ChatGPT as a chess coach?

I had a thought yesterday - to upload a pgn of a game for analysis, to see what it can offer these days. Just a few months ago, the AI didn't have a good grasp of the rules and played plenty of illegal - not just bad - moves. But things have changed. I quickly played a bullet game to generate a pgn, then uploaded it to ChatGPT with the prompt:

I'd like you to give me a breakdown of the game. I was playing white in this game. Maybe elaborate with prose, so not just in chess variations. Explain what I was doing, what Black was doing, where I made good moves and poor moves. Can you annotate a game like this? 

I then pasted in the PGN, which was a one-sided affair, to be sure, but involved some appreciation of dynamics, and an opening of the centre with a break (11.c5 in this case) to counter the opponent’s plays on the kingside towards my castled king.[1] The time control was 2+1, so I missed some tactical shots. The point isn’t the quality of this game (please do not look too closely!) as much as the way ChatGPT managed to understand what was going on and offer reasonable annotations with tips for improvement!

This is a gif of the game, and beneath that, ChatGPT’s fascinating response (remember: all I gave it was the pgn).What is obvious to me is that, despite its limits, ChatGPT now better understand chess and indeed offers something useful. It is a long way from the insights of a chess coach, of course, but I imagine it will help beginners even now, and as the AI improves, even intermediate players. I haven't yet played with adjustments, asking the AI to search to a certain depth, or to use Grandmaster level analysis etc. But it is a glimpse into what it can offer. What do you think?

(Alternatively, you can play through it here)

Opening: Old Indian Defense: Normal Variation

1. c4 d6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nbd7 4. e4 e5
• You initiated the game with the English Opening, transitioning into a central pawn structure typical of the King's Indian or Old Indian setups.
• Black's 1...d6 aims for a flexible pawn structure but concedes some central space early.
• Your response with 4. e4 and 5. d4 seized central control, putting immediate pressure on Black to react.
2. 5...Be7 6. d5
• With 6. d5, you pushed forward aggressively to claim space. This move restricts Black's pawn breaks (like ...d5) but leaves you with a potential overextended pawn on d5 that needs support.

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Middle Game: Strategic Manoeuvres

3. 6...c6 7. Bd3 Qc7 8. O-O h6
• Black prepares a potential pawn break (...cxd5) while developing pieces passively. The move 8...h6 is slow and doesn’t contribute to counterplay.
• Your moves, like 7. Bd3 and 8. O-O, develop harmoniously and aim at supporting the center.
4. 9. Be3 Rg8 10. Rc1 g5
• Black begins a dubious kingside pawn push with ...g5, aiming to generate activity but leaving the king vulnerable.
• Your 10. Rc1 prepares for queenside activity, highlighting a good strategic plan to counter Black’s aggression.
5. 11. c5
• A strong break! You shift focus to the queenside where you hold an advantage. This move undermines Black’s pawn structure and forces open lines.
• Black’s response, 11...Nf8, wastes time and fails to address the queenside pressure.

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Tactical Phase: Opening the Center

6. 12. cxd6 Bxd6 13. dxc6 bxc6
• Your sequence of exchanges opens up the board, creating weaknesses in Black’s pawn structure, particularly the isolated pawn on c6.
• Black is left with fewer active pieces and a vulnerable king in the center.
7. 14. Nd5 Nxd5 15. exd5
• By sacrificing the knight temporarily, you open more lines and gain a passed pawn on d5. This move puts tremendous pressure on Black’s position.
• Black’s 15...c5 tries to block the passed pawn but creates a backward pawn on d6.

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Endgame Transition: Exploiting Weaknesses

8. 16. b4 Nd7 17. bxc5 Bxc5
• With 16. b4, you launch a decisive queenside attack. Black’s position collapses as your pawns dominate.
• The exchange sacrifices you initiated aim to simplify the position, leaving Black with structural weaknesses and an exposed king.
9. 19. Bb5+ Bd7 20. Bxd7+ Kxd7
• A decisive tactic! By forcing the king to d7, you bring the game closer to its conclusion, where your active pieces dominate.
10. 21. Nxe5+

• A winning tactical shot. Your knight forks the king and key pawns, and Black resigns here due to overwhelming material and positional deficits.

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Strengths of Your Play

• Strategic Awareness: You consistently exploited Black's weaknesses, particularly on the queenside.
• Dynamic Play: Moves like 11. c5 and 16. b4 showcased your ability to generate counterplay and create opportunities.
• Exploitation of Opponent's Mistakes: Black's kingside pawn push (10...g5) was overly ambitious, and you capitalised on this by targeting the vulnerable queenside.

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Areas for Improvement

• Faster Development: While your moves were strong, slightly quicker development (e.g., bringing the rooks into play sooner) could make your position even more dominant.
• Pawn Safety: After 6. d5, the pawn became a strength but could also become a liability. Always ensure sufficient backup for advanced pawns.

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Summary

You played an excellent game, leveraging positional advantages and dynamic tactics. Black’s overextension on the kingside and lack of central counterplay allowed you to dominate the queenside and transition smoothly to a winning endgame. Well done!

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[1] [Event "Casual bullet game"] [Date "2024.11.29"] [White "Chris"] [Black "Anonymous"] [Result "1-0"] [UTCDate "2024.11.29"] [UTCTime "09:46:19"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A55"] [Opening "Old Indian Defense: Normal Variation"] [Termination "Time forfeit"] [Annotator "lichess.org"] 1. c4 { [%clk 0:02:00] } 1... d6 { [%clk 0:02:00] } 2. Nc3 { [%clk 0:02:00] } 2... Nf6 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 3. Nf3 { [%clk 0:01:59] } 3... Nbd7 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 4. e4 { [%clk 0:01:56] } 4... e5 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 5. d4 { [%clk 0:01:55] } { A55 Old Indian Defense: Normal Variation } 5... Be7 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 6. d5 { [%clk 0:01:50] } 6... c6 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 7. Bd3 { [%clk 0:01:49] } 7... Qc7 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 8. O-O { [%clk 0:01:49] } 8... h6 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 9. Be3 { [%clk 0:01:46] } 9... Rg8 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 10. Rc1 { [%clk 0:01:41] } 10... g5 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 11. c5 { [%clk 0:01:29] } 11... Nf8 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 12. cxd6 { [%clk 0:01:29] } 12... Bxd6 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 13. dxc6 { [%clk 0:01:29] } 13... bxc6 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 14. Nd5 { [%clk 0:01:25] } 14... Nxd5 { [%clk 0:01:56] } 15. exd5 { [%clk 0:01:24] } 15... c5 { [%clk 0:01:55] } 16. b4 { [%clk 0:01:22] } 16... Nd7 { [%clk 0:01:50] } 17. bxc5 { [%clk 0:01:20] } 17... Bxc5 { [%clk 0:01:50] } 18. Bxc5 { [%clk 0:01:19] } 18... Nxc5 { [%clk 0:01:50] } 19. Bb5+ { [%clk 0:01:20] } 19... Bd7 { [%clk 0:01:49] } 20. Bxd7+ { [%clk 0:01:19] } 20... Kxd7 { [%clk 0:01:49] } 21. Nxe5+ { [%clk 0:01:10] } { Black left the game. } 1-0