Should You Play Chess Against the Computer?

Why play against a chess computer? Playing chess against the computer is different to playing against human opponents both online and over the board. It can test your abilities, act as a training tool, or simply provide another way to enjoy the game. However, it can also be frustrating and may even hamper your training.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the advantages and drawbacks of playing a non-human opponent to give you insights into this dimension of the game.

What is a chess computer?

In the simplest terms, a chess computer is a program designed to play chess. By calculating a series of moves in many possible directions, they try to determine the move that gives them the best chance of winning. 

The first chess computers were developed in the late 1950s. Since then, they have progressed to the point where they can calculate more deeply than any human opponents. They are also a familiar part of digital chess for amateur and professional players alike.

Also called chess calculators or chess engines, chess computers can now be extremely powerful with estimated ratings well over those of world champions. They are widely available to download, use online, and on electronic chess boards. Popular platforms like Chess.com have avatars or “bots” that you can play against with different personalities and styles. 

Playing against a computer is a unique challenge, which can be enjoyable or frustrating depending on how you approach it. Let explore some of the advantages and drawbacks of human vs computer chess.

Advantages 

Playing against the computer is significantly different from playing against a human opponent. It also has some unique benefits. Let’s take a look at a few.

Availability 

Free chess computers are widely available. On various platforms different chess computers can be used 24/7. As such, they are one of the most convenient ways to practice against a consistently strong opponent.

If you are a beginner and do not feel confident to play online games, a computer is an easy and accessible way to practice.

Challenging Opponents 

Some chess engines are now stronger than any human chess player. You can often select the strength of a computer opponent to match or exceed your abilities. This essentially gives you easy access to an opponent who will constantly be challenging your calculation, ability to respond to unexpected moves, and identify tactics.

Beyond the intermediate chess bots, playing against the most powerful engines is also interesting and instructive. The learning potential of playing against a machine that is stronger than chess world champions is an incredible opportunity for chess players of all levels.

Related: 5 Strong Chess Engines and the Best Ways to Train With Them

Analysis and Training

Playing against the computer gives you access to immediate analysis. You can review your games and look over engine-suggested moves, see where you missed opportunities, and identify key turning points in the game.

Chess.com even offers different modes to play against the computer, allowing you to take back moves, look at hints, and suggest possible moves. This allows you to explore different variations when playing against the powerful calculation abilities of a computer.

Related: What You Can Do To Improve Your Chess Training

Practice Specific Openings and Custom Positions

In online chess against human opponents, you have to play moves based on the position that develops. Of course, this is excellent practice, but with chess computers you can input specific positions or start from a specific opening.  If there is a variation in your opening that keeps tripping you up or a particular kind of endgame you find difficult, this is an excellent opportunity to work on it. 

Compared to playing lots of low time control (Blitz or Bullet) chess online, working on specific openings and positions with a computer is great practice.

Drawbacks

We've established that there are some definite benefits to playing chess against the computer, but what are some of the downsides? The following should give you an idea of the best way to approach human vs computer chess.

Computer Logic vs Human Creativity

Chess computers are pure calculating machines. They attempt to find the best moves through playing out thousands of possible variations. The most powerful engines can calculate so thoroughly that no human opponent can consistently match them. However, this approach to the game makes them different from human players.

When we play chess, we cannot possibly calculate every variation, so we come up with ideas, follow plans and chess principles, and look for tactics. Playing against a computer is not always as fun, simply because you are playing against an opponent with a fundamentally different approach to the game. Human opponents have different styles, personalities, and ideas, often making for more entertaining games. 

Strange/Unlikely Moves

Chess computers are neutral calculators. They do not make moves based on what feels familiar, safe, or interesting. Instead, they make moves based solely on what they think will win them the game. This means they often make moves that seem strange or unfamiliar to a human player. With powerful engines, this is usually because they have calculated a weakness in the position that a human player could never identify. 

While this is interesting and a good calculation challenge, it is not always the best for preparing you against human players. Chess games between humans are sometimes more predictable, and the weird and wonderful moves made by computers may not give you a good sense of what it is like to play someone else. 

Limited Chess Psychology

A key aspect of both online and over-the-board chess is psychology. Putting your opponent under pressure and staying calm in tricky positions can help you to win games. Of course, with chess computers, psychology is not an issue. As such, they can be a good way to practice calculation, but a poor way to practice dealing with human behavior over the chess board. 

Over-powered Engines

Some chess engines are simply too powerful for most human players to compete with. Playing against these computers may be interesting, but may also be demoralizing and frustrating. For beginners, it may even put them off the game altogether. 

Of course, this problem can be solved by playing against a less powerful engine. There are usually settings available that allow you to play against differently rated bots. The trick is to find the right difficulty level for quality practice.

Related: How To Use An Electronic Chess Board To Prepare for Tournaments

Conclusion: Is it Worth Playing Against a Chess Computer?

In a word, yes. Chess computers offer a new lens to practice, enjoy, and interpret the game. Playing against engines is certainly different from playing against humans, and as such it offers a unique challenge.

If you are a new player learning the basics of the game or an advanced player preparing for a tournament, you will use chess computers differently. Overall, chess computers are a versatile tool that, if used correctly, can be a fun, engaging, and fruitful way to play the game.