chessdemo

a simple demo using ably realitime API to transmit chess moves.

Dependencies

go 1.19

Installation

go install github.com/ably-labs/chessdemo@latest

Alternatively, if you don't have Go installed, you can just grab pre-complied executables for your machine from here.

Playing

export ABLY_KEY=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
chessdemo -name myname -game gameId

If you are the first player in the gameID game, then you play white. If you are the second, you play black. Otherwise you are a spectator.

You can force yourself to be a spectator by usig the -watch flag.

Input can be any move in algebraic notation. or:

resign
show which displays the positon in the default browser

Using a chess engine

Figuring out good moves can be difficult. So why not use the number-crunching power of your computer to do it for you.

To do this, use the -engine flag.

chessdemo -name myname -game gameId -engine stockfish

You can use stockfish (as above) or any UCI compliant chess engine.

To install stockfish on a mac, simply run

brew install stockfish

Example Session

% ./chessdemo -name amnon
you are white
Waiting for an opponent to arrive.
Your opponent bill is playing black.
1: e4

 A B C D E F G H
8♜ ♞ ♝ ♛ ♚ ♝ ♞ ♜
7♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟
6- - - - - - - -
5- - - - - - - -
4- - - - ♙ - - -
3- - - - - - - -
2♙ ♙ ♙ ♙ - ♙ ♙ ♙
1♖ ♘ ♗ ♕ ♔ ♗ ♘ ♖

f6

 A B C D E F G H
8♜ ♞ ♝ ♛ ♚ ♝ ♞ ♜
7♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ - ♟ ♟
6- - - - - ♟ - -
5- - - - - - - -
4- - - - ♙ - - -
3- - - - - - - -
2♙ ♙ ♙ ♙ - ♙ ♙ ♙
1♖ ♘ ♗ ♕ ♔ ♗ ♘ ♖

2: Nc3

 A B C D E F G H
8♜ ♞ ♝ ♛ ♚ ♝ ♞ ♜
7♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ - ♟ ♟
6- - - - - ♟ - -
5- - - - - - - -
4- - - - ♙ - - -
3- - ♘ - - - - -
2♙ ♙ ♙ ♙ - ♙ ♙ ♙
1♖ - ♗ ♕ ♔ ♗ ♘ ♖

g5

 A B C D E F G H
8♜ ♞ ♝ ♛ ♚ ♝ ♞ ♜
7♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ - - ♟
6- - - - - ♟ - -
5- - - - - - ♟ -
4- - - - ♙ - - -
3- - ♘ - - - - -
2♙ ♙ ♙ ♙ - ♙ ♙ ♙
1♖ - ♗ ♕ ♔ ♗ ♘ ♖

3: Qh5

 A B C D E F G H
8♜ ♞ ♝ ♛ ♚ ♝ ♞ ♜
7♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ - - ♟
6- - - - - ♟ - -
5- - - - - - ♟ ♕
4- - - - ♙ - - -
3- - ♘ - - - - -
2♙ ♙ ♙ ♙ - ♙ ♙ ♙
1♖ - ♗ - ♔ ♗ ♘ ♖


1. e4 f6 2. Nc3 g5 3. Qh5# 1-0

Bugs

All players require my Ably API Key
No way to offer or accept a draw
clunky user interface