# Install fairy-stockfish with Homebrew, apt Strong open source chess variant engine (with largeboards support). Version 14.0.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-04-29. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:fairy-stockfish ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install fairy-stockfish ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install fairy-stockfish ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: fairy-stockfish from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:fairy-stockfish - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 14.0.1 - **Source summary:** Strong open source chess variant engine (with largeboards support) - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-04-29T17:12:01Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - fairy-stockfish (cli) - fairy-stockfish (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 14.0.1 - Package-manager updated: 2026-04-29 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/fairy-stockfish/Fairy-Stockfish - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage Fairy-Stockfish is a chess-variant engine derived from Stockfish. It keeps the Stockfish search lineage but extends it toward fairy chess, regional chess-like games, large boards, user-defined variants, and multiple engine protocols. ### Project history The official README describes Fairy-Stockfish as a Stockfish-derived engine designed for fairy chess variants and extensibility. Official releases visible through GitHub begin with the UEC11 and 10.x generation in 2019, then continue through Fairy-Stockfish 11 in 2020 and 13/14 releases in 2021. The project broadened from a chess executable into a variant-engine platform. Its README documents UCI, UCCI, USI, UCI-cyclone, and CECP/XBoard support, user-defined variant configuration, NNUE network support, Python and JavaScript bindings, and WebAssembly ports. ### Adoption history Fairy-Stockfish is adopted mostly by the chess-variant ecosystem rather than ordinary chess users. The README points users to compatible GUIs and online play or analysis through pychess, lishogi, and lichess accounts, and describes `pyffish` being used by the pychess-variants server backend. ### How it is used Users run Fairy-Stockfish as an engine under a compatible GUI, connect it to online variant platforms, or use its bindings and WebAssembly ports for move generation, analysis, and game-rule handling. Its variant list covers regional games such as Xiangqi, Shogi, Janggi, Makruk, and many chess variants, plus user-defined rules. ### Why package nerds care For package maintainers, Fairy-Stockfish is the variant counterpart to the familiar Stockfish package: a command-line engine binary with protocol compatibility, GPL licensing, optional neural-network assets, and a user base that cares about exact builds and engine strength. ### Timeline - 2019: Official GitHub releases include UEC11 and Fairy-Stockfish 10.x. - 2020: Fairy-Stockfish 11, 11.1, and 11.2 released. - 2021: Fairy-Stockfish 13, 13.1, 14, and 14.0.1 XQ released. ### Related projects - Stockfish, pyffish, ffish.js, fairy-stockfish.wasm, pychess-variants, lishogi, lichess ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** fairy-stockfish - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - fairy-stockfish - 11.1-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: fairy-stockfish from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | chess variant engine including support for Chess, Shogi and XiangQi variants | https://github.com/ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish - Ubuntu apt - fairy-stockfish - 11.1-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: fairy-stockfish from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | chess variant engine including support for Chess, Shogi and XiangQi variants | https://github.com/ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Game and emulation packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/game-emulation-tools/) - Matched game or emulation metadata. - [fairymax](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fairymax/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chess, chess-variants, cli, engine, games. - [lc0](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lc0/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chess, cli, engine, games, uci. - [stockfish](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/stockfish/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chess, cli, engine, games, uci. - [gnu-chess](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gnu-chess/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chess, cli, games, uci, xboard. - [polyglot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/polyglot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chess, cli, games, uci, xboard. - [cheops](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cheops/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chess, cli, games. - [xboard](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xboard/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chess, cli, games. - [fheroes2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fheroes2/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, engine, games. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/fairy-stockfish.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/fairy-stockfish.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph