Chess Engine v2

A C++ chess engine implementing minimax algorithm with alpha-beta pruning for intelligent move selection.

Features

• Complete Chess Engine: Plays full games with legal move generation
• Advanced Evaluation: Multi-factor position assessment including material, pawn structure, mobility, and king safety
• Search Algorithm: Minimax with alpha-beta pruning for optimal move selection
• FEN Support: Standard chess notation for position input/output
• Interactive Play: Human vs computer gameplay mode

Core Components

pieces.h

• Piece class with position tracking and pin detection

fen.h

• Board_FEN class for FEN notation parsing and board state management

moves.h

• Moves class for legal move generation and square control analysis

eval.h

• Position evaluation functions:
  • Material balance
  • Pawn structure and outposts
  • Mobility and king safety
  • Trapped/hanging piece detection

search.h

• EvalBar class implementing minimax search with alpha-beta pruning
• Game phase-specific evaluation weights

sq_tables_eval.h

• Piece-square tables for positional scoring

functions.h

• Utility functions for board manipulation and coordinate conversion

Usage

1. Interactive Game: Run test.cpp for human vs computer play
2. Position Analysis: Use positionTesting() for detailed evaluation breakdown
3. FEN Input: Provide positions in standard FEN notation

Build

make
./test

Evaluation Factors

• Material balance (piece values)
• Pawn structure and outposts
• Piece mobility and control
• King safety assessment
• Trapped/hanging piece penalties
• Position-based piece-square tables

The engine automatically adjusts evaluation weights based on game phase (opening/middlegame/endgame) for optimal performance.