ChessTUI

Play chess in your terminal.

Note

This project is a terminal-based chess interface that integrates with the Stockfish engine for AI moves.

Warning

This project is developed and tested on Ubuntu Linux — compatibility with other platforms is not guaranteed.

Tip

For the best experience, we recommend running the game on GNOME Terminal.

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Quick Start

1. Prerequisites ⚙️

Make sure you have:

• A C++17 compatible compiler (GCC 7+ or Clang 5+)
• GNU Make
• Stockfish binary (see below)

2. Stockfish Installation

Follow the instructions in the Engine Setup Guide to install the Stockfish binary in the correct location.

3. Building the Project

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/a7mddra/ChessTUI.git
cd ChessTUI

# Build and run the game
make run

4. Game Controls 🎮

└── Use algebraic notation:
    ├── Moving pieces
    │   ├─ Highlight valid moves then move
    │   │   ├─ Highlight: type source (e.g. `e2`) then destination (e.g. `e4`)
    │   │   └─ Direct: type the full move at once (e.g. `e2e4`)
    │   └─ Direct move
    │       └─ Full move in one step (e.g. `e2e4`)
    │
    ├─ Pawn promotion
    │   ├─ Step by step: `e7` → `e8` → `q` or `e7` → `e8q`
    │   └─ Direct: `e7e8q`
    │
    ├─ King castling
    │   ├─ Kingside: `e1g1`
    │   └─ Queenside: `e1c1`
    │
    └─ Special commands
        ├─ Flip the board → `flip`
        ├─ Start a new game → `new`
        └─ Exit the app → `quit`

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Features ✨

• Terminal-based UI with Unicode symbols and ANSI color highlighting

• Complete chess rules:

  • Castling (kingside/queenside)
  • En passant captures
  • Pawn promotion
  • Check & checkmate detection

• Stockfish AI integration

• Move validation with visual highlights

• Board flipping (play as white or black)

• Live evaluation bar (material balance score)

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