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Contributing to MetalFish

Thanks for your interest in MetalFish. The project is licensed under GPL-3.0 and contributions are accepted under the same license.

Prerequisites

Download the network files before building (CMake copies the NNUE files into build/ at configure time, so they must exist first):

python3 tools/download_engine_networks.py --dest networks

Build

macOS (Apple Silicon — the primary path):

cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DUSE_METAL=ON
cmake --build build --target metalfish metalfish_tests -j"$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)"

For Linux/Windows CUDA, see the README and docs/cross_platform_backend_plan.md.

Test

./build/metalfish_tests            # C++ unit suite: core search eval_gpu mcts hybrid
python3 tests/testing.py --quick   # UCI protocol + perft smoke
python3 tests/test_lichess_bot.py
python3 tests/test_lichess_puzzle_runner.py

Lint / format

pre-commit enforces clang-format (C++), black + isort (--profile=black, Python), cmake-format, and check-yaml. Run it before committing:

pre-commit run --all-files

Pull requests

  • Keep changes focused — one logical change per PR.
  • Run the unit suite and pre-commit locally; CI must be green before merge.
  • For search/eval behavior changes, include validation evidence. The engine is already strong, so gains are incremental and need low-noise measurement (cutechess tournaments and/or the Lichess bot), not single positions.
  • Strength claims must follow the README "Benchmarking Policy" and "Strength Claims" sections — no "stronger than X" wording without large-scale testing.

Acknowledgements

MetalFish derives from Stockfish (alpha-beta search and NNUE evaluation) and is Lc0-compatible (MCTS and the BT4 transformer), both GPL-3.0. See the README "Acknowledgements" section.