diff --git a/app/ai/Ai.scala b/app/ai/Ai.scala
index 08fa024043..9e4a1b6add 100644
--- a/app/ai/Ai.scala
+++ b/app/ai/Ai.scala
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import akka.dispatch.Future
 
 trait Ai {
 
-  def play(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): IO[Valid[(Game, Move)]]
+  def play(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): Future[Valid[(Game, Move)]]
 
   def analyse(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): Future[Valid[Analysis]]
 }
diff --git a/app/ai/AiEnv.scala b/app/ai/AiEnv.scala
index 57f2a33850..b60824498f 100644
--- a/app/ai/AiEnv.scala
+++ b/app/ai/AiEnv.scala
@@ -13,21 +13,9 @@ final class AiEnv(settings: Settings) {
   lazy val ai: () ⇒ Ai = (AiChoice, isClient) match {
     case (AiStockfish, true)  ⇒ () ⇒ stockfishClient or stockfishAi
     case (AiStockfish, false) ⇒ () ⇒ stockfishAi
-    case (AiCrafty, true)     ⇒ () ⇒ craftyClient or craftyAi
-    case (AiCrafty, false)    ⇒ () ⇒ craftyAi
     case _                    ⇒ () ⇒ stupidAi
   }
 
-  lazy val craftyAi = new crafty.Ai(
-    server = craftyServer)
-
-  lazy val craftyClient = new crafty.Client(
-    playUrl = AiCraftyPlayUrl)
-
-  lazy val craftyServer = new crafty.Server(
-    execPath = AiCraftyExecPath,
-    bookPath = AiCraftyBookPath)
-
   lazy val stockfishAi = new stockfish.Ai(
     server = stockfishServer)
 
@@ -56,12 +44,13 @@ final class AiEnv(settings: Settings) {
     stockfishServer.report
   }
 
-  private lazy val client = isClient option {
-    AiChoice match {
-      case AiStockfish ⇒ stockfishClient
-      case AiCrafty    ⇒ craftyClient
-    }
+  private lazy val client = (AiChoice, isClient) match {
+    case (AiStockfish, true) ⇒ stockfishClient.some
+    case _                   ⇒ none
   }
 
-  private lazy val server = (isServer && AiChoice == AiStockfish) option stockfishServer
+  private lazy val server = (AiChoice, isServer) match {
+    case (AiStockfish, true) ⇒ stockfishServer.some
+    case _                   ⇒ none
+  }
 }
diff --git a/app/ai/Client.scala b/app/ai/Client.scala
index d2b2039aa2..6d337eeffb 100644
--- a/app/ai/Client.scala
+++ b/app/ai/Client.scala
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ trait Client extends Ai {
 
   val playUrl: String
 
-  protected def tryPing: IO[Option[Int]] 
+  protected def tryPing: Option[Int] 
 
   // tells whether the remote AI is healthy or not
   // frequently updated by a scheduled actor
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ trait Client extends Ai {
   def currentHealth = ping.fold(_ < pingAlert, false)
 
   val diagnose: IO[Unit] = for {
-    p ← tryPing
+    p ← io(tryPing)
     _ ← p.fold(_ < pingAlert, false).fold(
       currentHealth.fold(io(), putStrLn("remote AI is up, ping = " + p)),
       putStrLn("remote AI is down, ping = " + p))
diff --git a/app/ai/Server.scala b/app/ai/Server.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2ab86c57b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/ai/Server.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+package lila
+package ai
+
+trait Server {
+
+  val levelRange = 1 to 8
+
+  def validateLevel(level: Int) = 
+    level.validIf(levelRange contains level, "Invalid AI level: " + level)
+}
diff --git a/app/ai/StupidAi.scala b/app/ai/StupidAi.scala
index da8d2e7116..be3e0d3dc8 100644
--- a/app/ai/StupidAi.scala
+++ b/app/ai/StupidAi.scala
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@ import chess.{ Game, Move }
 import game.DbGame
 
 import scalaz.effects._
+import akka.dispatch.Future
 
-final class StupidAi extends Ai {
+final class StupidAi extends Ai with core.Futuristic {
 
