title: Critter (chess)
text: # Critter (chess)
  
  Critter is a cross-platform UCI chess engine by Slovakian programmer Richard Vida which is free for non-commercial use. The engine has achieved top five on most official chess engine Elo rating lists.
  
  ## History
  
  Richard Vida started working on Critter in late 2008. The first version was originally written in Object Pascal but the code was later converted to C++ using Bitboard technology because Delphi did not perform well under 64-bit processors. Critter had its over-the-board (OTB) debut at the ICT 2012, where it became a strong runner-up behind the Rybka cluster.
  
  ## Notable games
  
  | | a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 8 | | | | | | | | | 8 |
  | 7 | | | | | | | | | 7 |
  | 6 | | | | | | | | | 6 |
  | 5 | | | | | | | | | 5 |
  | 4 | | | | | | | | | 4 |
  | 3 | | | | | | | | | 3 |
  | 2 | | | | | | | | | 2 |
  | 1 | | | | | | | | | 1 |
  | | a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | |
  
  * Tornado vs Critter, nTCEC S2, Stage 2, 3.7, 0–1 Critter sacs two pawns and the exchange to build up a strong attack.
  * Toga vs Critter, nTCEC S2, Stage 2, 4.6, 0–1
  