Is ChatGPT smart? The answer will probably be affirmative in many cases. But is it smart enough to beat the world’s number one chess champion? Definitely not, as proven by the champion himself!
World No. 1 chess player Magnus Carlsen has once again showcased his unparalleled strategic brilliance by decisively defeating ChatGPT in an online chess match. Carlsen secured victory in just 53 moves, remarkably without losing a single piece, highlighting a clean and clinical performance. The world’s most popular AI chatbot wasn’t smart enough to achieve even that! Take that, OpenAI.
The match, which Carlsen reportedly engaged in “sometimes to kill boredom while travelling,” concluded with ChatGPT resigning and offering a gracious concession. “All my pawns are gone. You haven’t lost a single piece. You fulfilled your win condition perfectly… I resign. That was methodical, clean and sharp,” the OpenAI chatbot stated in its post-game analysis.
Despite a promising opening, ChatGPT was unable to maintain precision against Carlsen’s play. Following the game, Carlsen provided feedback, noting that while the AI’s opening and an early piece sacrifice were “interesting,” it failed to follow up effectively.
When asked to assess Carlsen’s strength, ChatGPT amusingly underestimated him, suggesting a FIDE rating of 1800–2000, significantly below the reigning world champion’s actual standing.
Although defeated, ChatGPT offered praise for Carlsen’s gameplay. It highlighted his comfortable handling of the Philidor Defense, his solid positional play with moves like …Bf8 and …Re8, and a sharp tactical execution beginning with …Nf3+. The AI also commended Carlsen’s endgame control, noting his disciplined and precise conversion of a small advantage into a win. Furthermore, ChatGPT acknowledged Carlsen’s quick detection of illegal moves, a detail it attributed to “real over-the-board experience.”
Although the contest may not have been a significant challenge for Carlsen, it proved that even advanced AI models still have much to learn from human grandmasters.
