Critter (chess)
title: "Critter (chess)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["chess-engines", "software-programmed-in-pascal"] topic_path: "general/chess-engines" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critter_(chess)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox software"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Critter |
| title | Critter |
| developer | Richard Vida |
| latest release version | 1.6a |
| latest release date | June 2012 |
| programming language | C++ |
| operating system | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android |
| genre | Chess engine |
| license | Proprietary |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Critter | title = Critter | developer = Richard Vida | released = | discontinued = | latest release version = 1.6a | latest release date = June 2012 | latest preview version = | latest preview date = | programming language = C++ | operating system = Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android | platform = | size = | language = | genre = Chess engine | license = Proprietary | website = Critter is a cross-platform UCI chess engine by Slovakian programmer Richard Vida which is free for non-commercial use. The engine has achieved top five on most chess engine Elo rating lists.
History
Richard Vida started working on Critter in late 2008. The first version was originally written in Object Pascal but the code was later converted to C++ using Bitboard technology because Delphi did not perform well under 64-bit processors. Critter had its over-the-board (OTB) debut at the ICT 2012, where it became a strong runner-up behind the Rybka cluster.
Notable games
| tright | Tornado vs Critter, nTCEC S2, Stage 2, 3.6 | | | |qd| |rd|kd| |ql| | | |pd|pd|bd|pd | | | | | |nd|pd| | | | | | |bd| | | | | |rd| | | | | | | | |pl| |pl| |pl|pl| |nl| |pl|bl|pl |rl| |bl| |kl| | |rl | Here Critter played 16...Ng4, sacrificing a rook for a strong attack.
- Tornado vs Critter, nTCEC S2, Stage 2, 3.7, 0–1 Critter sacs two pawns and the exchange to build up a strong attack.
- Toga vs Critter, nTCEC S2, Stage 2, 4.6, 0–1
References
References
- "CCRL 40/40 Rating List — All engines (best versions only)". computerchess.org.uk.
- "IPON Rating List". inwoba.de.
- "SWCR chess engine ratings list". amateurschach.de.
- "CEGT Best Versions". husvankempen.de.
- "Critter Sourceforge Page".
- "Critter official website".
- "ICT12".
- "Interesting Games from Season 2".
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::