ChatGPT vs Stockfish – Which Is Better?

Stockfish and ChatGPT are two unique tools in the artificial intelligence space.

Stockfish is a robust chess engine that can help you learn and play the game better. ChatGPT, on the other hand, is a natural language model that can understand and process human-like text.

But did you know ChatGPT can play chess, as well?

We will explore all that and more in this article. This ChatGPT vs Stockfish comparison aims to highlight their uses, strengths, weaknesses, and comparisons in the realms of the chess game.

Let’s dive in.

ChatGPT

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) is a language-processing chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to create human-like conversations.

This language model can respond to your questions and generate different forms of written content, such as essays, emails, social media posts, articles, and code.

OpenAI, an AI-based research company, created ChatGPT and released it in November 2022. OpenAI was founded by several researchers and entrepreneurs, including Sam Altman and Elon Musk, in 2015. Several investors, including Microsoft, back OpenAI.

GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 Language Models

The language model operates through the Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, which uses unique algorithms to discover patterns in data sequences.

Initially, ChatGPT used GPT-3, a Generative Pre-Trained Transformer’s third generation and machine learning model. The model pulls massive data to generate a response.

At the time of writing, ChatGPT provides two models. The default GPT-3.5 learning model is free for public access and less powerful. The second model is GPT-4, accessible at a monthly subscription of $20

GPT-4 is more powerful and faster than GPT-3.5. It’s a multimodal model that can process both image and text data.

GPT-4 has a more extended memory than the previous. For example, GPT-3.5’s short-term memory is about 8,000 words, while GPT-4 is around 64,000.

GPT-4 has multilingual capabilities, as well. Simply put, it can process prompts in English and 24 other languages, including French, Spanish, and German.

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How Does ChatGPT Work?

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To use ChatGPT, visit the OpenAI website and sign up with your Google account. You can also download the ChatGPT mobile app for Android or iOS devices.

ChatGPT functions by quickly processing your prompt (input text) and generating a response it predicts is the correct answer to your question.

The language model responds based on the data it’s already trained on. ChatGPT uses deep learning, a part of machine learning, to generate humanlike text using transformer neural networks.

A transformer knows the subsequent text, such as the next paragraph, sentence, or word, based on the sequence of its training data.

Training starts with generic data to more specific data for a particular task. The model was trained with online text to grasp the human language and then transcripts to understand the fundamentals of conversations.

ChatGPT’s training is ongoing; you can downvote or upvote its responses by tapping on the thumbs-down or thumbs-up icons adjacent to the answer. You can also give more written feedback to improve future responses.

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What Questions Can You Ask ChatGPT?

ChatGPT can answer many questions, from simple ones, such as “What year did 9/11 happen?” to more complex ones, such as “Explain the origin of evil.”

ChatGPT is also conversant with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and can write and debug code.

The language model is a conversational chatbot; you can ask it to regenerate text, provide more explanation, shorten the explanation, and more.

How to Play Chess with ChatGPT?

Although ChatGPT isn’t a dedicated app for playing chess, and its functionalities are somewhat limited compared to specialized chess applications, it’s still helpful in playing chess and seeking assistance related to the game.

Here are practical ways to use ChatGPT to play chess and become a better player.

Prompt it to Play Chess

The easiest way to start playing chess with ChatGPT is by entering this text prompt: “I would like us to play chess. We will be using algebraic notations. Are you familiar with the game of chess?”

I entered this prompt into GPT-3.5, and the response was shocking: ChatGPT went ahead to teach me about algebraic notations, something I didn’t include in my prompt. It even suggested I pick a side (white or black), and it made the first move!

This response shows that ChatGPT has been trained to play the game of chess.

But that’s not all.

I made a move, and you won’t believe what happened next.

I took the next few minutes to play about 18 moves with ChatGPT. But after that, it started making illegal moves, which is understandable: it needs a deeper understanding of chess.

While ChatGPT understands algebraic notations in chess, it doesn’t always understand positions or threats.

