What is Lc0?
Lc0 (Leela Chess Zero) is a chess engine that uses a trained neural network to play chess. It was inspired by Google's Alpha Zero project and Lc0's current networks have since surpassed Alpha Zero's strength.
- The Lc0 Engine (also called "the binary")
- A Neural Network (also called "the net")
The Lc0 engine sees the board and makes the moves, and the neural net tells the engine which moves are good. A bad network will cause Lc0 to play poorly. A good network will allow her to defeat even the strongest of chess engines.
You will need to download BOTH parts if you want to use Lc0.
Lc0 runs best with a powerful GPU, unlike other traditional engines that run on CPU, so keep that in mind.
It is also best if you get a chess GUI, so that you can see the board and the suggestions that Leela is making. A great GUI designed specifically for Lc0 is Nibbler.