In February 1996, the famous chess showdown between Kasparov and Deep Blue was the focus of the world. Meanwhile, the battle for a different kind of chess took place at North Philadelphia’s Robert Vaux middle school. From 1977 to 1983, this school managed to win seven national championships. However, the program gradually failed due to lack of funding and experienced coaches and players.
The challenge was answered by a former Soviet officer nicknamed Azma. This individual was familiar with the game of chess and played a huge role in restoring the program. He installed intensive competition and tight discipline among the players. Eventually, with his dedication and enthusiasm, Roberts Vaux students took home two more championships. Azma was also instrumental in establishing a school culture that promoted fair play, victory, and excellence in chess.
ChatGPT, or Chat Game Playing Tool, is an AI-powered chatbot tool developed by OpenAI and Microsoft. It is designed to play endless conversations with anyone, such as playing chess. ChatGPT caters to both professional and amateur players by helping them elicit, respond, and discover new chess strategies. It provides access to AI technology that previously was only available to professionals.
Recently, OpenAI conducted a championship between ChatGPT and grandmaster Simon Williams. While the AI tool ended up losing, it was the first time an AI bot played a professional level game against a human and drew major attention. This AI advanced chess game wouldn’t have been possible without technological advancements and a decades-long process that started with Azma’s dedication to chess. Not only did he save Vaux’s middle school chess program, he also laid the grounds for a revolution in AI chess game playing.
