Vladimir Kramnik shared his opinion on neural networks in chess coaching. Kramnik believes that AI will not replace human professional coaches for a long time. Vladimir notes the importance of explaining the cause of mistakes to the student.

Vladimir Kramnik

Vladimir Kramnik

14th World Champion

“It’s not yet at the level that could replace a good professional coach. Especially for a child. In chess, it’s important not only to understand where you made a mistake, but also, most importantly, to understand why those mistakes occurred.

And that’s where an experienced mentor will always offer advice, find a common denominator in a child’s mistakes, explain the reasons, and analyze them together. And ultimately, they’ll correct the deficiencies and suggest areas for improvement.

If this [AI replacing coaches] ever happens, it won’t happen anytime soon. A little help is certainly helpful, computer programs can quickly point out where the mistake occurred. But this isn’t enough to improve.

It’s crucial to explain the ‘why’, identify common causes of mistakes, and select materials to correct weaknesses. There’s no need to worry about that for now.”

Many websites dedicated to chess education have appeared on the internet over the past few years. Many of these websites offer AI coaching services as a main feature. On Chess.com there is a Play Coach system, where a user can play and review games with an AI coach. Full access to this system is available through a paid subscription.

Credit: Maria Emelianova / Chess.com