-  def play(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): IO[Valid[(Game, Move)]] = io {
+  def play(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): Future[Valid[(Game, Move)]] = Future {
 
     val game = dbGame.toChess
 
diff --git a/app/ai/crafty/Ai.scala b/app/ai/crafty/Ai.scala
deleted file mode 100644
index 3aafd093d4..0000000000
--- a/app/ai/crafty/Ai.scala
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-package lila
-package ai
-package crafty
-
-import chess.{ Game, Move }
-import game.DbGame
-
-import java.io.File
-import scala.io.Source
-import scala.sys.process.Process
-import scalaz.effects._
-import akka.dispatch.Future
-
-final class Ai(server: Server) extends ai.Ai with FenBased {
-
-  def play(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): IO[Valid[(Game, Move)]] = {
-
-    val oldGame = dbGame.toChess
-    val oldFen = toFen(oldGame, dbGame.variant)
-
-    server.play(oldFen, dbGame.aiLevel | 1).fold(
-      err ⇒ io(failure(err)),
-      iop ⇒ iop map { newFen ⇒ applyFen(oldGame, newFen) }
-    )
-  }
-
-  def analyse(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]) = 
-    throw new RuntimeException("Crafty analysis is not implemented")
-}
diff --git a/app/ai/crafty/Client.scala b/app/ai/crafty/Client.scala
deleted file mode 100644
index 1600db363c..0000000000
--- a/app/ai/crafty/Client.scala
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-package lila
-package ai
-package crafty
-
-import chess.{ Game, Move }
-import game.DbGame
-
-import scalaz.effects._
-
-final class Client(val playUrl: String) extends ai.Client with FenBased {
-
-  def play(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): IO[Valid[(Game, Move)]] = {
-
-    val oldGame = dbGame.toChess
-    val oldFen = toFen(oldGame, dbGame.variant)
-
-    fetchNewFen(oldFen, dbGame.aiLevel | 1) map { newFen ⇒
-      applyFen(oldGame, newFen)
-    }
-  }
-
-  def analyse(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]) = 
-    throw new RuntimeException("Crafty analysis is not implemented")
-
-  private def fetchNewFen(oldFen: String, level: Int): IO[String] = io {
-    http(playUrlObj <<? Map(
-      "fen" -> oldFen,
-      "level" -> level.toString
-    ) as_str)
-  }
-
-  protected def tryPing: IO[Option[Int]] = for {
-    start ← io(nowMillis)
-    received ← fetchNewFen(
-      oldFen = "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq",
-      level = 1
-    ).catchLeft map (_.isRight)
-    delay ← io(nowMillis - start)
-  } yield received option delay.toInt
-}
diff --git a/app/ai/crafty/Server.scala b/app/ai/crafty/Server.scala
deleted file mode 100644
index d911808e61..0000000000
--- a/app/ai/crafty/Server.scala
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,50 +0,0 @@
-package lila
-package ai
-package crafty
-
-import chess.{ Game, Move }
-
-import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream
-import scala.io.Source
-import scala.sys.process.Process
-import scalaz.effects._
-
-final class Server(
-    execPath: String,
-    bookPath: Option[String] = None) {
-
-  def play(fen: String, level: Int): Valid[IO[String]] =
-    if (level < 1 || level > 8) "Invalid ai level".failNel
-    else if (fen.isEmpty) "Empty fen".failNel
-    else success(runCrafty(fen, level))
-
-  def runCrafty(oldFen: String, level: Int): IO[String] =
-    io { Process(command(level)) #< input(oldFen, level) !! } map extractFen
-
-  private def extractFen(output: String) = 
-    output.lines.find(_ contains "setboard") map { line ⇒
-      """^.+setboard\s([\w\d/]+\s\w).*$""".r.replaceAllIn(line, m ⇒ m group 1)
-    } getOrElse "Crafty output does not contain setboard"
-
-  private def command(level: Int) =
-    """%s learn=off log=off bookpath=%s ponder=off smpmt=1 st=%s""".format(
-      execPath,
-      bookPath | "",
-      craftyTime(level))
-
-  private def input(fen: String, level: Int) = new ByteArrayInputStream(List(
-    "skill %d" format craftySkill(level),
-    "book random 1",
-    "book width 10",
-    "setboard %s" format fen,
-    "move",
-    "savepos",
-    "quit") mkString "\n" getBytes "UTF-8")
-
-  private def craftyTime(level: Int) = (level / 10f).toString take 4
-
-  private def craftySkill(level: Int) = level match {
-    case 8 ⇒ 100
-    case l ⇒ l * 12
-  }
-}
diff --git a/app/ai/stockfish/Ai.scala b/app/ai/stockfish/Ai.scala
index 832ed6451a..300408d53e 100644
--- a/app/ai/stockfish/Ai.scala
+++ b/app/ai/stockfish/Ai.scala
@@ -8,19 +8,20 @@ import analyse.Analysis
 
