Lc0 (Leela Chess Zero) is a chess engine that uses a trained neural network to play chess. It was inspired by Google’s Alpha Zero project and Lc0’s current networks have since surpassed Alpha Zero’s strength.
Lc0 comes in two parts:
- The Lc0 Engine (also called “the binary”)
- A Neural Network (also called “the net”)
The Lc0 engine sees the board and makes the moves, and the neural net tells the engine which moves are good. Lc0 is only as good as the network that it uses.
You will need to download BOTH parts if you want to use Lc0.
Go to Download to get the engine and find a network.
Lc0 runs best with a powerful GPU, unlike other traditional engines that run on CPU, so keep that in mind.
It is also best if you get a chess GUI, so that you can see the board and the suggestions that Leela is making. A great GUI designed specifically for Lc0 is Nibbler.