An interactive chess game built with Python and Pygame. Play PvP, face a local AI, or run an Arena where two algorithms battle each other. The game tracks moves in the terminal and saves them to moves.txt.

• About
• Features
• Built With
• Getting Started
• Usage
• Arena Mode
• Controls
• Algorithms
• Project Structure
• Roadmap
• Contributing
• License
• Acknowledgments

chess.py is a lightweight desktop chess app with full move legality (castling, en passant, promotions) plus a simple AI framework. It includes an Arena mode so you can compare algorithms head-to-head.

• Full chess rules enforcement with check, checkmate, stalemate, castling, en passant, and promotions
• Pygame UI with click-to-move and legal-move highlighting
• Terminal move tracking and persistent moves.txt log
• PvP, PvAI, and Arena (AI vs AI) modes
• Built-in algorithms: Minimax, Alpha-Beta Pruning, MCTS, Negamax
• Reset button to restart a game instantly

• Python 3
• Pygame

• Python 3.10+ recommended

git clone https://github.com/your-username/chess.py.git
cd chess.py
python -m venv .venv

Activate the environment:

# Windows (PowerShell)
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

Install dependencies:

pip install pygame

Run the game:

python chess_game.py

Moves are printed to the terminal and saved in moves.txt.

1. Toggle Arena: On.
2. Select the White and Black algorithms.
3. Click Confirm.
4. Watch the algorithms play each other, then review the victory overlay.

• Click a piece, then click a destination square to move
• ESC cancels selection
• Promotion: press Q, R, B, or N when prompted
• Confirm locks mode and AI selections
• Reset restarts the game

All algorithms prioritize immediate checkmate if available.

• Minimax
• Alpha-Beta Pruning
• Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS)
• Negamax

• chess_game.py: game logic, UI, and mode handling
• minimax_ai.py: minimax search
• alphabeta_ai.py: alpha-beta search
• mcts_ai.py: Monte Carlo rollouts
• negamax_ai.py: negamax search
• moves.txt: move log output

• Improve evaluation heuristics for stronger play
• Add selectable AI depth in the UI
• Add optional move undo

Pull requests are welcome. Please open an issue to discuss major changes first.

• Inspired by standard chess rules and classic board game UI patterns