How AI is Shaping the Chess World
A look at how machine learning has changed how champions play chess
AI has transformed the landscape of chess, leveraging its analytical power to enhance player development. Nevertheless, it has also brought about its challenges.
Botvinnik's "electronic grandmaster"
After losing his world championship title in 1963, Mikhail Botvinnik focused on merging chess with computer science, aiming to create an "electronic grandmaster."
Botvinnik's research on "selective searches" in chess was initially promising, but this approach fell short as more powerful computers emerged. His PIONEER program, which aided in planning power station maintenance, earned him an honorary degree from the University of Ferrara in 1991.
By 1982, microcomputer chess programs could evaluate up to 1,500 moves a second and defeat most amateur players. The pivotal moment in human vs. machine competition came with the Kasparov vs. Deep Blue matches.
Garry Kasparov (1997-02) by Ted ThaiLIFE Photo Collection
Garry Kasparov faced IBM's Deep Blue twice; he won in 1996 but lost in 1997, marking the first time a computer defeated a reigning world champion under standard conditions.
With increasing processing power, chess programs on commercially available workstations began to rival top players
Viswanthan Anand, Chess Grandmaster (2016) by Wolfgang JekelOriginal Source: Wolfgang Jekel, Flickr
In 1998, Rebel 10 defeated Viswanathan Anand, then the world's second-ranked player. By the 2000s, it was clear that contemporary programs were stronger than human players. Just as nobody would race against a car, chess engines became essential analytical tools for grandmasters
Another breakthrough came with deep neural-network learning. In 2015, AlphaGo, developed by Google DeepMind, became the first computer Go program to beat a human professional player. Two years later, DeepMind introduced AlphaZero, which mastered chess solely through self-play and beat Stockfish, the 2016 TCEC world champion, without losing a single game. AlphaZero's dynamic and intuitive playstyle impressed grandmasters.
Inspired by AlphaZero, the computer chess community developed Leela Chess Zero, which debuted in 2018 and became a sensation in the following year's Top Chess Engine Championship. Leela Chess Zero is open to the public and widely used by grandmasters for preparation.
The intersection of chess and artificial intelligence has continually pushed the boundaries of both fields. It has transformed chess training, making it impossible to imagine without the use of computer analytical strength. However, it also brought challenges like computer-assisted cheating.
Routine chess fair play check (2022) by Michal WaluszaInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)
New anti-cheating measures have been introduced in tournaments, with players scanned for electronic devices and monitored for fair play.
As AI enters every aspect of life, technology continues to push chess forward, fostering innovation. However, despite AI's advancements, chess remains far from being "solved" due to its near-infinite possibilities. There are more possible games of chess than there are total atoms in the observable universe.
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