MCP Stockfish MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol server that lets your AI talk to Stockfish. Because apparently we needed to make chess engines even more accessible to our

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What is the MCP Stockfish MCP Server?

A Model Context Protocol server that lets your AI talk to Stockfish. Because apparently we needed to make chess engines even more accessible to our silicon

What the server does

This creates a bridge between AI systems and the Stockfish chess engine via the MCP protocol. It handles multiple concurrent sessions because your AI probably wants to analyze seventeen positions simultaneously while you're still figuring out why your knight is hanging.

  • 🔄 Concurrent Sessions — Run multiple Stockfish instances without your CPU crying
  • ⚡ Full UCI Support — All the commands you need, none of the ones you don't
  • 🎯 Actually Works — Unlike your last side project, this one has proper error handling
  • 📊 JSON Everything — Because apparently we can't just use plain text anymore
  • 🐳 Docker Ready — Containerized for when you inevitably break your local setup

Recorded tools

  • uci — Initializes the engine in UCI mode
  • isready — Checks if the engine is ready. Returns readyok
  • stop — Stops current search
  • quit — Closes the session

More MCP options

Compare MCP servers by category, or browse hosted MCP servers if you prefer an endpoint over a local process.

Maintainer setup documentation.

Recorded tools

Check the linked publisher documentation and your connected client's tool list. Names and availability can vary with the server version and account permissions.

ToolWhat it does
session_idSession ID (optional, we'll make one up if you don't)

How to install the MCP Stockfish MCP Server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chess": {
      "command": "mcp-stockfish",
      "env": {
        "MCP_STOCKFISH_LOG_LEVEL": "info"
      }
    }
  }
}

From the project documentation. Replace placeholders and example paths before connecting.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
MCP_STOCKFISH_LOG_LEVELDeclared in the maintainer’s client configuration.Check documentation

Example prompts to try

  • “Use MCP Stockfish to uci.”
  • “Use MCP Stockfish to isready.”
  • “Use MCP Stockfish to stop.”

Frequently asked questions

A Model Context Protocol server that lets your AI talk to Stockfish. Because apparently we needed to make chess engines even more accessible to our silicon Confirm the tools offered by your installed version in the connected client. Tool availability and permissions depend on the server and account configuration.