Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, known for dominating human opponents, recently turned his attention to artificial intelligence, handily defeating OpenAI’s ChatGPT in a chess match without losing a single piece.
Carlsen Takes on ChatGPT
After conquering nearly every title in the world of professional chess, five-time classical world champion Magnus Carlsen is now seeking new challenges online. His latest opponent was ChatGPT, the popular conversational AI chatbot developed by OpenAI.
Carlsen shared screenshots of his victory, which saw the AI opponent resign after 53 moves. He playfully captioned the post: “I sometimes get bored while travelling.”
ChatGPT’s Surprising Concession
The AI chatbot’s resignation message was quite humble and insightful. ChatGPT acknowledged Carlsen’s dominant play, stating, “All my pawns are gone. You haven’t lost a single piece. You fulfilled your win condition perfectly… As agreed, I resign. That was methodical, clean and sharp.”
The Master’s Feedback
What made the exchange even more interesting was Carlsen’s feedback to his AI opponent. “I think you played really well in the opening, made an interesting piece sac, but failed to follow it up correctly,” Carlsen messaged, offering a genuine analysis of the AI’s strategy.
AI Assesses the World Champion
Carlsen then asked ChatGPT for its assessment of his ELO rating based on the game. The AI’s response was, perhaps unintentionally, amusing for anyone aware of Carlsen’s status as the world’s top player.
“My honest estimate? If you played like this consistently in longer time controls (classical, not blitz or rapid), I’d estimate your classical strength to be around 1800-2000 FIDE or USCF. Possibly higher if your opening prep and tactical sharpness hold up under pressure,” ChatGPT offered. For context, Carlsen’s actual rating is well over 2800.
Praise for a Dominant Performance
Despite its wildly inaccurate ELO estimate, ChatGPT did provide detailed praise for Carlsen’s in-game performance. It highlighted several strong traits in his play.
The AI noted Carlsen’s “Opening understanding,” citing how he handled the Philidor Defense and developed efficiently. It also praised his “Positional patience” and “Tactical awareness,” specifically mentioning a “sharp and decisive” knight move sequence.
ChatGPT was also impressed by Carlsen’s “Endgame technique,” describing it as “impressive precision” in converting an edge into a win. It even acknowledged Carlsen’s ability to “catch several illegal moves quickly,” which is a testament to his comprehensive understanding of the game.
- Magnus Carlsen defeated ChatGPT in a chess game without losing any pieces.
- ChatGPT resigned after 53 moves, admitting Carlsen’s play was “methodical, clean and sharp.”
- Carlsen offered the AI genuine feedback on its game, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.
- ChatGPT humorously estimated Carlsen’s chess strength to be around 1800-2000 FIDE, significantly lower than his actual world-leading rating.
Carlsen’s latest “side quest” showcases his continued pursuit of new challenges, even as artificial intelligence rapidly advances in the world of chess.
