We’re excited to announce that members can now use the Torch chess engine on our Analysis page. Torch is a new engine developed by the Chess.com team that has quickly risen to the top of the chess engine rankings. Developed in less than eight months, Torch has taken the number two spot from Leela, edging out wins in the CCC bullet and blitz championships, only losing in the CCC rapid event.

Torch has sparked a renewed interest in the competitive nature of computer chess. The engine’s performance lit a fire under the heels of developers all over the globe who contribute to projects like Stockfish and Leela, which power most chess products today.

Below, you can see IM Levy Rozman’s video about one of Torch’s recent wins against Leela, Komodo, Ethereal, and Stockfish:

You can also enjoy a video of GM Hikaru Nakamura playing against Torch:

To use Torch, go to Analysis, click the cog icon at the top right of the chessboard, and then select Torch on the dropdown Chess Engine menu. You can choose between a lighter and much faster option that uses a miniature neural network or the more robust full version. 

Go to our Analysis page to give the new chess engine Torch a try, and let us know what you think in the comment section below!