 import scalaz.effects._
 import akka.dispatch.Future
+import play.api.Play.current
+import play.api.libs.concurrent._
 
 final class Ai(server: Server) extends lila.ai.Ai with Stockfish {
 
   import model._
 
-  def play(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): IO[Valid[(Game, Move)]] =
-    server.play(dbGame.pgn, initialFen, dbGame.aiLevel | 1).fold(
-      err ⇒ io(failure(err)),
-      iop ⇒ iop map {
-        applyMove(dbGame, _)
-      }
-    )
+  def play(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): Future[Valid[(Game, Move)]] =
+    server.play(dbGame.pgn, initialFen, dbGame.aiLevel | 1) map { validMove ⇒
+      validMove flatMap { applyMove(dbGame, _) }
+    }
 
   def analyse(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): Future[Valid[Analysis]] =
     server.analyse(dbGame.pgn, initialFen)
+
+  private implicit val executor = Akka.system.dispatcher
 }
diff --git a/app/ai/stockfish/Client.scala b/app/ai/stockfish/Client.scala
index 5ecf950969..100c9ced29 100644
--- a/app/ai/stockfish/Client.scala
+++ b/app/ai/stockfish/Client.scala
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ import analyse.Analysis
 
 import scalaz.effects._
 import dispatch.{ url }
-import akka.dispatch.Future
+import akka.dispatch.{ Future, Await }
+import akka.util.duration._
 import play.api.Play.current
 import play.api.libs.concurrent._
 
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ final class Client(
     val playUrl: String,
     analyseUrl: String) extends ai.Client with Stockfish {
 
-  def play(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): IO[Valid[(Game, Move)]] = {
+  def play(dbGame: DbGame, initialFen: Option[String]): Future[Valid[(Game, Move)]] = {
     fetchMove(dbGame.pgn, initialFen | "", dbGame.aiLevel | 1) map {
       applyMove(dbGame, _)
     }
@@ -30,20 +31,16 @@ final class Client(
 
   private lazy val analyseUrlObj = url(analyseUrl)
 
-  protected lazy val tryPing: IO[Option[Int]] = for {
-    start ← io(nowMillis)
-    received ← fetchMove(
-      pgn = "",
-      initialFen = "",
-      level = 1
-    ).catchLeft map (_ match {
-        case Right(move) ⇒ UciMove(move).isDefined
-        case _           ⇒ false
-      })
-    delay ← io(nowMillis - start)
-  } yield received option delay.toInt
+  protected lazy val tryPing: Option[Int] = nowMillis |> { start ⇒
+    (unsafe {
+      Await.result(fetchMove(pgn = "", initialFen = "", level = 1), 5 seconds)
+    }).toOption flatMap {
+      case move if UciMove(move).isDefined ⇒ Some(nowMillis - start) map (_.toInt)
+      case _                               ⇒ none[Int]
+    }
+  }
 
-  private def fetchMove(pgn: String, initialFen: String, level: Int): IO[String] = io {
+  private def fetchMove(pgn: String, initialFen: String, level: Int): Future[String] = Future {
     http(playUrlObj <<? Map(
       "pgn" -> pgn,
       "initialFen" -> initialFen,
diff --git a/app/ai/stockfish/Server.scala b/app/ai/stockfish/Server.scala
index 67dfc5f10a..5dd3bcd70b 100644
--- a/app/ai/stockfish/Server.scala
+++ b/app/ai/stockfish/Server.scala
@@ -21,17 +21,20 @@ import scalaz.effects._
 final class Server(
     execPath: String,
     playConfig: PlayConfig,
-    analyseConfig: AnalyseConfig) {
+    analyseConfig: AnalyseConfig) extends lila.ai.Server {
 
