Reckless breaks a duopoly in a historic computer chess shake-up
For years, the top tier of computer chess has been defined by a familiar rivalry: Stockfish versus Leela Chess Zero. But in a dramatic and unexpected turn, that era has just been disrupted.
For the first time in many seasons, the prestigious Top Chess Engine Championship Superfinal will not feature the long-standing clash between those two giants. Instead, a new contender, Reckless, has surged into the spotlight, setting up a headline-grabbing final against the reigning powerhouse Stockfish.
Reckless impresses in the TCEC Premier Division, will play vs Stockfish at the Superfinal
The Premier Division itself was a treat to the chess fans. It was the debut season for the Torch chess engine and all eyes were locked on it, with a single question: will it be the one that brings a change to the traditional Superfinal match-up? Or will the attempt be of Obsidian and Berserk with their latest best play? Or will Lc0 dismiss them all, just as it was doing season after season? The surprises were coming one after the other, but in the end Reckless blind-sighted all and convincingly got into the second position, qualifying for the Superfinal with Stockfish.
The final standings tell many stories and setup a historic Superfinal ahead:
1st: Stockfish 35 points – qualifies for the Superfinal
2nd: Reckless 34 points – qualifies for the Superfinal
3rd: Leela Chess Zero 31 points
4th: PlentyChess 27 points
5th: Torch 27 points
6th: Integral 26 points
7th: Obsidian 23 points
8th: Berserk 21 points
Replay the games of the Premier Division here
This breakthrough raises larger questions about the future of computer chess. Is this a one-season anomaly, or the beginning of a broader shift? Can newcomers like Reckless consistently challenge the established elite?
One thing is certain: after years of predictability at the very top, the Top Chess Engine Championship has become unpredictable again. And the chess world is watching.
Reckless chess engine
Reckless stands by its name. In the Premier Division of TCEC it showed a very aggressive playing style, winning 14 pairs of games (1 vs Leela, 1 vs Plentychess, 2 vs Torch, 3 vs Integral, 4 vs Obsidian, 3 vs Berserk).
Reckless is a chess engine by Arseniy Surkov, co-authored with Peregrine and Styx. The first application for participation in the Top Chess Engine Championship was received in August 2024. It appeared first in TCEC Swiss 8 where it finished 22nd in the field. Since then, the rise of Reckless has been meteoric. In the next TCEC Swiss 9, Reckless was 8th and in just several months added enough elo to secure a spot in the TCEC Superfinal by winning the silver medal in the Premier Division.
As of today, Reckless is a Rust-powered monster that’s legitimately fighting for a top status in the engine hierarchy in 2026.
The mini match Reckless – Stockfish in the Premier Division was a blast, finishing 4,5-3,5 in favor of the reigning champion. This setups a fantastic and unpredictable Superfinal ahead, that starts this week (time to be confirmed) on the official website of TCEC.