Raumschach Engines

Computer Opponents for Three-Dimensional Chess

International Raumschach Federation  ·  2026

The engines listed here are AI opponents purpose-built for Raumschach. Each employs iterative-deepening alpha-beta search with quiescence and a transposition table tuned to the geometry of the 5×5×5 board. They differ primarily in their evaluation functions and search depth, offering a range of challenge from introductory to advanced play. All engines are available directly within the IRF game clients and require no installation.
Maackesgeist, v1 (2026)
The first IRF engine, named in honor of Ferdinand Maack. Maackesgeist v1 searches to a fixed depth of [N] plies with a material-weighted evaluation function. It plays at the Weak and Intermediate difficulty settings and is recommended for players new to three-dimensional chess who want an opponent that does not overwhelm before the spatial geometry becomes intuitive.
Maackesgeist, v2 (2026)
A substantially revised successor to v1, adding mobility and king-safety terms to the evaluation and extending the effective search depth through improved move ordering and null-move pruning. Maackesgeist v2 operates at all three difficulty levels, with its Strong setting providing a meaningful challenge for experienced players.
Raumfischer, v1 (2026)
An independent engine contributed to the IRF. Raumfischer employs a distinct evaluation architecture with particular attention to unicorn mobility and long diagonal control across all five levels. Its playing style tends toward positional, space-claiming strategies, offering a different tactical character from Maackesgeist for players wishing to study contrasting approaches.