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MCP stockfish: MCP server, setup and security

MCP stockfish is an open-source MCP server that lets an AI agent access the Stockfish chess engine for chess related tasks. Its repository has 16 stars and its last commit is from June 29, 2025 and it is licensed under MIT.

Score
29/100
Adoption (stars) 12/40
Maintenance 2/30
Framework (licence, registry, official) 15/30
Inactive for over a year

What MCP stockfish does

According to its repository: “Access the Stockfish chess engine.”

An MCP server gives an AI agent extra tools it calls during the conversation: the agent reads their description, decides to use them and gets the result back. MCP stockfish is listed under Gaming, a category of 44 servers in the directory, where it ranks #26 by stars.

Topics declared by the repository: chess, go, golang, model-context-protocol-server, stockfish, mcp-server-golang.

Installing and connecting MCP stockfish

No package or remote server is declared in the official MCP registry: you install it from source, following the repository README.

Like any MCP server, you declare it in your client's configuration (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex…): a name, the command that starts it or its URL, and any environment variables. The client then starts it and lists its tools. Project language: Go. Listed systems: macOS, Windows, Linux.

Security: what to check

An MCP server runs code with the rights you give it, and the model reads its tool descriptions: a malicious or compromised server can hijack the agent. Read the code, or pick a maintained and widely used server, before connecting it.

Points found for MCP stockfish:

  • Maintenance: no commit for 16 months. Possible flaws and protocol changes are no longer tracked.

Good practice: grant only the rights needed (least privilege), require human approval for irreversible actions, and run the AI agent security check.

Project activity and maintenance

Created on May 25, 2025, the sonirico/mcp-stockfish repository has 16 stars and 7 forks, with 2 open issues. It has more stars than 35% of the servers in the directory. Last change 16 months ago.

Stars measure attention, not quality: a recent, heavily promoted project can collect them fast, while a useful but niche server will have few.

Godot MCP (Coding-Solo)Godot MCP (Coding-Solo) : 6.3K6.3KUnity MCP (IvanMurzak)Unity MCP (IvanMurzak) : 4.5K4.5KMCP unityMCP unity : 2K2KGearboy MCP ServerGearboy MCP Server : 1.2K1.2KUnreal MCPUnreal MCP : 975975Godot MCP proGodot MCP pro : 633633Godot MCP (tugcantopaloglu)Godot MCP (tugcantopaloglu) : 497497Godot MCP (tomyud1)Godot MCP (tomyud1) : 443443MCP stockfishMCP stockfish : 1616
GitHub stars of the most followed servers in the category (log scale); MCP stockfish in orange. Checked October 25, 2026.

Verdict

MCP stockfish is still a modest project: read its code and compare it with the alternatives before using it.

Strengths

  • Permissive licence (MIT)

Limitations

  • No commit for 16 months
  • Install from source

Avoid if…

  • Production use without reviewing the code

Frequently asked questions

How do I install MCP stockfish?

No package is declared in the MCP registry: clone the sonirico/mcp-stockfish repository, follow its README, then declare the start command in your client's MCP configuration.

Is MCP stockfish free?

The code is published under the MIT licence and can be used free of charge.

Is MCP stockfish safe?

Points to watch: maintenance. Give it minimum rights and approve sensitive actions.

Is it an official server?

Nothing says so: it is a project published by sonirico on GitHub. Check who maintains it before giving it access.

What are the alternatives to MCP stockfish?

In the same category: Unity MCP (IvanMurzak), Unreal MCP, MCP unity, and Gearboy MCP Server. Unity MCP (IvanMurzak) and Unreal MCP score higher on our grid.

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