Feature Request: Computer analysis for variants. Allow computer players.

1.Please add computer analysis for chess variants, especially since a multi-variant modified Stockfish is already existing. For atomic in particular we can also use Atomkraft.
2.Please add computer players that can play rated or unrated chess, though they have to explicitly be labelled as computers and must not occupy places in the ranking lists for humans.
Thank you very much!

1. It's not simply a matter of using atomkraft since AI clusters reuse the game engine for playing all games. That said, we're working on it!
2. I don't know whether or not lichess has any plans to do that. I will say that we're also working on openings and endgames for normal chess and for all variants...

Just because an atomic AI exists doesn't mean we're going to use it. You can keep track of the development of the multi-variant Stockfish fork that lichess uses here: github.com/ddugovic/Stockfish And I'm pretty sure it's going to be way better than atomkraft. The thing about shipping software is that once it's deployed, it's generally considered a binary implementation and is unlikely to change, so implementing things the best way possible should be done on the first try.

While the idea of explicitly allowing engine users has came up in the past, it's not something to be endorsed. Lichess has been working fine as is. However, there has been a request for opening a Chess AI API for matchmaking via Player vs Chess AI and Chess AI vs Chess AI modes in addition to the existing Player vs Player medium, with the same interface. I'm pretty sure it's not a high priority in the roadmap though.

I do have a goal of solving Atomic Chess in the future. I contacted Watkins, the soon-to-be solver of antichess and he told me that Atomic may be hard to solve because the branching factor can be too high.

It will be interesting to see people developing new cool AIs, especially for Horde.