antichess.net

Every term, MIT 6.170 students develop an antichess application for their final project. One of the substantial parts of this project includes designing an AI that must make better than random moves. Students are encouraged to learn about gaming algorithms and attempt to build the smartest antichess player that they can.

Problems arise during and after the development of the AI or machine player. Students often find that they have no way of test "how good" their AI is unless they become antichess experts themselves and play against the computer. There is no easy way for students (past and present) to set up a game where their machine player will play against a different group's AI. Even if such a mechanism existed, security remains an issue because groups do not want to give away their gaming algorithms.

Our solution is to build a web site, antichess.net where users can upload their antichess AI players and play them against each other as well as against human players. This will provide a testbed for antichess AI developers, and will also generate a database of game histories that developers can access and analyze. The site will also let humans play antichess against each other as well as against AI players.