Sports
Magnus Carlsen Weighs In After Elon Musk Claims Chess Will Be 'Fully Solved' Like Checkers
Elon Musk sparked a debate this week after declaring on X that chess would eventually be 'fully solved' by computers, similar to how checkers was solved in 2007. Musk argued that since most legal chess moves are clearly weak, artificial intelligence could theoretically map out the entire game. Chess.com responded with a brief but pointed remark: 'Skill issue.' Musk continued to defend his position, stating that chess 'is hard for humans, but not for computers' and would eventually be 'fully solved like checkers.' He later admitted he had spent the evening 'arguing with some random intern' who ran the chess platform's social media account. Chess.com clarified that the person Musk had been debating was in fact a full-time employee, and the exchange quickly drew widespread attention online. On Thursday, World No. 1 and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen addressed the topic during an interview with Indian media at the ongoing Global Chess League (GCL), where he plays for defending champions APL Pipers. 'I'm not a computer expert, so I don't know if it's going to be solved,' Carlsen said. He noted that chess is already considered 'semi-solved' in a practical sense, explaining, 'We are pretty sure that it's a draw, and it's a draw in a tonne of ways. The margin is quite big.' This is a more measured view compared to Musk's suggestion that AI could eventually calculate chess down to every possible move. Carlsen also spoke about AI's broader impact on the sport, saying it has made chess 'a lot more accessible,' allowing fans to follow games and helping players 'improve a lot faster.' On his continued participation in the Global Chess League, Carlsen praised the team-based format, saying, 'It's a really good format... we need team formats in chess that are genuinely exciting.' However, he expressed disagreement with one specific rule — the two-second time increment added after the 40th move. 'I would have preferred for there not to be the two seconds after 40 moves as well,' he said, adding that the rule was introduced at the request of players he considers 'incompetent and lazy at times.' He further praised the format's structure, highlighting those staggered matches and the clear distinction between white and black sides make outcomes more decisive, aside from rare six-way draws. Speaking about his frequent visits to India for the tournament, Carlsen said he enjoys returning roughly every two years, joking that he needs the break 'to remind myself how crowded the tournaments are.' He added, 'There's no atmosphere or enthusiasm like it in the east.'