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Contributing to goChess

Thanks for your interest in contributing.

Getting started

  1. Install Go (see go.mod for the minimum version) and golangci-lint.
  2. Fork and clone the repository.
  3. Run make dev-tools to install pinned development tooling.
  4. Verify your setup: make check (build + lint + test).

Development workflow

make build     # compile ./bin/gochess
make test      # go test -race ./...
make test-long # includes deep perft (perft 6, kiwipete depth 4)
make lint      # golangci-lint run
make vuln      # govulncheck ./...
make fmt       # gofumpt + goimports
make check     # everything CI runs
  • Branch from main. Name branches feature/…, fix/…, or chore/….
  • Keep changes focused. One logical change per pull request.
  • All code must pass make check before review.

Commit messages

Follow Conventional Commits:

feat(search): add transposition table
fix(uci): handle "go infinite" without a clock
docs: expand perft section in README

The changelog and release notes are generated from commit history.

Pull requests

  • Fill out the pull request template.
  • Add or update tests. Engine correctness changes must include a perft or search regression test.
  • Update CHANGELOG.md under the ## [Unreleased] heading.
  • Chess strength changes should include before/after results from a match (e.g. cutechess-cli, ≥1000 games or an SPRT result).

Testing philosophy

  • Move generation: perft counts against published reference values are authoritative. Never change move generation without a passing perft test.
  • Search: assert on outcomes (finds mate, wins hanging material, does not blunder) rather than exact node counts, which are implementation-sensitive.
  • Run go test -race ./... locally; the race detector is required in CI.

Reporting bugs

Use the issue templates. For a wrong move or illegal move, include the FEN, the move list, and the go command (depth or movetime) that reproduces it.

Security

Do not open public issues for security problems. See SECURITY.md.

License

By contributing you agree that your contributions are licensed under the GPL-3.0.