tag/3.4
[radiance_3.3]: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance_archived/releases/tag/3.3
[radiance_3.2]: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance_archived/releases/tag/3.2
[radiance_3.1.1]: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance_archived/releases/tag/3.1.1
[radiance_3.0.1]: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance_archived/releases/tag/3.0.1
[radiance_2.4]: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance_archived/releases/tag/2.4
[radiance_2.3]: https://github.com/ppipelin/radiance_archived/releases/tag/2.3