Ways to Use ChatGPT to Up Your Chess Game

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Ask for Advice on Moves

If you are a chess beginner, encounter a confusing position, or are unsure about what move to make, ask the tool for suggestions.

Explain your current position and the language model will analyze it and give suggestions on the most appropriate move.

For example, you can say, “I have a Queen on e2 and a Rookie on f5. What’s the most suitable move in this case?”

ChatGPT will provide further guidance based on what it knows.

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Clarifying Chess Rules

ChatGPT can provide valuable insights into chess rules you aren’t sure about. You can ask for clarification on unclear rules and other chess-based questions.

Do you want to grasp the intricacies of en passant captures, castling, or pawn promotion? Ask this tool for a detailed explanation to improve your understanding and knowledge of chess.

Game Analysis

After you play chess, input the game’s moves and ask ChatGPT for a thorough analysis and improvement suggestions.

This tool can reveal your mistakes and missed opportunities and suggest better moves at crucial points within the game.

The post-game analysis is essential to each chess player’s development.

Opening Advice

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When it comes to chess openings, ChatGPT can offer detailed advice on different chess openings. Thus, if stuck on how to respond to an opening move, ask it for guidance.

Besides, you can ask ChatGPT for insights into other popular openings, such as typical plans, move sequences, and possible pitfalls.

Chess Puzzles

Are you looking to refine your tactical skills? Prompt the tool for chess puzzles. Simply describe a specific scenario or position and let ChatGPT generate a puzzle you will want to solve.

The puzzles may contain themes, such as tactical combinations, checkmates in a single move or two, and other specific maneuvers to improve or challenge your chess shrewdness.

Learn Chess Concepts

To be a pro chess player, you must master the strategies, tactics, and concepts. People pay a lot to learn these ideas, but you don’t have to.

Simply open ChatGPT and ask questions regarding forks, pins, discovered attacks, skewers, and other chess-related topics. You will get in-depth explanations, practical insights, and even examples to bolster your understanding of the game.

Learn Open Lines

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ChatGPT can help you learn and understand essential opening lines.

For example, when you ask it to provide move sequences for your preferred opening, you will receive the move and an explanation of the pawn structures, typical plans, and common tactics related to those openings.

You will need this knowledge to navigate your games’ opening phase effectively.

Historical Context

Chess has a rich history; there’s no better place to learn more about it than ChatGPT. You can ask about famed chess players, pivotal moments, and iconic historic games.

Learning the historical background of chess can make you appreciate and love it more.

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Chess Etiquette

Like every game, chess has a code of conduct that players must follow. Beginner players may not know about chess etiquette, and that’s where ChatGPT shines.

You can inquire for advice on accepting or offering draws, resigning courteously when in a losing position, and other aspects of etiquette relevant to over-the-board and online chess play.

Pros and Cons of Using ChatGPT to Play Chess

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Pros

• It’s available 24/7; you can access it anywhere to learn and improve your chess skills.
• You can get concise answers to questions regarding chess etiquette, rules, and other aspects of the game.
• You can ask for suggestions before making a challenging move.
• Get insights about popular game openings and how to navigate them.
• It’s an excellent tool for learning chess strategies and tactics.
• It helps you analyze your chess moves and provides suggestions for improvements.
• Allows access to historical chess information to understand and appreciate the game.
• It can enlighten you on endgame principles and techniques like opposition, pawn and king endings, and other endgame concepts.
• Beginners can use it as an opponent to practice chess games.
• It provides a human-like and conversational interaction that makes discussing and learning chess relatable and engaging.
• It can help you analyze your chess opponent’s game. Input your opponent’s positions or game and let it give various tips to counter them.
• Unlike standard chatbots, ChatGPT can remember a previous question on chess and continue the conversation better.

