Bit manipulation on uint64_t or std::bitset

Question

I want to write a chess engine and I've decided to use the bitboard representation of the board. I've done some reading and I found out that the most efficient way to do it is to use 64-bit long variables and bit manipulation. However I also know that there is a thing called std::bitset which, if my understanding is correct, does exactly the thing I need it to.

My question is: Is it better to use the std::bitset in order to have code that is a little slower but easier to read and write or is it better to focus solely on the performance?

Answer 1

Since your question is about performance and readability, I suggest you listen to Herb Sutter's speech @ CppCon 2014 here .

In a nutshell:

• Write for clarity and correctness first.
• Avoid premature optimization (prefer clear code over optimized code).

I don't think memory optimization is a concern for a chess program IMHO.