Installation

Download Obsidian Chess Studio

Get the latest version for your platform:

Download Latest Release

Download prebuilt binaries for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android

Current Version: 2.6.9 | License: GPL-3.0 | All platforms supported

System Requirements

Before installing, ensure your system meets these minimum requirements:

Windows

OS: Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
RAM: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
Storage: 500 MB for application + space for databases
Processor: x86-64 compatible (SSE4.1 or better for Stockfish)

macOS

OS: macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later
RAM: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
Storage: 500 MB for application + space for databases
Processor: Intel (x86-64) or Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)

Linux

OS: Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 35+, or equivalent
RAM: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
Storage: 500 MB for application + space for databases
Processor: x86-64 compatible (SSE4.1 or better for Stockfish)
Dependencies: Standard desktop libraries (included in most distributions)

Android

OS: Android 8.0 (Oreo) or later
RAM: 2 GB minimum, 4 GB recommended
Storage: 200 MB for application + space for databases
Processor: ARM64 (aarch64)

Android support is currently in development. Some features may be limited.

Installation by Platform

Windows
macOS
Linux
Android

Download the installer

Download obsidian-chess-studio_2.6.9_x64_en-US.msi or the .exe installer from the releases page.

Run the installer

Double-click the downloaded file. If you see a Windows SmartScreen warning, click More info → Run anyway.

The SmartScreen warning appears because the application isn’t signed with an expensive code signing certificate. The software is safe and open source.

Follow installation wizard

Accept the license agreement (GPL-3.0)
Choose installation directory (default: C:\Program Files\Obsidian Chess Studio)
Select whether to create desktop shortcut
Click Install

Launch the application

Once installation completes, click Finish to launch Obsidian Chess Studio.

Windows-Specific Notes

Stockfish engine: Stockfish 18 is bundled and will be automatically configured on first launch
Updates: The application can check for updates automatically (configurable in Settings)
Uninstall: Use Windows Settings → Apps → Obsidian Chess Studio → Uninstall

Download the DMG file

Download the .dmg file for your Mac:

Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3): obsidian-chess-studio_aarch64.dmg
Intel Macs: obsidian-chess-studio_x64.dmg

Not sure which one? Click the Apple menu → About This Mac. If it says “Apple M1/M2/M3”, use the Apple Silicon version.

Open the DMG file

Double-click the downloaded .dmg file to mount it.

Install the application

Drag Obsidian Chess Studio to the Applications folder shortcut in the DMG window.

First launch

Open Obsidian Chess Studio from Applications. If you see a security warning:

Open System Settings → Privacy & Security
Scroll down to the Security section
Click Open Anyway next to the blocked app message
Confirm by clicking Open

This is macOS Gatekeeper protection. The app is safe but unsigned. After the first launch, you won’t see this warning again.

macOS-Specific Notes

Stockfish engine: The appropriate Stockfish 18 build for your architecture is bundled
Updates: Automatic update checking is supported
Uninstall: Drag the app from Applications to Trash

Choose your preferred package format:

AppImage (Universal)

Download AppImage

Download obsidian-chess-studio_2.6.9_amd64.AppImage from the releases page.

Make executable

chmod +x obsidian-chess-studio_2.6.9_amd64.AppImage

Run the application

./obsidian-chess-studio_2.6.9_amd64.AppImage

You can move the AppImage to ~/Applications or /opt for easier access, or create a desktop shortcut.

Debian/Ubuntu (.deb)

Download the .deb package

Download obsidian-chess-studio_2.6.9_amd64.deb

Install with apt

sudo apt install ./obsidian-chess-studio_2.6.9_amd64.deb

Or double-click the file to install via your software center.

Launch the application

obsidian-chess-studio

Or find it in your applications menu.

Fedora/RHEL (.rpm)

Download the .rpm package

Download obsidian-chess-studio_2.6.9_x86_64.rpm

Install with dnf

sudo dnf install ./obsidian-chess-studio_2.6.9_x86_64.rpm

Launch the application

obsidian-chess-studio

Linux-Specific Notes

Stockfish engine: Optimized builds for x86-64 architectures (AVX2, BMI2, etc.)
Dependencies: Most dependencies are bundled; standard desktop libraries required
Uninstall:
- AppImage: Just delete the file
- Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt remove obsidian-chess-studio
- Fedora/RHEL: sudo dnf remove obsidian-chess-studio

Android support is currently in beta. Some features may be limited or unavailable.

Download the APK

Download obsidian-chess-studio_2.6.9_universal.apk from the releases page.

Enable unknown sources

Before installing:

Open Settings → Security (or Apps & notifications)
Enable Install unknown apps for your browser or file manager

This setting is required because the APK isn’t from Google Play Store. You can disable it after installation.

Install the APK

Open the downloaded APK file
Tap Install
Wait for installation to complete
Tap Open to launch

Updating

To update:

Download the latest APK from GitHub Releases
Open the new APK file
Tap Update

Your data and settings will be preserved.

