Chess bot Mittens’ snark is worse than its bite
Who/What/When/Where & Why?
On the 1st of January, the gargantuan chess website chess.com unleashed the new “Fab-Five” of chess bots. The bots are knowledgeable, quirky, and have “cat-like” reflexes. You guessed right…all the chess bots are cat personas. The cats range in levels from the novice “Scaredy Cat” to the impressive “Catspurrov”, but the most feared feline of them all…Mittens.
Who is Mittens and why is she famous?
Mittens is an adorable chess bot with soft fur and gorgeous green eyes, and she has taken the whole chess world by storm. With a deceptive chess rating of 1, Mittens is slicing through novices and masters alike. GM Hikaru Nakamura posted a youtube video challenging Mittens to a feisty showdown.
Can I beat Mittens?
Hearing the news, I couldn’t help but hop online and challenge the felines to a “cat-fight”. After dismantling “Mr. Grumpers” (1200) and outmaneuvering “Catspurrov” (1400), I was limber and ready to take on the baddest cat of them all. But the sad truth is… it was less of a contest and more of a massacre. Mittens positioned her pieces purrfectly, ranging deep in my territory. Then she slowly put the hangman’s noose around my neck by taking my queen. You can follow my disappointing result below.
What was worse than being picked apart by a better-looking version of “Puss in boots”? It was the absolute smack talk that Mittens delivered. My favorite of her lines was “The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long, hehehe. You are not long for this game.”
How good is Mittens?
Though Mittens has no official rating, I found she was a tough opponent. Further, in the game mentioned previously with Nakamura, the GM only limped away with a draw. Therefore, it is fair to say that Mittens, though cute and cuddly, has a mind of a chess master.
However, when Mittens comes face to face with Stockfish (the world’s strongest chess engine) it loses quite dramatically. It is ironic that the fish feasts on the feline for once.
Funny Anecdote?
Sean Becker, the programmer behind the personality of Mittens, said it was “way more demoralizing and funny” for Mittens to depress players with superb positional play. Talk about a cat toying with you!
What now?
With the rise of AI and other technical advancements chess engines will only improve. In short, chess bots are here to stay and the average player just can’t measure up. But rather than wallow in despair, we should use bots, like Mittens, to improve our games. So, if you’re up for it go give the cat a go, but be warned your ego might be bruised in the process.
