LucasLichessBridge: Desktop GUI Bridge for Lichess

Python bridge enabling seamless integration between the Lucas Chess desktop GUI and Lichess online services for offline-first analysis and study, developed by Christopher Lazok.

LucasLichessBridge

A python Bridge to utilize Lucas Chess GUI instead of Lichess Browser GUI

Lucas Lichess Bridge Description 2

A UCI-compliant bridge that allows Lucas Chess to play against Lichess bots.

Overview

This project creates a "fake" UCI engine that:

• Presents itself to Lucas Chess as a normal UCI engine
• Relays moves to/from Lichess bots via the Lichess API

USE CASE

• Allows you to use Lucas Chess GUI to play against online bots
• Benefit from the features of Local Chess GUI; such as a Kibitzer and Local Analysis, or Engine Tutor.

┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │ Lucas Chess │ ◄─UCI─► │ Bridge │ ◄─API─► │ Lichess Bot │ │ (GUI) │ │ (Python) │ │ (ChalengeOnline-Bot) │ └─────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────────────┘

Dependency Requirements

• Python 3.x
• berserk - Lichess API client
• chess - Python chess library
• Lichess API token with scopes: challenge:read, challenge:write, board:play

Installation LINUX (Arch/CachyOS)

Due to PEP 668, Arch-based distros require a virtual environment: INSTALLATION THROUGH A PACKAGE MANAGER or REPOSITORY WILL NOT WORK

Open terminal; go to the location/folder you saved LichessBridge

bash cd /path/where-you-put/LucasLichessBridge

Create a virtual environment

python -m venv my-venv
Note: creates the Virtual Environment, it is now called, my-venv

Activate the VE (bash/zsh) ...Most Linux Distros

source my-venv/bin/activate

Activate the VE if utilizing (Fish Shell), Arch/CachyOS Specific

source my-venv/bin/activate.fish
Note: "CachyOS uses Fish Shell, the syntax is different" so I put this line in here for ARCH users. This step is not necessary if you are using (Bash/zsh).

Install dependencies

pip install berserk chess

Deactivate after you are done using the VE

deactivate
Note: "later in time you can deactivate the virtual environment"

LICHESS Token Creation Instructions

1. GO TO YOUR LICHESS PROFILE: https://lichess.org/
2. CLICK ON "Preferences" , CLICK ON "API Access Tokens"
3. Click The Blue and White PLUS ICON (upper right corner), to create an API. Name your API in the "token description box".
4. Check all boxes to give permission that you wish your token to have. Click Create.
5. Copy/SAVE the token Immediately, it will disappear, it cannot be found or recovered later.

Usage and Standalone Test

1. Open terminal;
2. Change directory into the location/folder you saved LichessBridge
3. Confirm you have your virtual environment in this folder and all dependencies are installed, then type:

bash ./run_bridge.sh -- Then type:

• uci
• isready
• quit

LucasBridge should instantly output: id name Lichess Bridge v3.1

Open Lucas Chess and Create a new UCI engine

• Browse to run_bridge.sh and setup your UCI parameters. -- Done.

Verify Token Tool

• You can run this directly in terminal, to make sure all your credentials are correct.

Direct UCI Bridge for Lucas Py

• UCIbridgeForLucas.py is the Main. this is the actual python script that is running berserk and chess.

• run_bridge.sh is a way to trick Lucas Chess into running the UCI Bridgebridgeforlucas.py as an engine, because of Lucas Workarouds, and other OS environment constraints. You may not need to do this depending on your environment. You may be able to create a new engine and browse directly to UCIbridgeForLucas.py (aka area-book-adapter woes for those who remember that ee-motional damage...)

Run Command instead of Installing UCI Chess Engine in Lucas.

• In rare cases you may need to run command.

Lucas ISSUE/Feature request. Similar to LC0 and other engines. An Issue/Feature request was opened with the author to make this a native feature.

• You may later in time be able to go to "Internal Engines" and install this.

External Engines Config with Lucas

• (There are many features that overlap with engines UCI Configuration coded properly and Lucas GUI between the two.) With what takes Presidence? and without extensive time, testing, and logging. The right combination to get external engines to actually behave accordingly, Example: Use the engine book or use Lucas Books. Use personality through Rodent, through cmd arguments, or through the GUI arguments section, Use Montecarlo or Armegedon mode, and more, etc...

IMPROVEMENT Thoughts:

• Precomplie the Python Mondules or
• Lazy Imports, force unbuffered, minimal UCI response first then imports