Android-Specific Notes

Stockfish engine: ARM64-optimized build included
Storage: Databases are stored in app-specific storage
Limited features: Some desktop features may not be available on mobile

First Launch Setup

When you first launch Obsidian Chess Studio, you’ll go through a brief setup:

Welcome screen

Read the welcome message and click Get Started.

Create your first profile

Profiles help you organize games from different sources:

Enter a profile name (e.g., “Main” or your chess.com username)
Optionally link a Lichess or Chess.com account
Click Create Profile

You can create multiple profiles later for different accounts or purposes (training, tournaments, etc.).

Engine verification

OCS will automatically detect and configure the bundled Stockfish 18 engine. You should see:

✅ Stockfish 18 detected and configured
Engine status: Ready

The optimal Stockfish build for your CPU is automatically selected (AVX2, BMI2, SSE4.1, etc.).

Choose your preferences

Customize your experience:

Theme: Light, Dark, or System default
Piece set: Choose from 30+ piece styles
Board colors: Customize board appearance
Sound effects: Enable move sounds (multiple sound packs available)
Language: Select from 17 supported languages

Start analyzing

You’re ready to go! The main board interface will appear.

Verifying Installation

To ensure everything is working correctly:

Check Stockfish Engine

Go to Settings → Engines
You should see Stockfish 18 in the engine list
Click Test to verify the engine responds
You should see “Engine is working correctly”

If the engine isn’t detected:

Restart the application
Check system requirements (some builds require specific CPU features)
See Troubleshooting below

Test Analysis

Go to the Analysis board
Make a few moves
Enable analysis (toggle the engine button)
You should see evaluation numbers and best move suggestions

If analysis doesn’t work:

Ensure the engine is enabled in Settings
Check that you allocated at least 128 MB hash memory
Verify CPU usage in Task Manager (engine should be using cores)

Import a Test Game

Click File → Import PGN
Copy and paste this test game:

[Event "Test Game"]
[White "Player1"]
[Black "Player2"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 1-0

Click Import
The game should load on the board

Troubleshooting

Application won't start

Windows:

Check if Windows Defender is blocking the app
Verify you have Visual C++ Runtime installed
Try running as Administrator

macOS:

Remove quarantine attribute: xattr -cr /Applications/Obsidian\ Chess\ Studio.app
Check Console.app for error messages

Linux:

Ensure you have required libraries: ldd obsidian-chess-studio
Check for missing dependencies and install them
Try running from terminal to see error messages

Stockfish engine not working

Go to Settings → Engines → Add Engine
Click Download Stockfish
Select the appropriate build for your CPU:
- AVX-512: Newest Intel/AMD CPUs
- AVX2: Modern CPUs (2013+)
- SSE4.1: Older CPUs
- Basic: Universal fallback
Wait for download and extraction
Test the engine

If downloads fail:

Check your internet connection
Download manually from Stockfish releases
Add the engine manually via Browse in Settings → Engines

Database errors

If you see database errors:

Close Obsidian Chess Studio
Locate your data directory:
- Windows: C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\com.ocs
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/com.ocs
- Linux: ~/.local/share/com.ocs
Backup the db folder
Delete corrupted database files if needed
Restart the application (databases will be recreated)

Performance issues

If the application is slow:Reduce engine resource usage:

Lower hash memory allocation (Settings → Engines)
Reduce thread count (1-2 threads for older CPUs)
Decrease analysis depth limit

Optimize database:

Settings → Database → Optimize Database
Clear cached searches
Consider archiving old games

System-level:

Close other applications
Ensure adequate free RAM
Check for disk space issues

Getting Help

If you encounter issues not covered here:

GitHub Issues

Report bugs and technical issues

Discussions

Ask questions and get community support

Next Steps

Now that Obsidian Chess Studio is installed:

Quick Start Guide

Import your first game and start analyzing

User Guide

Learn about all features in detail

Get Started

User Guide

Features

Advanced

Download Obsidian Chess Studio

Download Latest Release

System Requirements

Installation by Platform

Windows-Specific Notes

macOS-Specific Notes

AppImage (Universal)

Debian/Ubuntu (.deb)

Fedora/RHEL (.rpm)

Linux-Specific Notes

Android-Specific Notes

First Launch Setup

Verifying Installation

Troubleshooting

Getting Help

GitHub Issues

Discussions

Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

User Guide

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

User Guide

Features

Advanced

​Download Obsidian Chess Studio

Download Latest Release

​System Requirements

​Installation by Platform

​Windows-Specific Notes

​macOS-Specific Notes

​AppImage (Universal)

​Debian/Ubuntu (.deb)

​Fedora/RHEL (.rpm)

​Linux-Specific Notes

​Android-Specific Notes

​First Launch Setup

​Verifying Installation

​Troubleshooting

​Getting Help

GitHub Issues

Discussions

​Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

User Guide

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Download Obsidian Chess Studio

System Requirements

Installation by Platform

Windows-Specific Notes

macOS-Specific Notes

AppImage (Universal)

Debian/Ubuntu (.deb)

Fedora/RHEL (.rpm)

Linux-Specific Notes

Android-Specific Notes

First Launch Setup

Verifying Installation

Troubleshooting

Getting Help

Next Steps