Are You Smarter Than a Machine?

This piece, by Mariano Frare-Finnerty, was published on 04/08/25.

AI has become very skilled at chess. What initially started as a test to see whether computer programming could compete with some of the best chess players has evolved into engines far superior to even the best. Today, bots such as Stockfish and Maia are some of the world's most notable chess bots that chess players, from the best to beginners, use to train and improve their chess skills. However, what once started as a simple test of the capacities of computer intelligence has now resulted in unthinkable results. 

The best example of the prowess and competency of chess bots can be seen in the nine games played between chess bot Leela and four-time U.S. chess champion Fabiano Caruana, who is currently the fourth-best-ranked chess player in the world. In nine games, Leela destroyed Caruana, beating him 8 out of 9 games and drawing one game due to insufficient material. However, this is even more remarkable because Leela beat Caruana eight times down one knight. 

Yes, Leela beat the fourth-ranked chess player in the world 8 out of 9 times, having a 3-point disadvantage due to being down a knight. Being down a knight without compensation yields less than a 5% win rate against equal strength. For instance, a rough estimate of a game where someone starts down a knight is that their win probability is roughly 3 percent, while their draw probability is approximately 7 percent. This means that starting down a knight against an opponent of equal strength would mean that you would likely lose 90 percent of the time. 

Thus, Leela won under impossible odds. This result has shaken the chess world, with YouTube videos and Reddit threads in awe of what happened. These games redefined expectations about AI's limits while showcasing its ever-increasing power. Also, Leela's performance against Caruana signals a new chapter in the history of chess. AI is no longer catching up to humans—playing an entirely different game.

However, these games are the most interesting because AI increasingly shows traits once considered uniquely human. Playing a chess game, amongst the conditions that Leela has, requires strategic depth, the ability to handle positional imbalances, and resilience under pressure, which are all traits the best and most competent human chess players have. Thus, if AI chess bots can replicate those traits, what else can they possibly replicate that was once thought to be uniquely human? 

If you wish to test your skills against Leela, you can do so here. Maia and Stockfish are among the best chess bots. 

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