Using AI With Chess
We know we can’t use an engine, computer, or other support when we play a game of chess. But can we benefit from advances in artificial intelligence to think about chess, introduce the game to new players, teach chess fundamentals, or even entertain ourselves?
New AI Tools That Can Be Used For Chess
Consider one of the new AI tools, such as ChatGPT, which initially requires no registration and is free (although advanced features require a paid subscription). Launched less than two years old, ChatGPT is credited with accelerating the AI boom. In just five days, it reached 1 million users.
It now has more than 180 million users—with 100 million active users per week (although it is blocked in several countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea). Its rapid growth has prompted companies such as Google and Microsoft to release competing products (Gemini and Copilot respectively). Even Apple will debut its first generative AI iPhone next month.
Using And Understanding AI Tools
First, what is ChatGPT? It’s a chatbot and virtual assistant developed by OpenAI. (Don’t be confused by ChatGPT, one of the AI bots introduced by Chess.com earlier this year.) Using it is as easy as 1-2-3.
- Access ChatGPT by going to chat.openai.com (or using the mobile app)
- Ask a question in the message box on the ChatGPT homepage
- Receive a response or answer based on your question or prompt.
Have you tried it? If not yet, do now. Have you used it to teach, coach, or even entertain students? Now is a good time to investigate how it can help you. Let’s look at some simple examples.
Fun Examples
First, let’s have some fun before seeking serious answers about chess.
Example: How Dr. Seuss Would Describe Chess
When I asked ChatBPT to “explain why chess is a great activity in the style of Dr. Seuss” (the pen name used by Theodor Seuss Geisel, the American children’s author and cartoonist who died in 1991), I received this response in less than a second:
- In a land where the pieces all twirl and they dance,
- Chess is a game that will give you a chance.
- To think and to ponder, to strategize deep,
- Where the King and the Queen take a magical leap.
- Oh, the Rooks and the Knights, how they prance and they play,
- In the world of the board, it’s a marvelous day!
- With pawns in their ranks, and bishops so grand,
- You’ll traverse through the squares, and you’ll make a grand stand.
- It teaches you patience, it sharpens your mind,
- And helps you discover what great moves you’ll find.
- With each clever tactic and each clever trick,
- You’ll learn to be clever, and that’s quite a pick!
- In the land of chess pieces where wisdom is king,
- You’ll find that the joy is a marvelous thing.
- For the game of chess, oh so thrilling and grand,
- Is a feast for the mind, like a whimsical band.
- So grab a chessboard and settle right in,
- With each move you make, let the fun begin!
- For chess is a wonder, a game full of flair,
- It’s a curious journey, with wisdom to share!
Source: "Explain why chess is a great activity in the style of Dr. Seuss" prompt. ChatGPT, 4o mini, OpenAI, 28 Aug. 2024. https://chatgpt.com/.
Example: What Would Shakespeare Say
William Shakespeare, the English playwright, did use chess references in his works such as this example in Act II of his history play King John: “That thou mayest be a Queen and check the world.” But how would he describe the game? In the classic format of a sonnet (an 18-line poem with 10 syllables per line), ChatGPT answered this way:
- O noble chess, thou art a courtly fray,
- Where mind doth joust with subtle art and grace.
- Upon thy board, the regal pieces play,
- And strategy unfolds in measured pace.
- The King's domain, a realm both grand and tight,
- With Queen so swift, the Rook so steadfast true.
- The Knight doth leap through realms of day and night,
- While Bishops pierce with angles clear and new.
- In this most sage pursuit, where wits engage,
- Each move a step towards the final prize.
- The pawns, though humble, rise from common stage,
- To reach the lofty heights where glory lies.
- Thus, chess, thou art a mirror to the mind,
- A dance of intellect, both sharp and kind.
Source: "How would William Shakespeare describe the game of chess" prompt. ChatGPT, 4o mini, OpenAI, 28 Aug. 2024. https://chatgpt.com/.
Using AI To Teach Chess: Power Of Chess Pieces
More practical example may be to use an AI tool to answer questions beginning players often ask. Let me give two examples. First, in a prompt, I asked ChatGPT how a knight can be stronger than a queen. Before reading any further, think about your own ideas. In less than a second, I received a 282-word answer. Next let me challenge you to ask this question yourself to ChatGPT to receive the full reply. As a teaser, I give just one of five ways: the knight’s ability to jump over other pieces. Can you think of four other advantages that the knight has? If not, it’s time to use AI.
