DragonBotV2

A lightweight Lichess bot framework written in Python. This repository contains a chess engine wrapper, Lichess integration, matchmaking and time-management helpers with a pluggable engine architecture.

Quick overview

• Purpose: run an automated bot that can play games on Lichess (or be used as a local engine harness).
• Main entrypoint: main.py (project root)
• Important directories:
  • engines/ — engine implementations and helpers (e.g. dragonbot.py, opening.py)
  • lib/ — core library code (Lichess client, matchmaking, models, config helpers)

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• A working internet connection for Lichess integration (unless running in local/offline mode)
• Dependencies listed in requirements.txt

Installation (Windows PowerShell)

1. Create and activate a virtual environment:

python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

2. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Configuration

• Copy the example config: config.yml.default -> config.yml and edit values as needed.

copy-item config.yml.default config.yml
notepad config.yml

• Typical settings to check/enter in config.yml:
  • Lichess API token (if you want the bot to connect to Lichess)
  • Bot account name and game settings
  • Engine selection and engine-specific options

Running the bot

• Start the bot from the project root:

python main.py

• Behavior depends on configuration in config.yml. If the bot connects to Lichess it will listen for incoming challenges / pairings depending on the matchmaking settings.

Files of interest

• main.py — application entrypoint and runtime orchestration.
• config.yml.default — example configuration used as a template.
• engines/dragonbot.py — primary engine implementation for the project.
• lib/lichess_bot.py and lib/lichess.py — Lichess API integration and types.
• lib/matchmaking.py, lib/time_manager.py, engines/time_manager.py — utilities for pairing and time control.

Development notes

• Add or extend engine implementations under engines/.
• Core logic lives in lib/. Keep Lichess-specific code isolated from engine code where possible to make testing easier.

Troubleshooting and tips

• If the bot doesn't start, verify Python and virtual environment activation.
• Check config.yml exists and contains valid values. If you only have config.yml.default, copy it to config.yml before running.
• If Lichess connection fails, verify the API token and network connectivity.