Live Engine Analysis

Hi all. I love this site and wanted to give something back. I really like the computer analysis feature on this site, but at times the lines given don't make sense to me because I'm missing some refutation of a move that I think would be better. I therefore really wanted a live engine analysis and so built it

I have done the following:
1) Setup a server running stockfish that listens for analysis requests. The server is nothing special (4-core ARM server hosted at Scaleway)
2) Written a Chrome extension that sends requests to that server and receives the results back in real time, when the browser is on an analysis board.

Please check it out if you are interested: chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/lichess-live-analysis-eng/nbghhbfeikmnkhfbjkgcifhnkfacjdgk

Source for server and client (Chrome extension) here: github.com/freefal67/lichess_live_engine

I would very much appreciate any feedback.

Great idea and thanks. Anyone try it out yet? My computer can't handle stuff like analysis

Oooh, I downloaded and tried it. Pretty interesting.

I think though, it should also suggest a move too. Currently, it analyses the move I made. It would be nice if it provides a "better" move.

Nice extension!

works very well.
some suggestions: it'd be nice if instead of using the extension icon button and then taking over the spectator room tab, if it made it's own tab called "analysis", (like the notes tab that you can switch between) and switching to the analysis tab was how you turned it on.

could this support multi-PV, and show lines a few moves deep?

@chess_agent: just go back a move?

@chesstosterone To be clear all the analysis is done on the server. All your computer does, through the Chrome extension, is send requests to the server to perform analysis.

@Chess_Agent Glad you like it. As Phyisis said, the best way to do what your asking would be to just back up a move.

@Phyisis I absolutely agree with all of your points and consider the following as "to do"s when I have time:

1) Recognize when an analysis board has been loaded automatically to start the extension (I need to better understand how to do this in Chrome)

2) Add an analysis tab and switch to it automatically. The reason I co-opted the "spectator" tab was simply so users could immediately see the analysis without having to switch tabs, but definitely appreciate that there is a more elegant way of doing this

3) Show a few moves deep rather than just the next move

4) Multipv. I believe this can be turned on in the UCI protocol fairly easily and it would then just be a matter of passing it back to Chrome.

No idea on timing, but will work on all of them when I have time.

Oops. Forgive my sillyness :P

But, a far shot, but would it be possible for you to also add Lichess' arrows to show the best next move?

Many computer programs do this, so if your extension was able to analyze your current move then point an arrow to show the next best move, that'd be awesome.

This would be great if it could somehow be done without having to install any extensions

@Fireworks Agreed. I would need to coordinate with the site developers. My sense is that the existing computer analysis function already puts the servers under significant load and that there wouldn't be a great appetite for adding additional load with this functionality.