-  def play(pgn: String, initialFen: Option[String], level: Int): Valid[IO[String]] = {
+  def play(pgn: String, initialFen: Option[String], level: Int): Future[Valid[String]] = {
     implicit val timeout = new Timeout(playAtMost)
-    if (level < 1 || level > 8) "Invalid ai level".failNel
-    else for {
+    (for {
       moves ← UciDump(pgn, initialFen)
-      play = model.play.Play(moves, initialFen map chess960Fen, level)
-    } yield io {
-      Await.result(playActor ? play mapTo manifest[model.play.BestMove], playAtMost)
-    } map (_.move | "")
+      validLevel ← validateLevel(level)
+      play = model.play.Play(moves, initialFen map chess960Fen, validLevel)
+    } yield play).fold(
+      err ⇒ Future(failure(err)),
+      play ⇒ playActor ? play mapTo manifest[model.play.BestMove] map { m ⇒
+        success(m.move | "")
+      }
+    )
   }
 
   def analyse(pgn: String, initialFen: Option[String]): Future[Valid[Analysis]] =
@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@ final class Server(
   def report = {
     implicit val timeout = new Timeout(playAtMost)
     (playActor ? GetQueueSize) zip (analyseActor ? GetQueueSize) map {
-      case (QueueSize(play), QueueSize(analyse)) => play -> analyse
+      case (QueueSize(play), QueueSize(analyse)) ⇒ play -> analyse
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/app/controllers/Ai.scala b/app/controllers/Ai.scala
index e87cc90956..0842f76ca4 100644
--- a/app/controllers/Ai.scala
+++ b/app/controllers/Ai.scala
@@ -12,42 +12,22 @@ import akka.dispatch.Future
 
 object Ai extends LilaController {
 
-  val craftyServer = env.ai.craftyServer
   val stockfishServer = env.ai.stockfishServer
   val isServer = env.ai.isServer
   implicit val executor = Akka.system.dispatcher
 
-  def playCrafty = Action { implicit req ⇒
-    IfServer {
-      implicit val ctx = Context(req, None)
-      Async {
-        Akka.future {
-          craftyServer.play(fen = getOr("fen", ""), level = getIntOr("level", 1))
-        } map { res ⇒
-          res.fold(
-            err ⇒ BadRequest(err.shows),
-            op ⇒ Ok(op.unsafePerformIO)
-          )
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
   def playStockfish = Action { implicit req ⇒
     implicit val ctx = Context(req, None)
     IfServer {
       Async {
-        Akka.future {
-          stockfishServer.play(
-            pgn = getOr("pgn", ""),
-            initialFen = get("initialFen"),
-            level = getIntOr("level", 1))
-        } map { res ⇒
-          res.fold(
+        stockfishServer.play(
+          pgn = getOr("pgn", ""),
+          initialFen = get("initialFen"),
+          level = getIntOr("level", 1)
+        ).asPromise map (_.fold(
             err ⇒ BadRequest(err.shows),
-            op ⇒ Ok(op.unsafePerformIO)
-          )
-        }
+            Ok(_)
+          ))
       }
     }
   }
@@ -59,12 +39,10 @@ object Ai extends LilaController {
         stockfishServer.analyse(
           pgn = getOr("pgn", ""),
           initialFen = get("initialFen")
-        ).asPromise map { res ⇒
-            res.fold(
-              err ⇒ InternalServerError(err.shows),
-              analyse ⇒ Ok(analyse.encode)
-            )
-          }
+        ).asPromise map (_.fold(
+            err ⇒ InternalServerError(err.shows),
+            analyse ⇒ Ok(analyse.encode)
+          ))
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/app/core/IOFuture.scala b/app/core/IOFuture.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d9ffa6f5d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/core/IOFuture.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package lila
+package core
+
+import play.api.Play.current
+import play.api.libs.concurrent._
+import akka.dispatch.{ Future, Await }
+import akka.util.Timeout
+import akka.util.Duration
+import akka.util.duration._
+import scalaz.effects._
+
+trait Futuristic {
+
+  protected implicit val ttl = 1 minute
+  protected implicit val executor = Akka.system.dispatcher
+
+  implicit def ioToFuture[A](ioa: IO[A]) = new {
+
+    def toFuture: Future[A] = Future(ioa.unsafePerformIO)
+  }
+
+  implicit def futureToIo[A](fa: Future[A]) = new {
+
+    def toIo: IO[A] = toIo(1 minute)
+
+    def toIo(duration: Duration): IO[A] = io {
+      Await.result(fa, duration)
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/app/core/Settings.scala b/app/core/Settings.scala
index f8bf2df3bc..677d42b183 100644
--- a/app/core/Settings.scala
+++ b/app/core/Settings.scala
@@ -66,17 +66,18 @@ final class Settings(config: Config) {
 
   val FinisherLockTimeout = millis("memo.finisher_lock.timeout")
 
