bloatoo / zchess

A better terminal interface for chess.

zchess

zchess is a terminal interface for chess written in Rust. You can use it to play chess either locally, or against other players via the Lichess API.

NOTE: This project is an early state of development, so expect bugs. Feel free to open issues and pull requests.

Features

• Flexible interface configuration
• Online games against real people via Lichess
• Ships a lightweight binary

Getting started

Installation

Building from source:

git clone https://github.com/bloatoo/zchess
cd zchess
cargo install --path .

You must have the Rust toolchain installed. For an easy way to get Rust installed, visit this link.
The binary gets installed to ~/.cargo/bin/zch, so make sure ~/.cargo/bin is in PATH.

Requirements

• A Lichess account and an API key. Generate an API key here.

Configuration

An example configuration file has been provided in the GitHub repository. Move/copy that file to ~/.config/zchess.toml and configure it to your liking.
For Lichess functionality, paste the API key you generated before to the token field in the configuration file. The rest of the configuration should be self-explanatory.

Default Keybinds

q | Quit
hjkl + arrow keys | Move the cursor during games
a | Abort the current game
r | Resign the current game
f | Flip board
enter | Select a menu item or a piece, or move the selected piece

Showcase

Local game