AI brains & levels
When you start a game against the bot on /play.php, you pick TWO things: a Brain (the bot's personality) and a Level (how much time it spends thinking and how careful it is). Higher levels = longer thinking time + smarter scoring. The visible countdown on the play page tells you how long you'll wait before the bot plays.
Beginner-friendly
Forgiving opponent. Lower levels make the same kind of mistakes a real beginner makes (random moves, walking into free captures). Higher levels stop blundering and start applying tactics.
| Level | Skill | Avg time / move | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stupid (random) | ~1 s | Picks any legal move at random. Good first opponent for someone who has never played chess. Will let you take its pieces for free. |
| 2 | Beginner (mild captures) | ~3 s | Greedy capture only. If a capture is available, takes the biggest piece; otherwise picks at random. Still walks into pawn forks. |
| 3 | Novice (no free pieces) | ~8 s | Greedy capture PLUS won't move a piece somewhere it can be captured for free next turn. Comparable to someone who has been playing for a few weeks. |
| 4 | Average player (default) | ~15 s | Same as Novice plus prefers moves that THREATEN your pieces. About a club beginner level - won't blunder, will try to keep up the pressure. |
| 5 | Solid | ~30 s | Same scoring as level 4 but spends twice as long. Marginally smarter via more reflection time. |
| 10 | Tournament | ~5 min | Long-think tournament-style. Same scoring as level 4 but with 5+ minutes of consideration per move. |
Hunter (aggressive)
An aggressive opponent. Even at level 1 the Hunter will not let you take a piece for free. Designed for players who want a challenge from move one and don't enjoy beating up a bot that hangs material.
| Level | Skill | Avg time / move | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hunter cub | ~2 s | Greedy + hanging-piece penalty. No free captures, but doesn't hunt for threats yet. |
| 2 | Hunter scout | ~5 s | Adds the threat-bonus: prefers moves that put pressure on your pieces. About a club beginner. |
| 3 | Hunter | ~10 s | Same scoring, longer think time. Solid attacking opponent. |
| 4 | Strong Hunter | ~20 s | Strong club-player feel. |
| 5 | Master Hunter | ~1 min | Long-think, sharp tactics. |
| 10 | Apex Hunter | ~15 min | Tournament-grade thinking time. Plan to leave the move open for a while. |
How the countdown works
When the bot's turn starts, the status bar shows the bot's brain, level, and a SECONDS-REMAINING countdown ticking down once a second. Each move's thinking time is the level's published budget plus or minus 10 % of random jitter, so consecutive moves don't feel like a fixed metronome. When the countdown hits zero the bot plays immediately. You can keep the page open and look at the board the entire time.