-  val AiChoice = getString("ai.use")
-  val AiCrafty = "crafty"
-  val AiStockfish = "stockfish"
+  sealed trait AiEngine
+  case object AiStockfish extends AiEngine
+  case object AiStupid extends AiEngine
+
+  val AiChoice: AiEngine = getString("ai.use") match {
+    case "stockfish" ⇒ AiStockfish
+    case _           ⇒ AiStupid
+  }
 
   val AiServerMode = getBoolean("ai.server")
   val AiClientMode = getBoolean("ai.client")
 
-  val AiCraftyExecPath = getString("ai.crafty.exec_path")
-  val AiCraftyBookPath = Some(getString("ai.crafty.book_path")) filter ("" !=)
-  val AiCraftyPlayUrl = getString("ai.crafty.play.url")
-
   val AiStockfishExecPath = getString("ai.stockfish.exec_path")
 
   val AiStockfishPlayUrl = getString("ai.stockfish.play.url")
diff --git a/app/round/Hand.scala b/app/round/Hand.scala
index d2aba0981c..ebe1eed5db 100644
--- a/app/round/Hand.scala
+++ b/app/round/Hand.scala
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ final class Hand(
     ai: () ⇒ Ai,
     finisher: Finisher,
     hubMaster: ActorRef,
-    moretimeSeconds: Int) extends Handler(gameRepo) {
+    moretimeSeconds: Int) extends Handler(gameRepo) with core.Futuristic {
 
   type IOValidEvents = IO[Valid[List[Event]]]
   type PlayResult = IO[Valid[(List[Event], String)]]
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ final class Hand(
           initialFen ← progress.game.variant.standard.fold(
             io(none[String]),
             gameRepo initialFen progress.game.id)
-          aiResult ← ai().play(progress.game, initialFen)
+          aiResult ← ai().play(progress.game, initialFen).toIo
           eventsAndFen ← aiResult.fold(
             err ⇒ io(failure(err)), {
               case (newChessGame, move) ⇒ for {
diff --git a/app/setup/Processor.scala b/app/setup/Processor.scala
index 1b707800ad..8122d943ae 100644
--- a/app/setup/Processor.scala
+++ b/app/setup/Processor.scala
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ final class Processor(
     gameRepo: GameRepo,
     fisherman: Fisherman,
     timelinePush: DbGame ⇒ IO[Unit],
-    ai: () ⇒ Ai) {
+    ai: () ⇒ Ai) extends core.Futuristic {
 
   def ai(config: AiConfig)(implicit ctx: Context): IO[Pov] = for {
     _ ← ctx.me.fold(
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ final class Processor(
         initialFen ← game.variant.standard.fold(
           io(none[String]),
           gameRepo initialFen game.id)
-        aiResult ← ai().play(game, initialFen) map (_.err)
+        aiResult ← { ai().play(game, initialFen) map (_.err) }.toIo
         (newChessGame, move) = aiResult
         progress = game.update(newChessGame, move)
         _ ← gameRepo save progress
diff --git a/conf/application.conf b/conf/application.conf
index 4be145a4a5..874773a85b 100644
--- a/conf/application.conf
+++ b/conf/application.conf
@@ -109,13 +109,6 @@ ai {
   use = stockfish 
   server = false
   client = true
-  crafty {
-    exec_path = "/usr/bin/crafty"
-    book_path = "/usr/share/crafty"
-    play {
-      url = "http://188.165.194.171:9072/ai/crafty/play"
-    }
-  }
   stockfish {
     exec_path = "/usr/bin/stockfish"
     play {
diff --git a/conf/routes b/conf/routes
index 4307b9ffdf..cf3bb1f91a 100644
--- a/conf/routes
+++ b/conf/routes
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ GET   /wiki                            controllers.Wiki.home
 GET   /wiki/:slug                      controllers.Wiki.show(slug: String)
 
 # AI
-GET   /ai/crafty/play                  controllers.Ai.playCrafty
 GET   /ai/stockfish/play               controllers.Ai.playStockfish
 GET   /ai/stockfish/analyse            controllers.Ai.analyseStockfish
 GET   /ai/stockfish/report             controllers.Ai.reportStockfish