Source: "How can the knight be stronger than a queen in chess" prompt. ChatGPT, 4o mini, OpenAI, 28 Aug. 2024. https://chatgpt.com/.
ChessKids learn early that the knight has special jumping powers.
Using AI To Teach Chess: Importance Of Castling
In the second example, I want to show how an AI tool can help explain chess fundamentals. We know castling can be important to safeguard a king. What would AI say about the importance of castling? King safety is just one of five reasons that ChatGPT gives in the 247-word response that I received. Can you identify four more? To be brief, I simply list all five without the explanations that ChatGPT gives to fully explain the answer. Are you inspired to search for yourself now and gain the full explanation?
- King safety
- Rook activation
- Development
- Timing and flexibility
- Avoiding tactical threats
Source: "Why is castling important in chess" prompt. ChatGPT, OpenAI, 28 Aug. 2024. https://chatgpt.com/.
Protecting the king is just one reason to castle.
Using AI To Teach Chess: Ranking Elite Players
By now, you may be tempted to ask AI the question that is continually asked, “Who is the greatest chess player of all time?” Of course, AI knows the right response. It’s nuanced. Its response begins this way: “The title of ‘greatest chess player of all time’ is subjective and often debated, but several players are frequently mentioned in this context….” Then ChatGPT gave me the names of just three players. Yes, GM Magnus Carlsen is one. (Considering the records he has set, he's a logical choice.) Can you guess the other two?
Source: "Who is the greatest chess player of all time" prompt. ChatGPT, OpenAI, 28 Aug. 2024. https://chatgpt.com/c/b3a75d92-1aca-47d9-94af-e20123be468f.
Using AI To Teach Chess: Epitome of Chess Brilliance
A similar question, rather than about players, is about games. How does ChatGPT answer the question, “What is the greatest chess game ever played?” The response I received is similarly nuanced and begins this way: “The title of the ‘greatest chess game ever played’ is subjective and depends on what one values in a chess game—brilliance, complexity, historical significance, or creative strategy.” Surprisingly, the response continues, not with several games, but just one.
It’s the "Immortal Game" played between Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky on June 21, 1851. ChatGPT explains its significance this way: “This game is celebrated for its dazzling combination play and the sacrifices made by Anderssen, who gave up both of his rooks, a bishop, and even his queen to deliver a checkmate with his remaining minor pieces. The game is a brilliant demonstration of the Romantic style of chess, where aggressive, sacrificial play was prized.”
Source: "What is the greatest chess game ever played" prompt. ChatGPT, OpenAI, 28 Aug. 2024. https://chatgpt.com/.
Finally, I leave you with one more literary example. Let’s see how AI would write a haiku—a Japanese poem of 17 syllables (in three lines of five, seven, and five)—about chess:
Silent clash of minds,
Ancient game of strategy—
Timeless quest for kings.
Source: "Write a haiku poem about why chess has become so popular" prompt. ChatGPT, 4o mini, OpenAI, 28 Aug. 2024. https://chatgpt.com/.
Cite AI When Used
Of course, when you use AI, let others know. Be transparent and don’t hide your use. Identify your source and document how AI is used such as the citations I include above with the examples. ChatGPT even helps by preparing a citation for you (in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles).
Finally, the initial use of ChatGPT is limited. After several questions or requests, you are required to create a profile and log in. I created mine 18 months ago and still enjoy free use.
Fair warning: Human intelligence is still indispensable. A day later when I asked ChatGPT about the greatest chess game, the answer was different, which I won't share with you because I'm still celebrating the Immortal Game.
What do you think? Can AI be used to teach or inspire players, particularly young ones?
Ray Linville’s high point as a chess player occurred when he swiped the queen of GM Hikaru Nakamura in a 60-second bullet game in 2021. This game was reported in a “My Best Move” column of the Chess Life magazine, published by the U.S. Chess Federation.
At Chess.com, he has been an editor (part-time) since 2019 and has edited news articles and tournament reports—including those of the Candidates and World Championship Tournaments and other major events—by titled players and noted chess writers as well as Game of the Day annotations by leading grandmasters. He has also been a contributing writer of chess terms, e-books, and general interest articles for ChessKid.com.
He enjoys “top blogger” status at Chess.com. His blog has won the award for Best Chess Blog from the Chess Journalists of America for several years. In addition, he has also been the recipient of first-place CJA awards for feature article, humorous contribution, online review, and educational lesson as well as honorable mention in the categories of personal narrative and historical article.