Have computers killed chess?

Chess is enjoying something of a renaissance, thanks in part to the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit – along with it being a game well-suited to Covid lockdowns.

Yet many chess-lovers contend its lure is simultaneously being killed off by computers, which take the romance and mystery from the game in ever more accurate analysis. But this is an adaptable game of paradoxes, and technology has proven to both give and take. Will chess ever be 'solved'? And could it survive if it was?

The Guardian YouTube network:

#Chess #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Computers

[albinjohnsson]

Why would something die just because machines can do it better? I still enjoy cooking, even though there are millions of better cooks. I still watch my shitty local football team, even though there are thousands of better teams. Not everything is about being the best in an ultimate sense. And Magnus Carlsen is still absolutely amazing, even though a computer can win against him.

[CatatonicImperfect]

next on: have cars destroyed marathons?

[daryllakes]

Did the hydraulic jack kill weightlifting? Did the car kill foot racing? No, chess is not killed but cheating is a problem. A tiny cellphone chess program would destroy the strongest human. So, humans sneaking off to the restroom to consult cellphone had become a serious problem.

[JunkBondTrader]

yeah chess is now just a memorization contest. But also, it involves knowing your opponent. You can play some obscure opening and force your opponent to play off instinct. Not like your opponent has memorized every structure as they are effectively infinite. Also the fact there are clear differences between the talent level of the top 100 players there is still tons of room for competetiveness

[skair]

lol Charlie (moistcr1tikal) is in the video

[mab_]

1:01 You already messed up the chess pieces on the board..

[Samgurney]

This video was rather inauspiciously timed. See Daniil Dubov's recent games for proof that high-level play can still be exciting and innovative.The Caruana v. Carlsen world championship tournament was fairly dull, although I think the usual narrative of computers making games overly memorised and theoretical is over-egged. Carlsen, as a defending champion, was playing very defensively and that inevitably resulted in drawish games. At any rate, most of us will never come close to knowing enough chess to be bored with it - and those at the highest level who do have to worry about the implications of computer supremacy have much to learn and enjoy from computers and their often stunningly beautiful play.

And surely now that we know that computers are better at games like chess and Go than humans, who cares if we can eventually solve those games? If they are solvable games, their solutions are so far beyond the computational powers of humans that they will always remain interesting games of skill for human capabilities.

[CrueLoaf]

Computers designed to detect computers! 😂

[bucktoothstudios]

This guy clearly has never played chess Chess will never die

[mentalengine]

Props to The Guardian for picking up on the chess craze. The streaming world is going nuts because of Hikaru and xQc and it's wonderful to witness

[ostairs]

I can definitely say that computers haven't killed chess, and they won't till the time we keep their use regulated and fair.

[garyfleming]

There is nothing like playing an opponent that you know does not make mistakes. Yes computers are very difficult to beat assuming you play at the highest level but in my view that only helps but enhance one's game.

[lharshavardhanharsha]

ChessBase INDIA 03:32 best move of SUPER JUNIORS CUP

[pallab]

Please tone down the irritating background music.

[Magnulus]

I like GM Maurice Ashley's comments the best. Change is not a bad thing. AI has exciting possibilities for a world beset with problems and in need of solutions.

[jaybartgis]

2:36 oh a Chinese player caught cheating. Whoever could have possibly saw that coming in literally anyway shape or form? I am so shocked that could come to pass

[zinjanthropus]

Soon enough no human will be able to beat a computer at anything.

[aadarshkumarshah]

That last clip was hilarious...I want the link of that video

[con_el_maestro]

OMG I thought I was coping very well with my chess addiction but GM Maurice triggered me when he talked about rapid and blitz chess😭😂

[__]

I just concluded the same, wanted to make sure if it has gone that wrong.