Magnus Carlsen, world’s number one chess player, defeats ChatGPT in chess match without losing a single piece

The Norwegian grandmaster shared screenshots on X on July 10, showing that the AI resigned after losing all of its pawns, as reported by Time Magazine.

Carlsen captioned the post: "I sometimes get bored while traveling," and in the images, ChatGPT praised his play, commenting, "That was methodical, clean, and sharp. Well played!"

In return, Carlsen offered feedback on the AI’s performance, acknowledging its strong opening but noting that it struggled to follow through effectively. He also asked the AI to analyze his game and estimate his skill level.

The OpenAI’s chatbot responded by highlighting Carlsen’s tactical awareness and endgame technique, estimating his FIDE or USCF rating to be between 1800 and 2000, according to First Post.

Magnus Carlsen, world’s number one chess player. Photo courtesy of Carlsen's Instagram

However, Carlsen’s actual FIDE rating is 2839, the highest in the world, underscoring his dominance in the game. The FIDE and USCF rating systems are internationally used to evaluate the skill levels of chess players.

Carlsen, 34, is widely regarded as the greatest chess player in history. He has won the World Chess Championship five times, with his most recent victory in 2021.

Despite his continued success, Carlsen has not competed in the championship since, stating that "I don’t have any inclination to play" in future tournaments.

In December 2024, Carlsen made headlines for wearing jeans at the World Rapid and World Blitz Championships, in violation of the event's formal dress code. He was fined $200 for the breach but later explained to The Athletic that he had forgotten to change after a meeting. He later auctioned the jeans for $36,100, with all proceeds donated to charity, he said.