It is one of the strongest chess engines and was the fourth highest-rated engine in late 2019 (behind Stockfish, Leela Chess Zero, and Komodo).Īccording to Houdini's website, it is 'widely considered to be the strongest chess engine money can buy.' This statement may be true, especially considering that Stockfish and Leela Chess Zero are free, open-source engines. The engine was developed by the Belgian chess player and programmer Robert Houdart in 2010. Houdini is a commercial chess engine, meaning that it can be purchased and used by anyone. Here is what you need to know about Houdini: Let's learn more about this powerful engine. It was the top chess entity on the planet for some time, defeating its contemporaries like Rybka, Stockfish, and Komodo. There are many strong chess engines these days, but Houdini has been one of the strongest engines over the past decade.