diff --git a/run_local_smoke_tests.py b/run_local_smoke_tests.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c40754
--- /dev/null
+++ b/run_local_smoke_tests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Sequence
+
+
+DEFAULT_TESTS = (
+    "tests/test_release_candidate_check.py",
+    "tests/test_runtime_readiness.py",
+    "tests/test_ui_unified_persona_pipeline.py",
+    "tests/test_stockfish_service_recovery.py",
+    "tests/test_main_ui_elite_recommendation.py",
+)
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class SmokeStep:
+    name: str
+    command: tuple[str, ...]
+    required: bool = True
+
+
+def run_command(
+    step: SmokeStep,
+    *,
+    project_root: Path,
+) -> int:
+    print()
+    print("=" * 72)
+    print(step.name)
+    print("=" * 72)
+    print(" ".join(step.command))
+
+    completed = subprocess.run(
+        step.command,
+        cwd=project_root,
+        text=True,
+        encoding="utf-8",
+        errors="replace",
+    )
+
+    if completed.returncode == 0:
+        print(f"[OK] {step.name}")
+    else:
+        print(f"[FAILED] {step.name} exit code {completed.returncode}")
+
+    return int(completed.returncode)
+
+
+def build_steps(
+    *,
+    python_executable: str,
+    engine_path: str,
+    strict_release_check: bool,
+    tests: Sequence[str],
+) -> tuple[SmokeStep, ...]:
+    release_command = [
+        python_executable,
+        "check_release_candidate.py",
+        "--engine-path",
+        engine_path,
+    ]
+
+    if not strict_release_check:
+        release_command.append("--allow-dirty-code")
+
+    pytest_command = [
+        python_executable,
+        "-m",
+        "pytest",
+        *tests,
+        "-q",
+    ]
+
+    return (
+        SmokeStep(
+            name="Release candidate safety check",
+            command=tuple(release_command),
+            required=True,
+        ),
+        SmokeStep(
+            name="Focused smoke test suite",
+            command=tuple(pytest_command),
+            required=True,
+        ),
+    )
+
+
+def build_arg_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description=(
+            "Run the minimal local smoke checks for ChessPersona before a "
+            "merge, release candidate, or stable tag."
+        )
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--project-root",
+        default=".",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--engine-path",
+        default="engines/stockfish/stockfish.exe",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--strict-release-check",
+        action="store_true",
+        help=(
+            "Do not allow dirty source files in the release candidate check. "
+            "Use this after everything is committed."
+        ),
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--test",
+        action="append",
+        dest="tests",
+        help=(
+            "Override focused pytest target. Can be passed more than once. "
+            "Default uses the stable MVP smoke targets."
+        ),
+    )
+    return parser
+
+
+def main(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> int:
+    parser = build_arg_parser()
+    args = parser.parse_args(argv)
+
+    project_root = Path(args.project_root).resolve()
+    tests = tuple(args.tests or DEFAULT_TESTS)
+
+    steps = build_steps(
+        python_executable=sys.executable,
+        engine_path=str(args.engine_path),
+        strict_release_check=bool(args.strict_release_check),
+        tests=tests,
+    )
+
+    failed: list[SmokeStep] = []
+
+    print("ChessPersona Local Smoke Tests")
+    print("=" * 72)
+    print(f"Project root : {project_root}")
+    print(f"Python       : {sys.executable}")
+    print(f"Engine path  : {args.engine_path}")
+    print(f"Strict check : {bool(args.strict_release_check)}")
+
+    for step in steps:
+        code = run_command(
+            step,
+            project_root=project_root,
+        )
+        if code != 0 and step.required:
+            failed.append(step)
+
+    print()
+    print("=" * 72)
+    if failed:
+        print("SMOKE TEST RESULT: FAILED")
+        for step in failed:
+            print(f"- {step.name}")
+        print()
+        print("Fix the failed step above before merging or tagging.")
+        return 2
+
+    print("SMOKE TEST RESULT: PASSED")
+    print("Local MVP checks are green.")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())
diff --git a/tests/test_local_smoke_tests.py b/tests/test_local_smoke_tests.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2582ea3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_local_smoke_tests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from run_local_smoke_tests import (
+    DEFAULT_TESTS,
+    build_steps,
+)
+
+
+def test_build_steps_uses_allow_dirty_by_default() -> None:
+    steps = build_steps(
+        python_executable="python",
+        engine_path="engines/stockfish/stockfish.exe",
+        strict_release_check=False,
+        tests=("tests/test_runtime_readiness.py",),
+    )
+
+    release_step = steps[0]
+
+    assert release_step.name == "Release candidate safety check"
+    assert "--allow-dirty-code" in release_step.command
+
+
+def test_build_steps_can_be_strict_after_commit() -> None:
+    steps = build_steps(
+        python_executable="python",
+        engine_path="engines/stockfish/stockfish.exe",
+        strict_release_check=True,
+        tests=("tests/test_runtime_readiness.py",),
+    )
+
+    release_step = steps[0]
+
+    assert "--allow-dirty-code" not in release_step.command
+
+
+def test_build_steps_runs_focused_pytest_targets() -> None:
+    steps = build_steps(
+        python_executable="python",
+        engine_path="engine.exe",
+        strict_release_check=False,
+        tests=DEFAULT_TESTS,
+    )
+
+    pytest_step = steps[1]
+
+    assert pytest_step.name == "Focused smoke test suite"
+    assert pytest_step.command[:3] == ("python", "-m", "pytest")
+    assert "tests/test_runtime_readiness.py" in pytest_step.command
+    assert "tests/test_ui_unified_persona_pipeline.py" in pytest_step.command
+    assert pytest_step.command[-1] == "-q"