It was a crowded chamber in New York. In the centre of the room, two players sat across from each other. Between them was placed a chess board.  

May 11th of 1997, was pivotal for the relationship between man and machine. Before storming out of the room, Garry Kasparov shot a final glance at the chess board. A computer defeated the king of chess. Victory of IBM’s Deep Blue was a milestone finally achieved. AI expert Philippe Rolet told the AFP that it was an "incredible" moment. The occurrence of 1997 was the first of its kind. Many have changed ever since. Over the years, AI has been making remarkable progress in chess. 

Imagine, while playing a game online, a player is told how grandmaster Magnus Carlsen would probably respond. Such is a digital platform that Tech Mahindra is working on. AI-powered "immersive" digital platform will make the fans and chess lovers feel that they are part of the game played by the world's top players. The platform could state if a move is right or wrong and can suggest recommendations. 

AI in chess 

Tech Mahindra stated that it expects to launch the platform soon. The company is currently focusing on studying the top 100 players in the world. They also look forward to facilitating a "gaming community" of like-minded players coming together and sharing their experiences. 

The company, the digital partner of the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, has also rolled out Fan Net.Now, a digital app for fan engagement that they plan to understand what the fans like and dislike about their favorite players.  

Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand who has teamed up with Tech Mahindra, is highly confident about the next-generation chess, tech and engagement. In a conversation with the Times of India, he stated that AI had changed the dynamics, and you cannot fight it. He believes that with AI, the cost and effort of training are continuously dropping as the most sophisticated training methods become available to every computer and every mobile device. In his opinion, the current times are fantastic for chess, and we should grab the opportunities.  

AI startups for chess 

Besides giant tech companies, AI startups in India are also exciting, though at their early stages. For example, Mumbai-based Square Off, which also has operations in the US, offers physical chessboards with adaptive AI integrated with automated movements. They are also planning to launch AI/ML-based 'coaching' software that will be compatible with existing chessboards. 

The team at a sports tech company in Chennai, Roanuz, which powers fantasy apps, believes that the gamification of chess could happen in the future. They plan to use the same engine for other games to teach and coach children. AI will be used to give player feedback. 

Power of AI 

Incidents such as a robot breaking a child's finger in Russia is disturbing. But the role of AI in developing the game of chess cannot be ignored. On a global scale, companies like Deep Mind’s AlphaZero to exist to master the game of chess while tycoons such as Microsoft's are exploring the human side of the game with Maia. 

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