Aurelius

A free, open source, Python-based chess engine with advanced search algorithms, sophisticated position evaluation, and opening book support.

Version
0.2.0
Protocol
UCI
License
Free
Download

Requires Python 3 and pip install chess requests before running.

Setup
1
Install Python 3
Download from python.org if you don't have it. Make sure it's added to your PATH.
2
Install dependencies
Run pip install chess requests in your terminal or command prompt.
3
Install CuteChess
Download from cutechess.com if you don't have it.
Extract the CuteChess .zip file → Open cutechess.exe in the folder → Complete installation process.
4
Add to CuteChess
Open CuteChess → Tools → Settings → Engines → Add. Point the executable to the .bat (Windows) or .sh (Linux/macOS) file and set protocol to UCI.
5
Linux / macOS only — make it executable
Run chmod +x aurelius.sh once in the folder before adding it to CuteChess.
Features
Opening book
JSON-based opening lines for solid, principled early play.
Syzygy tablebases
Lichess API for perfect endgame play with 7 or fewer pieces.
Alpha-beta search
Minimax with alpha-beta pruning, LMR, null-move pruning, and killer moves.
Transposition table
Up to 200k cached positions to speed up repeated lines.
UCI protocol
Works with CuteChess, Arena, and any UCI-compatible GUI.
Cross-platform
Runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS — no compilation needed.