Play Leela Chess Zero free online. Bots that play like people.
Human-like AI opponents from 1100 to 2200 Elo, powered by Maia networks. Free to play.
- Free, no ads
- Five Maia levels
- Play from any scanned position
What is Leela Chess Zero?
Leela Chess Zero (lc0) is an open-source neural network chess engine inspired by DeepMind’s AlphaZero. Instead of evaluating positions with hand-crafted rules, lc0 uses a deep neural network trained entirely through self-play – the same approach that produced AlphaZero’s famously creative, human-like style of play.
Unlike Stockfish, which calculates millions of positions per second to find the objectively best move, lc0 evaluates positions holistically and tends to play strategically rich, positional chess. Many players find lc0 a more instructive and natural sparring partner.
On Snap That Piece, you can play against lc0 for free.
What are Maia networks?
Maia is a family of lc0-compatible neural networks developed by the CSSLab at the University of Toronto and published at KDD 2020. Each Maia network was trained on millions of human games from Lichess at a specific Elo range – so instead of playing the best move, Maia predicts what a real human at that rating would actually play.
This means Maia makes the same kinds of mistakes real players make – typical oversights, pawn structure misjudgements, and tactical misses consistent with each Elo level. It’s a far more natural opponent than artificially throttling a superhuman engine.
| Aspect | Stockfish (depth-limited) | Maia via lc0 |
|---|---|---|
| Training | Hand-crafted evaluation | Human games at target Elo |
| Mistakes | Random or absent | Human-like, Elo-consistent |
| Play style | Tactical, sharp | Human, natural |
| Response time | Variable (search depth) | Near-instant (~10 ms) |
Five Elo levels to choose from
Each level is its own Maia network, trained on human games at that rating. Pick the one closest to your current rating for a fair, challenging game.
- 1100BeginnerAbsolute beginner
- 1300CasualImproving beginner
- 1500IntermediateClub regular
- 1900ClubStrong club player
- 2200AdvancedNear-master strength
How to play vs Leela Chess Zero
Open Snap That Piece
Go to app.snapthatpiece.com in your browser.
Choose a position
Snap a photo of a board, open a saved scan or pick a GM equal position, then tap “Play with bot”.
Pick Leela Chess Zero
In the Play vs Bot dialog, set the engine to “Leela Chess Zero”.
Choose your level
Pick one of the five Maia levels, from 1100 to 2200 Elo, and tap “Start Game”.
Frequently asked questions
Something else? Email support.
Is Leela Chess Zero free on Snap That Piece?
Yes. Playing against lc0 with any Maia network is completely free.
What are Maia networks?
Maia networks are lc0-compatible neural networks trained on millions of human Lichess games. Each network predicts what a human at a specific Elo rating would play, making Maia a human-like sparring partner rather than a depth-limited superhuman engine.
How is Maia different from Stockfish?
Stockfish always tries to play the objectively best move and can be weakened only by reducing its search depth, which produces unnatural play. Maia was trained to imitate a human at each Elo level, so it makes the same kinds of mistakes real players make – much more natural to play against.
What Elo levels are available for lc0 on Snap That Piece?
Five Maia levels: 1100, 1300, 1500, 1900 and 2200 Elo – Beginner, Casual, Intermediate, Club and Advanced in the app. Pick the level closest to your own rating for a balanced game.
Can I play lc0 from a scanned board position?
Yes. Snap a photo of any physical chess position with Snap That Piece, review the detected FEN, and then start a game vs lc0 directly from that position – any Maia Elo level you choose.
Ready for a game?
Pick a level and play – free, in your browser.