Cons

• The tool may occasionally give inaccurate analysis or information, particularly in advanced or complex chess positions.
• ChatGPT has limited game strength because it isn’t a dedicated chess software. Its capabilities are anchored in general chess knowledge and databases.
• It has limited knowledge of events and data after 2021; it can’t access current chess events or real-time chess databases. This limitation prevents it from providing up-to-date information.
• No visualization: ChatGPT can’t visually show the moves on a chess board, which can be valuable for discussing games or analyzing positions.
• No human intuition: It doesn’t have the creativity and human intuition possessed by top-level human chess players and may not analyze novel or highly unconventional positions faultlessly.
• It may not handle deep tactical calculations or complex move variations like dedicated chess software.
• It provides general advice but not customized recommendations. It can’t provide tailored suggestions or advice for your skill level or playing style.
• No board analysis: Whereas the tool can thoroughly analyze your text-based moves, it can’t analyze or display actual board-based positions.
• Miscommunication is possible, as the AI model may not accurately interpret or comprehend chess-specific terms.
• Lack of playing experience: You can’t play games against ChatGPT in real time. So, it’s not the perfect tool to practice or test your chess skills in a real game context.

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Stockfish

What Is Stockfish?

Stockfish is a free and open-source chess engine. Its founders include Tord Romstad, Marco Costalba, and Joona Kiiski from Norway. Currently, the Stockfish Community develops and maintains it.

Stockfish is a powerful and accessible chess engine that runs across platforms, including MacOS, Windows, Android, Linux, and iOS.

It has more outstanding accomplishments than most chess engines. For instance, it has won over ten top Chess Engine Championships and topped the Computer Chess Championship by Chess.com since 2018.

Stockfish analyzes various chess positions as a chess engine before returning the best-calculated move options. The chess engine’s code is integrated with neural networks to evaluate chess positions effectively.

With an ELO rating of over 3500, many regard Stockfish as the world’s best chess engine. The video below is a clear demonstration that no other chess engine can beat Stockfish:

No Engines Can Beat Stockfish At Bullet

How Does Stockfish Work?

Stockfish uses highly complex calculations and formulas to analyze every move in a chess game.

To achieve this, the dedicated chess program performs three processes that impact one another: evaluating positions, finding candidate moves, and calculating optimal moves.

Let’s look at each process in detail.

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1. Evaluating Positions

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The chess engine constantly evaluates the game’s positions from its opening through the endgame.

Stockfish uses evaluation criteria that include king safety, material balance, pawn structure, and more.

The engine considers these situations to contextualize the happenings on the board:

• Controlling the board’s center area is advantageous.
• Material advantage gives a player an advantage over an opponent.
• Having isolated pawns is a bad thing.
• It is advantageous to have pawns control the board’s center.
• You get more weight when you defend and protect the most important pieces.
• Your position is favorable if the board’s diagonal line is under the control of one or two bishops.
• Using your other pieces to surround the king puts you in a good position.
• Your dominance increases when you attack your opponent’s powerful pieces.

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2. Finding Candidate Moves

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Once it evaluates the game’s current position, Stockfish will search for potential moves from that scenario.

But the engine will wait until there’s a draw or checkmate to compute all the possible moves from that particular point.

And the reason is simple: a chess game has infinite moves one can make.

Instead, Stockfish uses its maximum depth to look as far ahead as possible. It then creates a search tree to locate candidate moves, which include possible plays and the moves they lead to.

The chess engine keeps increasing the tree branches until it attains the highest possible depth or time.

3. Calculating Optimal Moves

Stockfish uses the current stage of the game to employ heuristics that assign unique values to every candidate’s move.

Besides, the engine uses the alpha-beta pruning algorithm to remove a tree’s possible ineffective moves. Besides, it takes note of any regularly encountered positions.

Here’s an interesting fact:

Stockfish processes hundreds of thousands of computations within seconds and uses your current position to identify your best one to five moves.

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Stockfish Uses Machine Learning

The powerful chess engine’s latest versions use neural net structure – a type of machine learning.

Machine learning has been part of the engine’s core system since Stockfish NNUE’s debut in 2018.

It combines machine learning, minimax algorithms, and alpha-beta pruning to evaluate positions and compute optimal moves.

Integrating machine learning into the engine lets developers considerably enlarge the engine’s training area. As a result, Stockfish’s ELO rating has grown exponentially in recent years to a whopping 3545 as of September 2023.

How to Use Stockfish?

