GoKawiilIndependent developer builds Chessbook-1, a human-like chess bot for training
An independent developer spent ten months building Chessbook-1, a 199-million-parameter chess model designed to mimic how real Lichess players move, think and manage time at any rating or time control. It now powers training games on Chessbook and was benchmarked against existing human-like engines Maia-3 and Allie 2.0 using September 2026 Lichess positions drawn after each model's training cutoff.
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The developer's scorecard suggests Chessbook-1 outperforms rivals on calibrating playing strength across rating bands and predicting how long a human will take to move, gaps the creator says existing tools like Maia-3 and Allie 2.0 leave unaddressed. This could make practice against bots feel closer to facing a real opponent, which matters for players who rely on engines like Stockfish that behave nothing like humans. Since the comparison and benchmarks were designed and reported by the model's own creator, the claimed advantages warrant independent verification.
- Chessbook-1 is a 199M-parameter model built over 10 months to mimic human chess play, including move choice and time usage.
- It was benchmarked against Maia-3 and Allie 2.0 using 30,000 Lichess positions from September 2026, after each model's training cutoff.
- The developer reports Chessbook-1 is the only model calibrated to match human playing strength across all rating levels and time controls.
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See DGT Smart Chess Clock on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: mbuffett.com, 2026-10-19
Published there as: “Spending 10 months building the most human-like chess bot”
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