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• Go to the Stockfish website and download it to your device. It’s 100% free to use.
• Open it and tap ‘run’ to get the engine running.
• Start making your moves, and the engine will run and calculate the possible moves it thinks you should play next.

Fun fact: Stockfish makes it easy for you by displaying the arrows representing the moves you should make next. But this doesn’t mean you will win.

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Playing Online

Do you want to use Stockfish online?

• Go to Chess.com, a famous chess platform that uses Stockfish to analyze games.
• After accessing the portal on chess.com, load a screenshot of the Portable Game Notation (PGN) or Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) page. Stockfish will take care of the rest.
• If playing a live game, you can see a game’s complete analysis by clicking the ‘Analyze’ button

Stockfish Pros and Cons

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Pros

Open-Source: Anyone can access Stockfish, read and adjust its code, contributing to its mighty prowess. Community members update it constantly to keep its performance in tip-top shape.

Multiplatform Support: It is compatible with almost all devices. It supports Linux, Windows, iOS, MacOS, and Android. This accessibility makes it versatile enough for both serious and casual players.

Solid and accurate: Stockfish is renowned for its unrivaled strength and accuracy when evaluating chess positions. Its ELO rating constantly outranks the other chess engines, making it suitable for playing and analyzing chess.

Highly efficient search algorithms: The engine’s efficient algorithms, like megamax and alpha-beta pruning, give it an extensive search depth to find the perfect moves and compute variations faultlessly.

Positional Understanding: The program has a solid positional understanding of chess that lets it make accurate strategic decisions. It can evaluate factors like king safety, pawn structure, and more to evaluate a position’s overall quality.

Endgame expertise: The chess engine can maneuver complex endgame positions with unmatched accuracy and find the best moves to defend challenging positions to get a draw or turn an advantage into a win.

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Cons

Resource intensive: You need a robust computer with powerful hardware to use the engine’s maximum strength to analyze profound variations and complex solutions.

Limited human-like intuition: The chess engine uses algorithms for evaluation. It may make technically strong moves but look counterintuitive from a human’s perspective.

Long thinking times: Setting Stockfish to deep analysis might take longer to evaluate positions effectively or make a move.

Super complex suggestions: In certain positions, this engine can suggest highly tactical and complicated lines that are too tricky for the human player to grasp or execute, resulting in possible mistakes during practical play.

ChatGPT vs Stockfish: Comparison

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Differences

• Purpose and application: ChatGPT is a text-oriented AI model created to understand and generate responses in a natural language. On the other hand, Stockfish is an engine made to play and analyze chess positions, compute moves, and establish the right moves to play.
• Chess Expertise: ChatGPT can give chess-related insights, discuss strategies, and explain chess rules in a natural language, but it lacks the positional standing and deep chess knowledge that Stockfish has.
• Engagement and interactivity: ChatGPT provides textual responses to chess-related prompts, but Stockfish interacts with moves and positions via a command-line interface and graphical user interface.
• Gameplay and Analysis: ChatGPT can’t play chess and analyze moves like Stockfish. It can only provide advice based on general knowledge.
• Resource Consumption: Stockfish is resource-intensive, but ChatGPT is a small app.

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Similarities

• Both programs are compatible with multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows
• Both use artificial intelligence, particularly machine learning to operate.
• Both are open-source projects that the public can access and modify.
• They are both based on deep learning models that can learn from massive knowledge databases.

Conclusion

It’s time to decide on the winner in the Stockfish vs. ChatGPT battle. If you’re searching for a reliable AI tool to play chess, Stockfish wins hands down because it’s made specifically to play chess.

It understands the chess game accurately and analyzes positions perfectly. It also uses efficient algorithms to find the perfect moves.

Both tools have room for future improvement, though. ChatGPT needs to be trained on the technical and complex aspects of chess. Adding a graphical interface with a visual chess board would be a game changer.

How about Stockfish? The engine’s endgame knowledge can be improved to find the best solutions in intricate endgame situations. Also, optimizing it for distributed and multi-core computing environments could make it faster and more efficient.